Carolyn, please tell me how Istra grows.

I forgot about a fruit I had last summer that was a multi. I weighed it but have zero recollection on the weight. Knowing my hand size, I would guess under 2lbs.
Dang, I had no idea that I could have made this puppy bigger if I pruned the plant it was on.
You can see the fruit in the background that is my avatar.

[ATTACH]56880[/ATTACH]

One of the great features of Marv's book is a "grower comments" with each section. Diverse viewpoints, from ppl growing in different conditions.

The pruning chapter has solid pics and gives you a good basic anatomy lesson, and some before, during, and after pruning views. The megabloom chapter is still relevant.

Some information is dated, that's to be expected.

Recommend.

Thanks Gerardo, that's what I was looking for.

On another note, I'm thinking that breeding-in the delayed ripening gene would be key for breeders looking to create the next "big" thing.

New to tomatoville here. I also grow giant tomatoes.
First year in growing giants and my pb is 2.240kg/4.938lbs.
It's from the variety "Domingo" which outgrew delicious and big zac from personal experience.[ATTACH]56889[/ATTACH]

Bryanbryn, welcome to TV, and thanks for adding to the giant tomato thread.
I will post my list soon, and some pics too, you guys can research them for yourselves. All ears for suggestions also.
Nice to see some are geared up to grow a giant, I'm ready to roll too.

Here are some of the giant varieties I'm planning to grow next season. Most are from Dale Thurber from Delectation of Tomatoes (DT)
My 4.938lb Domingo
My 3.6lb Big Zac (2 generations from the 8.41 McCoy WR)
Big Zac 4.57 McCoy (grew the world record)
Big Zac 5.8 Osmala
Belmonte 2.062lb DT- heaviest ever recorded for this variety was 4.14lbs
Michael's Portuguese Monster/Bigzarro 3.756lb DT- Seed originated from a 4.5lb tomato bought from in Portugal market.
Brutus Magnum 2.976lb DT -heaviest ever recorded for this variety was 6.25lbs
Megamarv
Italian Heart DT- Heaviest for this variety is 4.19lbs
Delicious 3.205lb DT (2 gens from 7.33lb Hunt)
Italo DT- originally from a 5.77lb tomato entered "Consiglio's Kitchen great tomato hunt" in Canada.
Big Zac F3 4.67lb DT
Chilo della Garfagnana 3.554lb DT- Italian variety

It will be very interesting to grow this many giant varieties side by side to see how they do in our harsh climate.

In my pic 4-5 posts above, does a the crack like the one on my tomato near the stem disqualify a fruit from contention (not that mine was a contender)?

That tomato looks fine to me. As long as the split/crack isn't leaking.

Ok, cool. Good to know for the future.

It was split but not leaking. We had tons of rain in June and July last year. I'm going under a tunnel with no end walls and sides this year to eliminate the chance of too much water.

I imagine growing under cover like mac coy did in his high tunnel would be the key to preventing rain/over-watering and thus splitting.

I had 2 strains of this mortgage lifter, one that produced huge smooth fruit, and this one that produces huge gnarly fruit. Both were very productive, and each made some fruit that hit the 4 lb. mark. Sadly I lost the seed of the smooth one!:cry:
[URL=http://s243.photobucket.com/user/barney097/media/garden2012003-1.jpg.html][IMG]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff95/barney097/garden2012003-1.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[QUOTE=Ricky Shaw;537415]Carolyn, please tell me how Istra grows.[/QUOTE]

To me it's what a variety tastes like that takes priority.

I tried to find a picture for it on line, Tania doesn't list it or the other ones I'm going to mention.

My seed producer in IA does SSE list it and says large red ruffled fruits up to about 2 # ,my words now, excellent taste,with which I will agree.

I got several varieties from Iva in Solvenia and all have been out standing ones for me,ones in addition to Istra would include

Primorski Pagug
Domac Doljenski

And Giroc,not from Iva and Trska Gora,not from Iva.

And Tania lists none of the ones above or I'm having a short term memory lapse.

Ididn't check the Photo Forum here to see if anyone did post pictures,perhaps Kath,I don't know. And I didn't check my Fall feed back threads either,since some will post pictures.

But Istra is RL,indet, ripened for me in my zone 5 in late midseason,that is,before about 80 days.

Just looking at my data book and I think the above were maybe grown out for seed production summer of 2014 for my 2015 seed offer which never happened, so no one has seen my varieties produced either last summer or the summer before.

