2011 tomato growing season

BLTLOVER · October 2, 2011

Wow.....what a crop! This year I decided to keep track of all the ripe tomatoes that I picked from my 6 Big Beef Tomato plants. From August 4th when I picked my first 2 ripe tomatoes through today (Oct. 2), I have picked 583 big, juicy ripe tomatoes. Well, they're not as big now but I certainly had some whoppers! All this week in my area of Iowa, it's going to be sunny in the mid to upper 70s so I'm hoping to get maybe 30 - 40 more before the first frost which is normally around October 10th. As always, I'm really going to miss not have fresh sliced tomatoes at the dinner table every day.

If you haven't tried Big Beef, consider trying one or two plants next year. They're big, uniformally round, productive and have super, excellent flavor.

One of the most enjoyable things about raising tomatoes is giving them to others that love them but don't or can't raise them. In addition to giving some to neighbors and friends, I made several trips to our assisted living facility with bag fulls of tomatoes this summer. Many of them had gardens in years past and they enjoyed the taste of fresh tomatoes again. The staff even made BLTs for them!

Here's thinking about the first ripe tomatoes of next year!

lakelady · October 2, 2011

Were you growing hybrids or the OP version? That's a lot of tomatoes from only 6 plants!

Very cool that you were able to make those seniors' eyes light up with fresh tasty tomatoes...so many of them miss that!

BLTLOVER · October 3, 2011

Big Beef is a Hybrid. I've been planting them for about 10 years now and have had such success that I've not tried any others since.

Direct Sunlight · October 6, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLTLOVER

Wow.....what a crop! This year I decided to keep track of all the ripe tomatoes that I picked from my 6 Big Beef Tomato plants. From August 4th when I picked my first 2 ripe tomatoes through today (Oct. 2), I have picked 583 big, juicy ripe tomatoes. Well, they're not as big now but I certainly had some whoppers! All this week in my area of Iowa, it's going to be sunny in the mid to upper 70s so I'm hoping to get maybe 30 - 40 more before the first frost which is normally around October 10th. As always, I'm really going to miss not have fresh sliced tomatoes at the dinner table every day.

If you haven't tried Big Beef, consider trying one or two plants next year. They're big, uniformally round, productive and have super, excellent flavor.

One of the most enjoyable things about raising tomatoes is giving them to others that love them but don't or can't raise them. In addition to giving some to neighbors and friends, I made several trips to our assisted living facility with bag fulls of tomatoes this summer. Many of them had gardens in years past and they enjoyed the taste of fresh tomatoes again. The staff even made BLTs for them!

Here's thinking about the first ripe tomatoes of next year!

Congratulations on your success!

cornbreadlouie · October 6, 2011

Post pictures!!!

Quickstrike · October 7, 2011

Impressive yields.

In comparison, I have probably picked 24 tomatoes from 8 Big Beef plants.

cornbreadlouie · October 7, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quickstrike

Impressive yields.

In comparison, I have probably picked 24 tomatoes from 8 Big Beef plants.

Did you grow the hybrid or OP version?

BigBrownDogHouse · October 7, 2011

Tomatofest claims to have a dehybridized version and that is the one I have grown.
I have to say they are one of our family's favorite tomatoes. My father-in-law insists that I grow one for him every year.
You're right, incredible producer, great looking, great taste!

Quickstrike · October 7, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by cornbreadlouie

Did you grow the hybrid or OP version?

Hybrid.

Live in Zone 2 + I planted later than usual because of a rainy spring.

There are quite a few large green tomatoes on the plants, but I think the frost will hit them before they blush.

b54red · October 10, 2011

This is the first year in about 10 years that I didn't have any Big Beefs to set out in the fall because damping off got the last of the seeds I planted. I find it the most productive and dependable good flavored hybrid. The other hybrids that I have found to be fairly dependable don't have the same good tomato flavor. It is also one of the most fusarium tolerant tomatoes you can grow. It is also one of the most heat tolerant tomatoes and survives better than most in near drought conditions.

As good as it is, I don't place it in my top ten list for flavor but it surely is in the top spot for production and dependability.

October 2, 2011	#1
BLTLOVER Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Iowa Posts: 90	2011 tomato growing season Wow.....what a crop! This year I decided to keep track of all the ripe tomatoes that I picked from my 6 Big Beef Tomato plants. From August 4th when I picked my first 2 ripe tomatoes through today (Oct. 2), I have picked 583 big, juicy ripe tomatoes. Well, they're not as big now but I certainly had some whoppers! All this week in my area of Iowa, it's going to be sunny in the mid to upper 70s so I'm hoping to get maybe 30 - 40 more before the first frost which is normally around October 10th. As always, I'm really going to miss not have fresh sliced tomatoes at the dinner table every day. If you haven't tried Big Beef, consider trying one or two plants next year. They're big, uniformally round, productive and have super, excellent flavor. One of the most enjoyable things about raising tomatoes is giving them to others that love them but don't or can't raise them. In addition to giving some to neighbors and friends, I made several trips to our assisted living facility with bag fulls of tomatoes this summer. Many of them had gardens in years past and they enjoyed the taste of fresh tomatoes again. The staff even made BLTs for them! Here's thinking about the first ripe tomatoes of next year!

October 3, 2011	#3
BLTLOVER Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Iowa Posts: 90	Hybrid Big Beef is a Hybrid. I've been planting them for about 10 years now and have had such success that I've not tried any others since.

October 6, 2011	#5
cornbreadlouie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: SF bay area... north bay Posts: 242	Post pictures!!! __________________ Do You Like Worms?

October 7, 2011	#8
BigBrownDogHouse Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Northern Illinois ZONE 5a...wait now 5b Posts: 906	Tomatofest claims to have a dehybridized version and that is the one I have grown. I have to say they are one of our family's favorite tomatoes. My father-in-law insists that I grow one for him every year. You're right, incredible producer, great looking, great taste! __________________ Brian

October 2, 2011	#2
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	Were you growing hybrids or the OP version? That's a lot of tomatoes from only 6 plants! Very cool that you were able to make those seniors' eyes light up with fresh tasty tomatoes...so many of them miss that!

October 7, 2011	#6
Quickstrike Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada! Posts: 37	Impressive yields. In comparison, I have probably picked 24 tomatoes from 8 Big Beef plants.

October 10, 2011	#10
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	This is the first year in about 10 years that I didn't have any Big Beefs to set out in the fall because damping off got the last of the seeds I planted. I find it the most productive and dependable good flavored hybrid. The other hybrids that I have found to be fairly dependable don't have the same good tomato flavor. It is also one of the most fusarium tolerant tomatoes you can grow. It is also one of the most heat tolerant tomatoes and survives better than most in near drought conditions. As good as it is, I don't place it in my top ten list for flavor but it surely is in the top spot for production and dependability.