Attack of the 4-pound Heirloom Tomatoes
By Michelle Fabio
As reported by Jennifer Amato in the North-South Brunswick Sentinel, one corner of New Jersey is being attacked by 4-pound heirloom tomatoes.
OK, maybe they are more like welcome guests in Jim and Lynn Nicoletti’s backyard, which holds three 8-foot tomato plants.
Two of the largest tomatoes have weighed 4 pounds and three and a half pounds.
Jim Nicoletti has a few secrets for growing such large heirlooms. One is about watering: “I realized if I stopped watering the plants and started watering the roots, they grow better.”
Another thing that helps his tomatoes is all the sun that hits them—especially as it reflects off the vinyl siding of the house.
Now, if you’re eager to grow some monster heirlooms, perhaps you can replicate those tips, but this last bit of advice may be more difficult to follow: Nicoletti’s seeds come from friends of 40 years and fellow North Brunswick residents, William and Dee Krausse—seeds that date back to William Krausse’s grandfather.
In fact, Krausse’s heirlooms are rather famous. In 1987, “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” noted that although Krausse lost the 1979 New Jersey Championship Tomato Weigh-In Contest because he sliced into a 5-pound tomato, he did win the following year with a 4-pound tomato.
But Krausse isn’t one to keep all the tomatoes to himself. Along with sharing seeds with Nicoletti, Krausse has sent the magic heirloom seeds as far as Germany, Holland and South Korea—and other friends have also been contest winners with Krausse’s seeds.
So, do tell: how big are your heirloom tomatoes?
Source: The fruit of N.B. couple’s labor is a 4 lb. tomato by Jennifer Amato
