A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 That ad for the giant tomato tree...

Has anyone ever tried that tomato tree in the magazine ads, I forget what it's called, but it's a tall tree loaded with tomatoes?
It's usually in the back of a magazine. Know the one? Scam or not?

I know some people who tried the "tomato tree" and they said that it wasn't actually a tomato but something else and tasted terrible.

They said it was a scam.

LoreD

Hmmm...that's interesting...
I've never heard of it!

I have not seen that ad. Most indeterminate plants will turn into a tree if they're given the right growing conditions and correct pruning. Some of my plants this year would have reached 10 feet if they were given taller cages and they weren't even pruned to a central leader. Especially some of the cherry varieties like Black Cherry, Sungold, Matt's Wild Cherry, etc.

My husband had me get on of those the first year we started veggie gardening, I knew it was too good to be true but I ordered it anyway. I mean the claims about the size and poundage of toms. you got was pretty unbelievable.

It ended up being no bigger than my other tom. plants....and the fruit on them was no bigger than my others, and they split easy.

That year he just laughed and said, well at least now I know and won't be wondering what a giant tomato tree is like....

My dad got some of those several years ago...same outcome as Loz.

Yeah, I always thought that it was a scam thing.
Remember, it was an ad in magazines for years?
I haven't seen it in a long time, but I remember it from the 70's and 80's.
It was always a cheap looking ad, soft paper and awful graphics. 'Member? :p

Deborah L
you asked me for a photo of my avocado tree that had 400 avocados.i didn't have one then but i'm
sending it to you today.
by the way did you ever buy your tree? if so how is it doing?

Yeh when we bought one a few years back the ad was in Carol Wright Gifts I think.....It was my dads book he gets and the picture of the plant wasn't even a real picture, it was a drawing of the plant. :rolleyes: I knew it was a scam, but I was just excited Mark was interested in growing toms.

Loz, that's the one, and the picture was of a man on a ladder so he could reach the HUNDREDS of tomatoes on the HUGE TOMATO tree.....
What a crock !
Art, thanks ! Wow ! Was that raised from a pit or a sapling tree?
I haven't got my tree yet, still deciding. Hass avocados are $2 down here, are they the same up there?

Deborah L,
i bought the tree from a nursery.i paid $80.00
for it,but it was about 4 yrs old.it is now 9 yrs
old. i took a limb from it and grafted it on to a seedling.photo of seedling and fruit below now
3yrs old and about 5 ft tall.fruit is from last year which i just picked 2 weeks ago.this years fruit
should be ready in a month or so.by the way the tree is a Gwen Hass. fruit is a little larger
than regular Hass and rounder,

This is so great, Art.
Did you sell any of the fruit, or just enjoy all that bounty at home?
It must be so terrific to go out and pick all you want !!!
What do you do with all of the pits?

Deborah L,
we are a family of 7 children,all married.7 husbands and wives plus brothers and sisters inlaws plus uncles and aunts plus grandchildren and great grand children.shall i go on?
i did start some of the pits but they are being stubborn.so i'll wait and see.i also have some grafts.
by the way,i recommended GrowQuest to you.forget about them.i just got some bad reports on them.

No need to say more ! LOL ! I can see that the avocados are put to good use and pretty fast too.
What a nice crowd you've got !
OK, I will avoid Grow Quest and thanks for the warning.