Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 67 Entries. Friday, March 13 View Page 2026....put me in coach, im ready to play!!! Taste dam close but we'll send to the lab and see where we are. Best of luck to all the growers this season. PB's for EVERYONE !!! Friday, March 20 View Page Heck yea...after two years of winging it to get her cleaned up and close...I'll take it...where the heck did I put those seeds Ned sent me! Tuesday, March 24 View Page Tuesday, March 24 View Page Just about ready for a plant to live better than me for 5 months... future home of the 839 Sandercock.. Friday, March 27 View Page These dam red and grey birds...theives of spring ....eating all my freeking worms...time to get the BB gun ready. Saturday, April 11 View Page Man we've had some nice spring weather...got the amendments halfway tilled in and realized I forgot to put the cables in. Saturday, April 11 View Page Tell ya what....the ol Lady can still dig a hole! Saturday, April 11 View Page All tilled in, tucked in, fan, heater. Good bye winter. Saturday, April 11 View Page A week of garden prep got me feeling like this sucks(old and fat).... so I decided to dig around a little bit in the soil...I see roots!!!! Saturday, April 11 View Page And 30 hrs after a 12 hr soak...the 839 Sandercock. This is our first time growing a proven seed...not sure if that matters but sure increases the confidence going in. Thanks again for seeds Ned...hope I doE you proud. Tuesday, April 14 View Page The 839's are up and at it.... Tuesday, April 14 View Page They look good to me...I put them right in...I'll curve them each 90 degrees and let them run...once they get to 8 ft I'll take chainsaw and run it right down the center...get rid of the nasty rootball of the unlucky survivor...we're growing baby!!! Saturday, April 18 View Page I think I had Ned nervous for a minute...I would never treat such great seeds so poorly. The 839's are up and at it. Saturday, April 18 View Page They even got a half day in the greenhouse...77 at 8 am...what a week. Saturday, April 18 View Page I believe I've seen what I needed to see from the practice plants... Saturday, April 18 View Page If the weather wasn't turning to shit I'd be a happy camper right now...gotta channel Dale and Don and get these puppies in... that's why we do cables right? Saturday, April 18 View Page Go for it?, or Up-pot... that is the question...looks good into next week. Sunday, April 19 View Page I chickened out...lol.. Tuesday, April 21 View Page Well... the practice plants did ok with the 30 degree temps ...not so much the 25 it dipped down too last night...they cooked...I think with just a heater in front of them I would have been fine... I was right about growing the opposite direction though...a couple weeks more, chainsaw, boda bing boda bang. Tuesday, April 21 View Page There going in today!! Let's FN GoOo!!!! Tuesday, April 21 View Page New for me this year...giant zucchini!! Thanks so much for the seeds Sarah!!! Tuesday, April 21 View Page Tuesday, April 21 View Page Monday, April 27 View Page Giant watermelon 104 days after germination...dam these things start slow. Monday, April 27 View Page The 839's went in...a little funky on the first leaves...that must be from the inside start..never had that trouble once we switched to starting in the greenhouse. They'll grow out of it. Monday, April 27 View Page Now that the patch is set, it's time to address this mess of a mater patch..I didn't even grow here last year...whenever we get more than 10 feet of snow it just stays wet all season...the ditch is helping to dry it out..guess it's time to talk tomatoes.... Monday, May 4 View Page Sometimes it's just the little things that get my goat...(smiley red cheek emoji) Monday, May 4 View Page Well, I made it through the weekend and what I hope is the last of the freezing nights... Monday, May 4 View Page They growin...the back ups are just pushing up daisy's now,but I don't think I'll need them..it's VTJOHNs big orange in case anyone gonna need an extra plant or two..ahhh pumpkin season... feels good to be back. Monday, May 4 View Page Pumpkins aren't the only game in town though..It's time Party people!!!!!!!!!!! THE 2026 Zeke Demars Tomato Team Challenge!!!!!!!!!!... Ten years Strong BaBY!!!!!...I really wanna thank Last years Champion Rick J , for being so helpful in getting this Trophy packed up and shipped off to our Current Champion, Big Ketchup Clayton. The Trophy traveled from Rick's place to Iowa, handed off to Pete Casper's, who flew to Utah, to then hand off to The president of the GPC Cindy Tobeck who then flew back to Washington to hand deliver The CUP...unbelievable!!....Thanks to all that made this happen...wow....10 yrs....over 11,800 miles traveled...and oFFically BACK UP FOR GRABS!!!!!.... WHOs GROWING TOMATOES THIS YEAR??!!!! Tuesday, May 5 View Page Another stellar day and I'm diggin this new hoophouse... Tuesday, May 5 View Page Not looking foward to seeing the electric bill, but it is nice in there... Tuesday, May 5 View Page I feel like I have a favorite...she has a tendril.. pinched off the first side vine shoots..less risk of foaming Pap always said. Thursday, May 7 View Page This was not an easy selection...so many great seeds to choose from...thanks to everyone that sent me seeds....I'm starting today, seventh of May. Thursday, May 7 View Page I got to share some seeds , courtesy of the great Billy King...And while I'm not holding my breath, I will try to pop a couple of these... and a