Tomato Challenge contestant: Billy King

Reader Billy King of Mastic Beach has thrown his hat into the ring again this year, vying to grow Long Island's biggest tomato. And judging by the hat he's thrown, he's looking pretty optimistic (see photo: it says 'Tomato King:). Here's what he reports:

"This past fall I did a lot of prep work on the tomato bed. I added about 15 yards of compost and did a soil test. I added whatever the soil test recomended. Then I put the tomato bed to sleep for the winter. Then I started talking to my pumpkin- and tomato-growing friends for seeds and growing tips. I got seeds [from] as far as Canada and as close to home as Ohio. This year I'm going to stay on top of my fungicide program (so I don't get late blight like last year ).This year seeds will be The Domingo, F5 hybrid Big Zac, Belmonte and Giant Belgium."

For those new to the challenge, don't bother scouring the Internet for Domingo seeds; King nabbed them from the contest winner two years ago at the weigh-in event.

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