Big Beef Plus

PaulTandberg · November 15, 2021

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetabl...=en_US&start=1

Anyone know anything about this tomato?

Improved Big Beef? New tomato taking advantage of a trusted name? Something or nothing?

I'll try it.

Tormato · November 15, 2021

Johnny's has a reputation for offering excellent hybrid varieties. The "now with improved flavor" might be a stretch. Looking at the picture of the sliced tomato, it has more of a globe interior structure than a beefsteak, in my opinion. It seems to have a good disease resistance package, if that's what you're looking for.

VirginiaClay · November 15, 2021

They're also releasing Better Boy Plus, Celebrity Plus, and Lemon Boy Plus. I think as you suggested, this may just be a way to cash in on very valuable names.

The Seminis product sheet for Better Boy Plus says 80 days to maturity and average weight of 180-230 grams. Original Better Boy is 75 DTM and average weight of maybe 250-300 grams. It would take a lot of improved flavor and disease resistance to make up for later and smaller.

I agree with Tormato, that sliced Big Beef Plus on Johnny's website does not look like a beefsteak tomato. Hard to know what to make of that picture.

JRinPA · November 22, 2021

It is pretty tough to take one pic of a cut tomato and be representative of the breed. The cut one looks like an undersized big beef, to me. A good sized, well developed big beef will have 6 or more chambers, I count that one as 4 chambers.

I'll admit though, I'm growing tomatoes for a lot of years but still don't know what a "beefsteak" tomato is.

I can see the PLUS has only 30 seeds per packet, 2 extra resistances that I don't need, 2 more DTM, and not an AAS winner.

Goodloe · November 22, 2021

The original Big Beef has been the mainstay of my tomato patch for years. It's about the all around best tomato I've ever grown. I can't imagine any "plus" that would make much difference to me...

PaulF · November 22, 2021

Last year and the year before Big Beef Plus must have been the tomato that was in the garden; it was small, round, red and average. It was disease free (but then all those year's tomatoes were healthy). Big Beef must do well other places than in my patch. Seed was from reputable sources, different each year. Just not impressed.

edweather · November 28, 2021

Plus, is probably code, for minus

November 15, 2021	#1
PaulTandberg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: North Dakota Posts: 77	Big Beef Plus https://www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetabl...=en_US&start=1 Anyone know anything about this tomato? Improved Big Beef? New tomato taking advantage of a trusted name? Something or nothing? I'll try it.

November 22, 2021	#5
Goodloe Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Steens, MS 8a Posts: 410	The original Big Beef has been the mainstay of my tomato patch for years. It's about the all around best tomato I've ever grown. I can't imagine any "plus" that would make much difference to me... __________________ ~Jon~ Downheah, Mississippi

November 22, 2021	#6
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	Last year and the year before Big Beef Plus must have been the tomato that was in the garden; it was small, round, red and average. It was disease free (but then all those year's tomatoes were healthy). Big Beef must do well other places than in my patch. Seed was from reputable sources, different each year. Just not impressed. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

November 28, 2021	#7
edweather Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Southeast GA, USDA 9a, HZ9, Sunset Z28 Posts: 396	Plus, is probably code, for minus __________________ You'll be surprised what you'll never have to do, if you put it off long enough.

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November 15, 2021	#2
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,971	Johnny's has a reputation for offering excellent hybrid varieties. The "now with improved flavor" might be a stretch. Looking at the picture of the sliced tomato, it has more of a globe interior structure than a beefsteak, in my opinion. It seems to have a good disease resistance package, if that's what you're looking for.

November 15, 2021	#3
VirginiaClay Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Virginia, USA Posts: 140	They're also releasing Better Boy Plus, Celebrity Plus, and Lemon Boy Plus. I think as you suggested, this may just be a way to cash in on very valuable names. The Seminis product sheet for Better Boy Plus says 80 days to maturity and average weight of 180-230 grams. Original Better Boy is 75 DTM and average weight of maybe 250-300 grams. It would take a lot of improved flavor and disease resistance to make up for later and smaller. I agree with Tormato, that sliced Big Beef Plus on Johnny's website does not look like a beefsteak tomato. Hard to know what to make of that picture.

November 22, 2021	#4
JRinPA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: SE PA Posts: 972	It is pretty tough to take one pic of a cut tomato and be representative of the breed. The cut one looks like an undersized big beef, to me. A good sized, well developed big beef will have 6 or more chambers, I count that one as 4 chambers. I'll admit though, I'm growing tomatoes for a lot of years but still don't know what a "beefsteak" tomato is. I can see the PLUS has only 30 seeds per packet, 2 extra resistances that I don't need, 2 more DTM, and not an AAS winner.