couple will just hang on my trophy wall..what a full circle moment... I remember emailing Vincent's granddaughter all those years ago to tell her some guy named Marv was yelling at me online because I didn't write down the name of the tomato, and had asked her if she knew.. she said " an old Italian heirloom "...I told her I would call it the Domingo. Soaking in kelp...let's FN go. Sunday, May 10 View Page Finally a bit of growth...The 341 Vail...weather looks good to go in next week Sunday, May 10 View Page Another warm day inside the hoop...I think I have pumpkin fever already...as saswampo would say- 30 DaG Tuesday, May 12 View Page Ooooooff....chilly morning. Tuesday, May 12 View Page But a balmy 68 in the hoop...plants are down and running....now the other plant is my favorite...and it has a baby pumpkin...so we'll see. Wednesday, May 13 View Page I got the Mater/melon patch done before the rain set in last night. I'm ready...a few of the 9.5 Clayton's are up and at it. Sunday, May 17 View Page Did I mentioned how much I like this hoophouse?...the end rolls up and there's a screen that protects the front from wind...I close the ol lady up in there to pull the little weeds and it's like watching television! Sunday, May 17 View Page Got an email from our Current champion asking about the contest.. he pointed out that this was NOT our tenth year... it's our 9th..which if I'm being honest, is a bit of a relief... I was really stressing going after all the prize money and sponsorships that should go along with a 10 yr event...so let's just kick off year 9, and see where we end up...thanks Brandon....we have some work to do however... Sunday, May 17 View Page Did anyone catch the 2025 Open Division winners, The Relentless Rebels, on the international grow channel "the Chad New podcast?"...it was fantastic for any new grower coming into the sport of growing giant tomatoes...All three of these growers are top notch in my book. Which is why I'm a bit concerned...toward the end of the podcast I asked what I could do to add 10 pounds to my pb?...........they all laughed...all three of them...that was my answer....a big ol laugh... Sunday, May 17 View Page That was the moment I decided I needed to finish the book I started in 2018, I'm mostly finished and it is based loosely on Marvs book... I'm finishing up the last few chapters...pests and diseases, and gate keeping in the new era... the title is Giant Tomato Growing: Part Too. Sunday, May 17 View Page A tip for a couple of you young tomato growers...if you sprinkle uncle Ben's rice around the base of the plant, it'll stick to the fur of the horn worm when he starts to crawl up the plant. Sunday, May 17 View Page It makes them much easier to see...just pluck and squish. Sunday, May 17 View Page Anything anyone wants to add...feel free...we want these suckers in early right?...3"?.....a greenhouse if you can, wait til it's warm enough if you can't? Sunday, May 17 View Page Well , I missed my opportunity to get them in early...did that screw me?...this is a few days later I think....mykos azos and starter packs?...Jay yohe used them last year... Sunday, May 17 View Page Watered in really well...caged...soil is probably close to what western says tomato soil school be...? What am I missing here? Sunday, May 17 View Page A few days in the ground and they never stopped growing...I don't feed anything at this stage.. Sunday, May 17 View Page I Just make sure they dont dry out... Sunday, May 17 View Page And then what?....30 days later we looking for a giant bloom on that first truss?...I don't get many...am I screwed already? Sunday, May 17 View Page That's what we looking for right?... a big bloom at the first truss?... I get these maybe 40-50 percent of the time...mine dont realty anything, if they set.....how would one go about changing that? Sunday, May 17 View Page That year I think I watered/fed at the base of the plants instead of the whole are..possible mistake?...the plants looked fine then... Sunday, May 17 View Page Got a few more of these... Sunday, May 17 View Page I mean... I had a few on..they just didnt do much... Sunday, May 17 View Page This one is probably close to what we a looking for in a blossom..they just don't take a lot of the time for me... is that a clue?... or are my bees just stupid? Sunday, May 17 View Page Might get a few to go but , not usually... should I yank them all now?...no first truss slammers... Sunday, May 17 View Page Prolly shoulda just pulled them but the flowers keep giving me hope further up... Sunday, May 17 View Page Broke my own rule...do not use small stakes.. they look nice but do not hold the weight of even five pound tomato's....I thought I could use a few per but that was dumb. Plants looked good to me...but nothin Sunday, May 17 View Page I dunno.. they looked good. Sunday, May 17 View Page Had a couple decent blooms higher up...didn't do squat. Sunday, May 17 View Page Nothing worse than a giant flower that poops out before it even starts... Sunday, May 17 View Page Com on..that should been 8 pounds all day... Sunday, May 17 View Page Easy 8 pounds....I didnt use any wow Kelp that year.... Sunday, May 17 View Page Or any wow tea... Sunday, May 17 View Page I did amend with nitrogen to the test...I think that was it...too much nitrogen...I think I ended up with a few 5 pounders..what's the majic sauce?...I dont know... but I do know it's time to start the greatest tomato contest on the planet...prolly only one record safe this year...good luck everyone!!