A Big Beef surprise!

I planted two plants each this year of Stump Of The World, Barlow Jap, Hoy, and Big Beef. I planted them in a bed I was reserving for Limbaughs Potato Top. Limbaughs didn't look right after germination, so I trashed the eight seedlings and my remaining Limbaughs seed. The Big Beef seed was about six years old and I didn't really expect the seeds to germinate. I had germinated all four varieties as extras which probably wouldn't be grown.

I can't believe how well the Big Beef plants are performing compared to the other three varieties under identical conditions. Big beef is loaded with large green tomatoes which should start ripening in a couple of weeks. Hoy has no tomatoes set and only a few blossoms. Stump and Barlow Jap have a few small tomatoes, but far fewer than Big Beef.

I grew Big Beef about five years ago in the same year I grew Sudduth. Sudduth and Big Beef were almost equal in performance and produced good tomatoes. Since Big Beef is a hybrid, I didn't grow it again preferring to grow open pollinated varieties. I may need to rethink that in future years. It looks like Big Beef may have found a permanent home even if it is a hybrid variety.

I may reserve that bed in the future for more comparisons between four varieties under identical conditions.

Ted