Solanum lycopersicum 'Beefmaster'
vegetableBeefmaster is a classic beefsteak hybrid grown for sheer size: solid, meaty, mild-sweet red fruit that can top 2 pounds on vigorous indeterminate vines. It ripens its main crop about 80 days after transplanting and keeps bearing until frost. Beefmaster carries VFN disease resistance (verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and nematodes), giving the long-season plant the staying power to hold up over a full summer.
Sun
full sun
Water
Every 3 days
Harvest
~80 days
Difficulty
medium
Lifecycle
annual
One season, then done
Spacing
24-36 in. apart
Planting Depth
1/4 in. (seed) or deep-planted transplant
Soil pH
6.0-6.8
Soil Type
Rich, well-draining
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3 – 10
Grown as an annual. This range is its winter hardiness, but you can grow it for a single season in any zone.
When to Fertilize
At transplant, then every 3-4 weeks once fruit sets
Fertilizer
Balanced 5-10-10, low nitrogen after fruit set
Start seed indoors about 6 weeks before the last frost and transplant after nights stay above 50F, planting deep so roots form along the buried stem. The tall, heavy vines need a stout stake or tall cage set at planting. Prune the suckers below the first flower cluster to steer energy into fewer, larger fruit, and keep soil moisture even with deep watering and mulch, since these very large fruit are prone to blossom-end rot and cracking when watering is erratic.
Start seeds indoors
Mar 4
Transplant outdoors
Apr 29
Projected first harvest
Jul 18
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts. Tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Scout every few days and handpick caterpillars; interplant dill and borage to draw parasitic wasps
Water deeply and evenly, mulch, and keep calcium adequate
Mulch against soil splash, prune lower leaves for airflow, and avoid wetting foliage
Main-crop fruit ripens about 80 days from transplant. Pick when the shoulders are fully red and the fruit gives slightly under gentle pressure, supporting the heavy tomato so it does not tear the vine. Check every two or three days at peak season, and store ripe fruit stem-side down at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator.
Tomatoes are low in calories and a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin K, and they are the leading dietary source of lycopene, the red antioxidant linked to heart health that the body absorbs better from cooked tomatoes with a little oil.
Eat the ripe fruit only. Tomato leaves and stems (and large amounts of very unripe green fruit) contain solanine-type compounds and are not for eating.
For educational and informational purposes only. HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.