Is it normal for a feral tomato plant to grow to 11 feet in diameter?

[NYC_SKP]

With a one-inch plus thick stalk?

I'm loving this plant that sprung up on my levee this spring, it must have come from a bit of garbage that didn't make the can so I don't know of it's heritage.

Medium size tangy fruit, I'm harvesting two to four tomatoes per day.

It doesn't look as big in the pic as it is in real life but I measured it yesterday and it's past 11 feet in all directions. Normal?

[phantom power]

1. ours always grow without any apparent limit, unless we prune them

[NYC_SKP]

3. I let them go. Though it might be better next year to help them not lay on the ground.

And some of the fruit seemed to be getting sunburned.

[pscot]

2. Don't look a gift tomato in the mouth

Your feral tomato is indeterminate. It will grow 'til it dies.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. that is some plant!!!

You know of course that "inderterminate" tomatoes grow in height forever until something (bugs, disease, cold) stops them.

I cut mine done to about 8-10 inches, just above a node, in early August, cause the heat stops production anyhow ( unless they are in the shade)
and they re-grow and give a lighter fall crop. Esp. works with "tommy toes" tomatoes...Sweet 100 is a long time favorite.

Have you found that volunteer plants do very very well for some reason?

[Adsos Letter]

5. OT, but is that a Loquat tree in the blue tub?

I just planted one about 3 weeks ago. Wondering how difficult (or not) growing it is turning out to be.

[NYC_SKP]

6. Yes, it is a Loquat tree. One of my favorite fruits.

It's been easy to care for, I have an automatic valve that gives it a one-minute watering daily at 6 pm.

I believe that the tomato plant would never have germinated if not for that watering!

It's had fruit two years now, always in May, you know how these trees are- they all bear fruit at the same time for about a week, then it's over.

I wish they were year-round!

[Adsos Letter]

7. It's also my wife's favorite fruit.

She's been pestering me for one for awhile, so this year I finally got around to it. The nurseryman told me that lots of the people he sells them to are interested in growing them for their leaves. Apparently they can be used to make a tea that is helpful in some cases of Type II Diabetes.

I'm pleased to hear that they are not difficult to grow, as my wife really likes them.

And that looks like one healthy tomato plant!

EDIT: ...clumsy fingers make for spelling errors...

[NYC_SKP]

8. Tea?

I'll have to look into that.

I don't suffer from Diabetes but I love the idea of making loquat leaf tea!

[Gormy Cuss]

9. Totally normal and lifting the vine off the ground makes it easier to harvest,

easier to avoid insect and other fruit damage. Sun scald will still happen though if the variety doesn't have ample leaf cover, although I see little of it when the vines are trained up with stakes or cages.

Tomatoes are freakin' weeds.

[Curmudgeoness]

10. LOL, that is one huge tomato plant!

But I would welcome it here. That looks like a great place to plant tomatoes next year! Or just wait for some of those tomatoes to rot and give you "gifts" for years to come.

[NYC_SKP]

11. I'm definitely going to save seeds and can't wait to have ten of these monsters going.

I'm a tomatophile, a tomato nut. I drink tomato juice every day.

To think that this thing came up on it's own, a gift from nature!

I just picked 10 more today, this things been producing for a two months and there are still blossoms on it!

[BlueToTheBone]

12. I call those volunteers. And indeterminates can grow very big

especially if there isn't enough light. They love the sun.

[NutmegYankee]

13. I had a Pink Brandywine grow a similar size.

Every branch become it's own vine. What a plant! And what a tomato!

[NYC_SKP]

14. Some branches produce smaller fruit, most are medium size.

It's almost like having two plants in one.

It's bigger now than when I posted that pic, 12 feet easily!

[mopinko]

15. clearly a hybrid's offspring.

some big wild tomato that was added to a hybrid for size.
if it makes fruit, eat it. if it doesn't, don't feel bad about ripping it out. many such offspring are sterile.

[NYC_SKP]

16. I must have eaten 70-80 tomatoes up til now from that one plant

And there are two dozen more ripening up, and new blossoms, too!

Color me happy!

[mopinko]

17. well hell

don't question.

[NYC_SKP]

18. If it's a hybrid's offspring, does that mean that the seeds are not viable?

I was planning to keep several seeds to plant next spring.

[mopinko]

19. i am not sure.

i would try it.