The 'Big Beef' tomato variety lives up to its name. Find out here what makes the Big Beef tomato special and how to grow it in the garden.
The hybrid variety 'Big Beef' not only produces tasty large fruits, but also has many resistances to common tomato diseases. We present the robust tomato variety in the profile.
Big Beef Tomato: Profile
| Fruit | Beefsteak tomato; red |
| Flavour | sweet-sour |
| Maturity | medium early |
| Growth | Stick tomato, up to 250 cm |
| Location | Greenhouse, outdoor, tub |
Origin and History
The 'Big Beef F1' is a breed by the American Colen Wyatt from the Seminis Vegetable Seeds company - just like the award-winning varieties 'Celebrity' and 'Husky Gold'. The hybrid variety even won the All-American Selections Award (AAS) in 1994, meaning it was voted the best edible vegetable in North America. The trend towards breeding multi-resistant varieties also began in the 1990s, and 'Big Beef F1' itself is already resistant to five tomato diseases.
Big Beef Tomato Description and Taste
The 'Big Beef F1' reaches a height of up to 2.5 meters as a plant. In the field, it usually stays smaller at a height of around 150 centimeters. The fruits of 'Big Beef F1' are round to flattened, slightly ribbed and bright red when fully ripe. They weigh around 350 to 400 grams and are therefore one of the large-fruited beefsteak tomatoes. The variety ripens mid-early from the beginning to mid-August and can produce very high yields. The taste of 'Big Beef F1' is pleasant with a good balance of sweetness and acidity. It is resistant to two Fusarium strains, Verticillium, Alternaria, Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) and nematode infestations.
Planting and caring for big beef tomatoes
The 'Big Beef F1' canCan be cultivated in a greenhouse, outdoors or in a bucket. From the beginning of May, the red beefsteak tomatoes come into the greenhouse, later after the ice saints into the bed or into the pot. Tomatoes should be planted in nutrient enriched potting soil such as our Plantura organic tomato soil. The pre-fertilized substrate supports the young plants in growing and provides essential nutrients for the first few weeks of growth. After planting, the Big Beef tomato should be watered and, due to its growth, well supported and tied.
The large beefsteak tomato should be grown with one or a maximum of two shoots. To do this, leave a strong side shoot at the bottom of the plant stem and remove all other overlying shoots regularly and carefully. In our article on cutting out tomatoes you will find precise instructions on how to grow which type of tomato and how to identify and remove the side shoots.
From June onwards, the high-yielding Big Beef tomato benefits from regular fertilization, which provides it with optimal nutrients for the period of fruit growth. Our purely organic, liquid Plantura organic tomato and vegetable fertilizer is applied together with the irrigation water about once a week. The roots of the tomatoes can absorb the nutrients they contain quickly and efficiently. Incidentally, deficiency symptoms such as yellowing of the lower leaves, which indicates a lack of nitrogen, can also be corrected in this way. A protective mulch layer also supports soil life and reduces evaporation on hot summer days, especially outdoors and in greenhouses. You can thus save liters of water and at the same time protect your soil from erosion and drying out.
Harvesting and using ‘Big Beef’ tomatoes
The first ripe, bright red fruits of the 'Big Beef F1' can be harvested from August. The mild, tasty tomatoes can be used universally in the kitchen. Whether raw for snacks and in salads, grilled and gratinated or boiled in soups and sauces - the Big Beef tomato is equally suitable for all purposes.
The tomato varieties should be robust and resistant to diseases, especially for unprotected tomato cultivation outdoors. We present suitable varieties for the bed and give tips on growing outdoor tomatoes.