About Whopper Tomatoes

Fruits

• Park's Whopper tomato plants take 65 days to reach maturity from transplant. They are heavy producers and develop very large fruits. The tomatoes are 4 inches or larger in size, and the plants offer high yields of crack-resistant fruits. The fruits of Park's Whopper tomatoes finish faster than the fruits of the old-version Whopper. The fruits have a meaty flavor, juicy flesh and relatively few seeds.

Benefits

• Park's Whopper plants perform over a longer season. The plants are indeterminate, growing and developing fruit until frost. The tomatoes were chosen by Mother Earth News as an option for gardeners in the southern interior band of states -- stretching from Texas to North Carolina -- and as a noteworthy alternate in the website's "North America's Top 30" tomato varieties list.

  Whopper tomatoes provided disease resistance to Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt and root-knot nematodes. Park's Whopper tomatoes also have resistance to tobacco mosaic virus and two strains of Fusarium wilt.

Care

• Space the plants 1 1/2 to 2 feet apart. Apply a starter solution fertilizer after setting transplants in the garden, side dress with a complete fertilizer after the plants begin to develop fruit, then feed your plants monthly. Set stakes or add supports you'll need for the mature plants as soon as possible to avoid disturbing the roots of your plants.

  Tomatoes typically require 1 to 2 inches of water per week, either from rain or supplemental watering. The larger size of these tomatoes means the plants will require more water than typical tomato plants. Provide at least 2 inches of water per week, and water the plants deeply.

Maintenance

• Because Park's Whopper plants are indeterminate, they require topping or pruning of side shoots to prevent the plants from becoming too tall and bushy, according to the University of Minnesota Extension. Plants should also be pruned to allow airflow around the foliage to prevent the development of fungal disease. These tomato plants require support from caging or staking. As the tomatoes develop, monitor the plants for signs that the stems are under stress from the weight of the fruits.