Big Beef tomato: how to grow & care for the hybrid tomato

Regina
Regina
Regina
Regina

I studied horticultural sciences at university and in my free time you can find me in my own patch of land, growing anything with roots. I am particularly passionate about self-sufficiency and seasonal food.

Favourite fruit: quince, cornelian cherry and blueberries
Favourite vegetables: peas, tomatoes and garlic

The ‘Big Beef’ tomato variety lives up to its name. Find out what makes the ‘Big Beef’ tomato special and how to grow it in your garden.

Big beef tomato fruits
The first fruits of the ‘Big Beef’ tomato ripen from the beginning of August [Photo: JoannaTkaczuk/ Shutterstock.com]

The hybrid variety ‘Big Beef’ produces huge, tasty fruits, and is resistant to many common tomato diseases. Here is a brief overview of this robust tomato variety.

‘Big Beef’ tomato: profile

FruitsBeef tomato; red
FlavourSweet and sour
Ripening timeFrom mid-August
GrowthIndeterminate, up to 250cm in height
LocationGreenhouse, veg patch, pot outdoors

Origin and history

‘Big Beef F1′, also known as the big beefsteak tomato, was bred by the American Colen Wyatt at Seminis Vegetable Seeds – just like the award-winning varieties ‘Celebrity’ and ‘Husky Gold’. It won the All-American Selections Award (AAS) in 1994, earning it the title: best edible vegetable variety in North America, and was part of a growing trend in the 1990s that saw breeders create multi-resistant varieties. In particular, the beefsteak tomato was developed to resist five tomato diseases.

‘Big Beef’ tomato: description and flavour

‘Big Beef F1’ is a bush variety that can reach 250cm tall. Though, outdoors, they tend to be smaller: around 150cm. The fruits of ‘Big Beef F1’ are round to flattened, slightly ribbed and bright red when fully ripe. They weigh about 350 to 400 grams and thus belong to the large-fruited beef tomatoes. The fruits ripen in high yield from the beginning to the middle of August. With a pleasant taste that balances sweetness and acidity, this variety is resistant to two Fusarium strains, Verticillium, Alternaria, Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) and nematode infestation.

Sliced ripe big beef tomatoes
The ‘Big Beef’ tomato is a red beef tomato that is very disease resistant [Photo: Brent Hofacker/ Shutterstock.com]

‘Big Beef’ tomato planting and care

You can grow the ‘Big Beef’ tomato plant in a greenhouse, veg patch or outdoors in a pot. If you are using a greenhouse, plant your ‘Big Beef’ from the beginning of May. For planting outdoors, wait until mid-late May and acclimatise your plants by hardening off your tomatoes for 7 to 14 days in sheltered outdoor location or in a cold frame.

Tomato plants tend to need nutrient-rich soil when grown in a pot. Plantura Organic Tomato & Vegetable Compost is a great choice. The pre-fertilised compost provides essential nutrients that help the young tomato plants in their first weeks of growth. After planting, water the ‘Big Beef’ tomato and attach it to a strong support – it tends to grow quickly!

Organic Tomato & Vegetable Compost, 40L
Organic Tomato & Vegetable Compost, 40L
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(5/5)
  • Perfect for tomatoes & other vegetables such as chillies, courgettes & more
  • For strong & healthy plant growth as well as an abundant vegetable harvest
  • Peat-free & organic soil: CO2-saving composition
£16.99

Grow the large fruiting beef tomato plant with one or at most two shoots. Do this by leaving one strong side shoot at the bottom of the plant stem and carefully removing all others. Our article on tomato pruning, provides detailed instructions on how to grow different types of tomatoes and identify and remove their side shoots.

To support fruit production, ‘Big Beef’ tomato plants appreciate regular feeding from June onwards. Apply a liquid fertiliser such as our Plantura Liquid Tomato Food roughly once a week while watering. Fertilising the plant as you water will allow the roots of the plant to absorb the nutrients quickly and efficiently.

If you spot the lower leaves of the ‘Big Beef’ tomato bush yellowing, which indicates a lack of nitrogen, this style of fertilisation will do a lot of good.

Outdoors and in greenhouses, a protective layer of mulch will support soil life and reduce evaporation on hot summer days. This technique saves litres of water and protects your soil from erosion and drying out.

Liquid Tomato Food, 800ml
Liquid Tomato Food, 800ml
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(5/5)
  • Perfect for tomatoes & other vegetables
  • Liquid fertiliser for healthy plant growth & an abundant harvest
  • Quick & easy application - child & pet friendly
£8.99

Harvesting and using tomatoes of the ‘Big Beef’ variety

The first ripe, bright red fruits of ‘Big Beef F1’ can be harvested from August. The mild, tasty tomatoes are extremely versatile. They work well as a raw snack, grilled, baked or cooked in soups and sauces – you won’t have any trouble fitting it into your diet!

If you are cultivating tomatoes outdoors, you will need robust varieties that are resistant to diseases. We have compiled a list of the best varieties of tomatoes to grow outdoors.

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