Grow it! You'll like it very much.

Carolyn

I'm attempting to grow some large tomatoes this year too. I was lucky enough to get a few seeds from the 8.41 MacCoy and can't wait to see what they grow. I also have a couple other 5lb+ seeds I'll be trying out.

Carolyn, thank you so much. I'd seemed to remember Istra being mentioned as a large tomato, not a lot of info out there. Big and flavorful, not huge.

I got some of Fabrice Boudyo's 8.36 and 6.83, which I think is Big Zac 7-8 generation, should be very much the same as McCoy 8.41.
This should be fun.

I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone's big maters do. I don't expect to get anything over 2-3 lbs but it will be fun to try. Good luck to all of you growing them this year.

I have a variety I created that I call "Sumo". It's from a cross between two heirloom varieties, Enormous Plum and Florida Pink. I have selected from the plant with the largest fruit for 10 generations now, and it seems to be stable. The largest fruit I have gotten is just over 3 lb, but it was grown in partial shade without pruning, so someone who is serious about growing large tomatoes might be able to double that. The largest fruit seem to come from double flowers. I've never seen true megablooms (triples or more).

Send me a PM if you'd like seed.

Fred

Fred that sounds really interesting. I'll shoot you a pm. Just curious how do they taste?

They are meaty with very few seeds. On a scale of "good", "better", "best", I would rate them as "better". Not quite as good as say Brandywine, but better than the average tomato.

I've planted out 76 tomato plants so far. 2 are Big Zac , 1 Maiden's Gold, and 1 Belmonte (Hoping for a Belmonster),

[QUOTE=FredB;539084]They are meaty with very few seeds. On a scale of "good", "better", "best", I would rate them as "better". Not quite as good as say Brandywine, but better than the average tomato.[/QUOTE]

Are you planning to further select for weight?

[QUOTE=Scooty;539136]Are you planning to further select for weight?[/QUOTE]

I've selected for size the last 10 years, and I have the feeling that whatever genes are available for selection have already been fixed. I think the next step should be to have someone grow it under optimal conditions and see what its full potential may be.

This variety may have a different genetic background than other super-large varieties, so it might be possible to do a cross and get something even larger.

Fred

Time to roll
 

I hope you guys are still not hibernating? I have about a dozen candidates growing for a large tomato, getting some mega blossoms too, but I will wait a bit before I select my prize flowers. The BZ flower is 4 fused together, nice... but not yet.

I am putting the juice to them now, in a couple of weeks I should see some results, and hopefully many more mega blooms.
I also have a few varieties for my giant non fused tomato, we will see how that goes also

I had a Burpee's Steakhouse tomato last year that was 2 lb. 1 oz. and did not prune for a large tomato on that plant. My oxhart, that I saved seeds from the year before, produced the most over 1 lb. tomatoes per plant. Great for canning.

No hibernating Mark!
Just waiting on weather to kick in.
I have a delicious with mega bloom. I pinched off all the other buds on that truss.
Problem is, it's on a plant that started blooming too early under my HPS and it's not robust with foliage or that tall.
It's on an early sowing that I did with 10 different plants just to get a jump on the season to have some fruit for eating.
In my main crop which I sowed later, i have 4 delicious, 4 big zac and 2 chapman to try for personal records.
The chapman had to be bum seeds. I sowed twice and got two plants out of 24 sowed.
Anyway, I'm giving it a go to get one under my belt, and will seek out competition genetics next year.

Did you top the plant with the megabloom?

I did not, I do not think the plant is ready yet, so I will let that one pass.
As far as Chapman, how can you pass on growing loads just to eat? Darn those throw tasty treats for me. LOL

So far my only mega bloom is on a Cherokee Purple plant. The plant is only about 14" tall.

I guess I'm holding an unfair grudge due to the bad germ rates lol.
Ok, I will have to keep one for production.
I did just notice a seed came up in the row this week. I sowed them 4 weeks ago. And it's a trifoliate. The other two came up in 4 days.
Maybe I'll use that one for eating.

I had a market customer last week complaining about Big Zac. "All the darn tomatoes grew together in these big ugly clumps."

It's almost winter here in Australia and I just transplanted 15 or so giant tomato seedlings outside in the garden. Not sure how they will do but it's worth a try.
Anyways, looking great there Mark!