Big Beef Hybrid - Page 6

Gardeneer · May 28, 2016

That picture speaks a volume, Hudson.
Good job.

Gardeneer

isuhunter · May 31, 2016

Hudson_WY · June 1, 2016

Nice plants isuhunter!!!

Hudson_WY · June 7, 2016

What's happening here? I understood that cross pollination showed up in the seed of the cross - not in the current year's production? I planted a Big Beef Hybrid next to a Big Brandy Hybrid. All of the tomatoes on the Big Beef were perfect round tomatoes - you know what they look like. Then on a lower branch late developing truss - this trio shows up looking more like Big Brandy than Big Beef?

jmsieglaff · June 9, 2016

You say on a Big Beef F1 plant with normal Big Beef F1 fruits you have a BRANCH with different looking fruit--namely the ruffled nature you show? Do I understand you right? Then to me, it points to a mutation on that branch, a mutation that controlled smoothness/ruffling. If you save seed it should be heritable, but since it is an F1, there would be all sorts genetic segregation going on so all bets are off.

Does anyone else that grow Big Beef F1 ever see this? I've got a plant going this year, but mine are only in the flower stage.

You are correct in your assumption about crossing fruits, it will NEVER have any impact on the fruit on the plant, only the genetic makeup of the seeds.

Gardeneer · June 9, 2016

My guess is that the plant is so vigorous that pumping so much into the fruits that make them ruffle.

Quote:

Then on a lower branch late developing truss - this trio shows up looking more like Big Brandy than Big Beef?

This also may confirm that Big beef is just Big Beef.
I don't think the the nearby plant can affect the fruit shape. You could've grafted Big Beef onto Brandy Boy and would still get Big Beef fruits. JMO

Gardeneer

jmsieglaff · June 13, 2016

My Big Beef is starting to take off with the warm temps. A couple fruit set and a whole lot of flower clusters to open in the next 1-2 weeks.

b54red · June 15, 2016

If you are looking for a tomato plant that is a dependable producer of good tasting tomatoes with decent soil disease resistance Big Beef is at the top of my list and was my insurance tomato for 20 years. I would not recommend it for someone who lives in the very most southern parts of the US where that third race of fusarium has started showing up as it is not resistant to it. About 6 or 7 years ago it started showing up in our area and since then it has invaded a lot of gardens and tomato fields making growing tomatoes that much more difficult. I had to start grafting in order to get the resistance I wanted and still have a good tasting tomato because despite trying over a dozen varieties resistant to all three races of fusarium I didn't find a single one that I thought was better than the store bought tomatoes.

Bill

mashermike · June 15, 2016

This is my BB, already going down to wilt. I wasn't successful grafting this one so I knew it was coming. Sick or not, BB will always be in my garden.

isuhunter · June 15, 2016

Hudson_WY · June 16, 2016

Nice Big Beef plants jmsieglaff & isuhunter! I like your tomato cages isuhunter!

Mashermike - what root stock do you use to graft Big Beef? Looks like you have good tomatoes in spite of the grafting issue!

mashermike · June 16, 2016

Quote:

Mashermike - what root stock do you use to graft Big Beef? Looks like you have good tomatoes in spite of the grafting issue!

Hudson, unfortunately all my attempts to graft Big Beef failed. So the one you see is not grafted. I tried the RST-04-106-t rootstock recommended by B54Red.

I believe my BB has fusarium F3, but that's just my guess. This plant has by my count 18 tomatoes about the size you see in the photo. More than likely all these and maybe a few more will ripen so this plant will have served it's purpose. I have one other BB growing in soil that I hope does not have the fusarium fungus present, and I have 2 backup Big Beefs ready to stage in for a possible fall harvest.

I'll try again next season to graft Big Beef. Has anyone sucessfully grafted Big Beef? If yes, which rootstock?

Thanks,
Mike

jmsieglaff · June 21, 2016

Growing like a weed!!

gardeninglee · June 22, 2016

Hudson_WY - I'm going to plant this next season. Can you tell me where you got your seeds?

Hudson_WY · June 22, 2016

Hi Gardeninglee
I purchased the seeds for Big Beef Hybrid this year from Burpee because I always order our Brandy Boy seeds from them and added it to the order. I have always been happy with their seeds though - although a bit expensive for some of the seeds.

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May 28, 2016	#76
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	That picture speaks a volume, Hudson. Good job. Gardeneer

May 31, 2016	#77
isuhunter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Des Moines, IA Posts: 140

June 1, 2016	#78
Hudson_WY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Smoot, Wyoming Posts: 523	Nice plants isuhunter!!!

June 9, 2016	#80
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	You say on a Big Beef F1 plant with normal Big Beef F1 fruits you have a BRANCH with different looking fruit--namely the ruffled nature you show? Do I understand you right? Then to me, it points to a mutation on that branch, a mutation that controlled smoothness/ruffling. If you save seed it should be heritable, but since it is an F1, there would be all sorts genetic segregation going on so all bets are off. Does anyone else that grow Big Beef F1 ever see this? I've got a plant going this year, but mine are only in the flower stage. You are correct in your assumption about crossing fruits, it will NEVER have any impact on the fruit on the plant, only the genetic makeup of the seeds.

June 15, 2016	#83
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	If you are looking for a tomato plant that is a dependable producer of good tasting tomatoes with decent soil disease resistance Big Beef is at the top of my list and was my insurance tomato for 20 years. I would not recommend it for someone who lives in the very most southern parts of the US where that third race of fusarium has started showing up as it is not resistant to it. About 6 or 7 years ago it started showing up in our area and since then it has invaded a lot of gardens and tomato fields making growing tomatoes that much more difficult. I had to start grafting in order to get the resistance I wanted and still have a good tasting tomato because despite trying over a dozen varieties resistant to all three races of fusarium I didn't find a single one that I thought was better than the store bought tomatoes. Bill

June 16, 2016	#86
Hudson_WY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Smoot, Wyoming Posts: 523	Nice Big Beef plants jmsieglaff & isuhunter! I like your tomato cages isuhunter! Mashermike - what root stock do you use to graft Big Beef? Looks like you have good tomatoes in spite of the grafting issue!

June 22, 2016	#89
gardeninglee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: West Los Angeles Posts: 203	Hudson_WY - I'm going to plant this next season. Can you tell me where you got your seeds?