Solanum lycopersicum 'Big Beef'
vegetableBig Beef is a 1994 All-America Selections winner and one of the most-grown red beefsteaks in the US. Indeterminate vines produce 10 to 12 oz blemish-free globe-shaped red tomatoes with full classic flavor, and they ripen early for their size. Big Beef carries one of the broadest disease-resistance packages of any home-garden tomato, including verticillium, fusarium races 1 and 2, stemphylium, tobacco mosaic virus, nematodes, and alternaria stem canker.
Sun
full sun
Water
Every 3 days
Harvest
~73 days
Difficulty
easy
Lifecycle
annual
One season, then done
Spacing
36 in. apart
Planting Depth
Bury stem to first leaves
Soil pH
6.2-6.8
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 planting, then at first fruit set
Fertilizer
Balanced 10-10-10 or 5-10-10
Start seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost and transplant after nights stay above 50F. Bury the stem to the lowest leaves so roots form along the buried stem. Stake or cage at planting; indeterminate vines top 6 ft by midsummer. Pinch suckers below the first flower cluster, then let the plant grow. Water deeply at the base, mulch to keep moisture even, and side-dress with a balanced fertilizer once the first fruits set.
Start seeds indoors
Mar 4
Transplant outdoors
Apr 29
Projected first harvest
Jul 11
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 leaves every few days; handpick caterpillars or spot-treat young ones with Bt
Hose off colonies, plant alyssum nearby, and let ladybugs and lacewings build up
Use yellow sticky traps and avoid heavy nitrogen feeding
Mulch deeply, water at the base, and remove lowest leaves so soil splash does not reach foliage
First fruits ripen about 73 days from transplant. Pick when shoulders are fully red and the fruit gives slightly under pressure; ripe Big Beefs twist off the vine easily. Plants set heavy trusses, so check every two or three days at peak season. Store stem-side down at room temperature and never refrigerate ripe fruit; cold flattens tomato flavor.
Big Beefs deliver the classic tomato nutrition profile: vitamin C, potassium, folate, vitamin K, and a heavy dose of lycopene. Lycopene is fat-soluble and becomes more bioavailable when tomatoes are cooked with a little olive oil, so the same Big Beef does more nutritionally as a slow-roasted sauce than as a raw slice.
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.