SAUGUS — After much trial and error, Bob Seelley, an avid gardener in town, placed his giant tomato on the certified scale at J. Pace and Son to see if he had finally beaten the record for the biggest tomato grown in Massachusetts.
The current record, which will stand until Seelley gets his tomato certified, is 5.1 pounds. Seelley’s tomato ended up weighing in at 5.33 pounds, making it a record breaker.
The gardener was elated to see the number on the scale, clapping his hands and smiling with pride. After five years of attempts, he finally got the number he needed. Seelley had previously grown the second-biggest tomato in Massachusetts the previous year, but he wanted the top spot.
When speaking with the Item, he took off his hat and pointed to the word on the side. The word was “mission,” and the hat is one Seelley wears when weighing his tomatoes as he continued with his mission to grow the biggest one in the state.
“I’ve been growing competitively. I’m an extreme gardener. I have a sunflower from last year that the seeds went around the world, because it was one of the biggest sunflowers ever grown. And I’ve grown one now… It might also be a record,” Seelley said.
He said that he was inspired during a trip to the Topsfield Fair, where he saw all the giant tomatoes and pumpkins, and thought, “Hey, maybe I can do this.”
Seelley said that once he starts something, he becomes obsessed until he perfects it. He continues to grow giant pumpkins, though this will be his last year due to how labor-intensive it is, and he plans to give his last one to Breakheart Reservation for the Fall Festival.
“I only grow orange pumpkins. All the really nice pumpkins that look like Volkswagens, creamy white… they’ve been crossed so many times with squashes and stuff to make them that big. And again, this is my last year, and I have one pumpkin. I grew two, but a little critter ate the blossom end of one of them. You don’t think much of it, but what happens is that bacteria get in there. Once the bacteria get in there, two weeks later it’s just no good.” Seelley said.
When asked how it feels to have surpassed the record, he said it was hard to explain, but again said the mission isn’t over.
“My mission never stops. Can I do better? I know I can do better. I actually had two blossoms on two tomato plants that were the biggest I’ve ever seen,” he said.
Seelley will continue growing his tomatoes, perhaps topping his own record in the future. The plan now is to have the record-breaking tomato displayed Friday at J. Pace and Son for those who’d like a glimpse of Seelley’s hard work and dedication.
