The world’s heaviest tomato ever grown weighed over 10 pounds—basically the size of a small turkey. Some big tomato varieties like ‘Big Zac’ are bred specifically to win giant veggie competitions at county fairs. A single large tomato can sometimes yield more slices than an entire handful of cherry tomatoes—perfect for sandwich lovers.

The 'Delicious' tomato variety once held the world record for the largest fruit, thanks to a 7+ pound monster in Wisconsin. Tomatoes get bigger when there’s less competition on the vine—many growers trim off extra flowers to help one tomato grow huge. Some heirloom varieties like 'Mortgage Lifter' were developed during the Great Depression to help pay off debts.

‘Beefsteak’ is the classic big tomato found in juicy burgers and diner sandwiches—it’s loved for its dense, meaty texture. Tomato growers often stake or cage big tomato plants to prevent the heavy fruit from snapping the stems. The bigger the tomato, the more water and sun it usually needs—some giants soak up over a gallon a day.

Big tomato varieties tend to grow best in warm climates with long growing seasons—short summers mean small harvests. Some giant tomato seeds are saved from record-breaking fruits and passed down like family heirlooms. The inside of a big tomato has more chambers, which helps trap juices and gives it that rich, satisfying bite.

Farmers sometimes hand-pollinate big tomato blossoms to make sure they get fully fertilized—more pollen, more pounds. Tomatoes grow by cell division first, then by cell expansion—giants just do both in overdrive. Ever heard of the 'Giant Belgium'? It's a sweet, pink-fleshed tomato that’s known for reaching 2-3 pounds with ease.

Tomatoes with names like ‘Big Rainbow’, ‘Brandywine’, and ‘Supersteak’ often hint at their size in the name itself. In contests, big tomatoes are weighed on special padded scales to avoid bruising the fruit. Many large tomato varieties are indeterminate, meaning they keep growing and fruiting until the first frost.

Big tomato varieties are usually more prone to cracking—especially after heavy rains that swell them too fast. Some growers use cloth slings to support tomatoes the size of small pumpkins. Tomatoes like ‘Big Beef’ are not only large but also resistant to common plant diseases, making them garden favorites.

The larger the tomato, the longer it usually takes to ripen—some can take 90 days or more from planting to picking. Tomatoes come in all colors, even the big ones—look for yellow, orange, pink, purple, and striped giants. Some varieties grow so big that one tomato can fill an entire quart jar when making sauce.

Kids love to grow giant tomatoes for school science projects—sunlight, water, and patience are the main ingredients. In some gardens, growers use ladders to tend to 8-foot tomato vines—tall plants make room for big fruit. The ‘Big Zac’ was developed by crossing four heirloom tomatoes to create one ultimate heavyweight.

Tomatoes are 95% water, but big ones still manage to pack in more flavor when grown in the right soil. Some growers remove all but one fruit per branch to encourage that one to grow extra large. There are tomato-growing contests in nearly every U.S. state, often showcasing massive red showstoppers.

The biggest tomato grown in the UK tipped the scales at nearly 7.5 pounds—a true British giant. Tomato skins thicken slightly in large varieties, helping them hold their shape despite all that juice. Some heirloom giants date back over 100 years and are still grown today using original seed lines.

Gardeners say talking to your tomato plants helps them grow, but with big tomato varieties, it might just be the extra CO₂. Giant tomatoes sometimes need shade cloth during heat waves to avoid sunscald. You can graft big tomato varieties onto stronger rootstocks to improve nutrient uptake and boost size.

Large tomatoes often have a higher sugar-to-acid ratio, making them taste milder than smaller, tangy varieties. Tomatoes keep growing overnight, especially after warm, humid days—the biggest gains happen when you’re not watching. It’s common for big tomatoes to grow lopsided or ribbed—beauty isn't always symmetrical.

Some chefs slice large tomatoes horizontally to showcase their colorful interior patterns like edible stained glass. Big tomato varieties are great for stuffing—just scoop out the insides and fill them with anything from rice to meat. When slicing a big tomato, use a serrated knife—it keeps the slices neat and avoids juice explosions.

Tomato lovers sometimes measure their success by the number of sandwiches one fruit can cover. Big tomato varieties have even made it into folklore—some people claim theirs grew so big it cracked the picnic table. When growing large tomatoes indoors, some gardeners use grow lights and electric fans to mimic outdoor conditions.

Some big tomatoes are so juicy they’re better eaten over the sink—no plate required. The biggest ones can grow as wide as a grapefruit and weigh as much as a Chihuahua. Large tomato leaves act like solar panels—bigger leaves, bigger energy boost for the growing fruit.

If you want a big tomato, don’t skimp on fertilizer—especially potassium and phosphorus. Growing a whopper takes time: most prize-winners are planted months ahead of the last frost. Tomatoes grow from the inside out—those tiny seeds turn into thick walls of flesh in just weeks.

Big tomato varieties aren’t just American—they’re grown in Italy, Russia, and Japan too, each with local legends. ‘German Johnson’ is a popular large tomato from the southern U.S., known for its pink skin and sweet flavor. Even in space, astronauts once grew tomatoes—imagine a zero-gravity big tomato floating around the ISS.

There’s a tomato called 'Big Boy' that’s been around since the 1940s and is still a bestseller in seed catalogs. Some gardeners swear by banana peels buried near the roots for extra nutrients to grow giants. Tomatoes don’t just grow tall—they can also sprawl up to six feet across, especially the big ones.

One fun trick is to weigh your tomato with a kitchen scale every few days—you’ll actually see it gain ounces. Big tomato varieties often end up featured in local newspapers during summer fair season. In the world of gardening, growing a big tomato is a badge of honor—and a delicious one at that.