Now that's a tomato!
Monday, September 24, 2012 by: Connie Carello
Almost comparable to miniature pumpkins, the tomatoes Sam Stancati grew this season are anything but ordinary.
With the largest weighing at approximately 4 pounds, Stancati could not be more proud of his crops this season.
“Out west my uncle brought me these seeds. We ate the tomatoes together and extracted the seeds and shared them and this happened about 20 to 25 years ago. Since then they have grown with the biggest being maybe a kilo or a kilo and a half but I’ve never seen them this size.”
Combinations of things are necessary to grow large tomatoes including the right soil, mulching, and the perfect amount of water, as well as pruning and fertilizing properly.
Stancati believes it must have been this summer’s long hot days.
“The weather made things more cooperative this year, the heat was good and the weather was always mild.”
Developing the skills necessary to maintain a garden at a young age, Stancati has been playing in the dirt ever since he learned how to walk.
“We had land back home, in Italy. Since we arrived to Canada, I have maintained my own garden since 1979 – I was born and raised gardening,” he said.
However, even with several years of experience Stancati refuses to believe that his hand had much to do with the tomatoes size.
“Experience doesn’t really help," said Stancati. "I mean, I pitch in to help but in the end we leave it up to Mother Nature to provide us with what we need, hopefully some more good weather.”
Currently the world record holder for the largest tomato is Gordan Graham from Edmonton, Oklahoma which weighed in at 7.75 pounds.
Perhaps if next year’s summer weather remains the same, something Stancati hopes for, he may be able to challenge that record.
