Local home gardener, Jack Arnold has grown what he believes is the biggest tomato in Armidale this year and now he wants bragging rights.
His massive tomato weighs in at a whopping 590 gm or 20.8 ounces in Imperial measure.
“We purchased a Brandy Wine tomato seedling from Carmel’s Nursery in Kentucky Street Armidale and planted it into our new garden bed composed of black mulch from Armidale Tip and cow manure. The wet weather did the rest,” said Jack Arnold.
“I am relatively new to vegetable gardening, so I want to claim bragging rights for the biggest tomato grown in 2012 by a home gardener in the Armidale area.”
To encourage others to take part, Carmel from Carmel’s Nursery in Kentucky Street is generously offering a one hundred dollar ($100) open order for a tomato weighing more than Jack’s whooping tomato, which must be grown by a home gardener in the Armidale district, including Uralla and Guyra shires, by the opening date of the Armidale Show.
Entrants may weigh in at Carmel’s Nursery any time from now until close of business on Thursday March 1, 2012.
The weight recorded by Carmel’s Nursery shall be the competition weight and no correspondence shall be entered into.
The winning tomato will weigh more than the above 590gm tomato.
The winning entry will be reported in the Armidale Independent the following week.
“I expect the enthusiastic gardening members of Sustainable Living Armidale will challenge our tomato and may the biggest tomato win,” said Jack.
“Who knows, we may even start an annual competition event in Armidale to challenge the January Gunnedah Tomato Festival that we miss due to our later season.”
