Big Beef Hybrid - Page 3

Captain Neon · May 2, 2016

If only I could convince my uncle to allow me to build a greenhouse on his land... My grandmother always wanted a greenhouse, but never got one. You have a beautiful set up. I'm just a little jealous.

jmsieglaff · May 2, 2016

This is a great thread, thank you for sharing! I'm growing Big Beef F1 for the first time this year after the rave reviews here.

Hudson_WY · May 2, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Neon

If only I could convince my uncle to allow me to build a greenhouse on his land... My grandmother always wanted a greenhouse, but never got one. You have a beautiful set up. I'm just a little jealous.

Neon,
Thanks! We built it ourselves! You can come up with a design that works for you and your resources. Don't give up on your on your uncle or maybe you have other options. We sure love the hobby!

JM - please share you progress - looking forward to seeing your experience with Big Beef !!

Hudson_WY · May 4, 2016

This Big Beef Hybrid is Amazing !! This is just one plant and I took a photo showing the height of the plant (7') - then the other three photos show three different sides of the plant. None of the tomatoes shown are duplicates from the other side photos. I counted 50 tomatoes on this one plant and most of them appear 8 oz and larger, a few are smaller. Not one tomato has ripened as of yet. If these Big Beef Hybrid have good taste - they will be back next year - I can tell you that!!

Gardeneer · May 5, 2016

Only Hudson, in Wyoming, zone 3 can accomplish that. Admirable.

My own Big Beef, sowed 2/21 ;; planted out ~ 4/7 , is about 30" tall with 2 trusses growing. let me try to fish a picture. OK. it was a week ago. The color looks pale because of sun.

Gardeneer

Hudson_WY · May 5, 2016

Your plant looks great Gardeneer!! I'm excited to see how it does for you in the PNW (did you say sun - haha). You always have great tomato supports - but get ready for this one - there are a lot of tomatoes on the vine at the same time!

gdaddybill · May 5, 2016

I planted Big Beef this year to use as a rootstock and had a few left over so one is now in the garden. I grew it last year but it was a wet year in south central Texas and the flavor was just OK. After seeing your beautiful plants I had to try again. Will try to run it a tad dryer this year.

Hudson_WY · May 7, 2016

Big Beef is finally blushing! It appears several may ripen at the same time.

Gardeneer · May 7, 2016

That is good news, Hudson.
My good news is that my BgBf is getting ready to flower, if not today, maybe tomorrow.
So mine is about 50 days behind. yours.

Gardeneer

Barb_FL · May 7, 2016

And mine are done fruiting for the season.

Hudson - once it starts blushing, it turns red fairly quick at least with temps in the 80s.

Hudson_WY · May 7, 2016

Thanks Gardeneer!

Barb - Do you like the taste of Big Beef? Would you compare them to Better Boy in taste?

Barb_FL · May 7, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hudson_WY

Thanks Gardeneer!

Barb - Do you like the taste of Big Beef? Would you compare them to Better Boy in taste?

Yes, it's really good. In February, I had a BB leftover summer plant that produced 20 tomatoes. I thought they were great. Now, that I'm inundated with tomatoes, I still think it's really good, but not the best. They are all perfect looking fruit, don't split, an easy plant.

I've never grew/tasted Better Boy.

---
How many total tomato plants do you have? You definitely have the magic.

Hudson_WY · May 8, 2016

Barb, We are going to try two crops this year - Isn't that what you do in Florida? Now that we are heating our GH it is possible. This is the first year we have tried it though so we are not sure how it will work out.

The first crop we have: Brandywine Sudduth, Big Brandy, Big Beef, Brandy Boy, Super Sweet 100, Rapunzel, Sweet 100, Brandywine OTV, Dwarf Golden Gypsy, New Big Dwarf and Dwarf Goldfinch for a total of 30 tomato plants.

We are not sure what we are planting for the second crop but Brandywine Cowlick's is sure to be among them. I would like to try some new varieties and two crops helps with that goal!

Hudson_WY · May 10, 2016

Finally - Ripe Big Beef Hybrid !! Nice sized without cracks or blemishes. Can't wait to taste them but they need to sit on the counter a few days to completely ripen!

jmsieglaff · May 10, 2016

Beautiful maters! I planted my Big Beef plant out yesterday! Hopefully by the end of July I'll have my first one!

May 2, 2016	#31
Captain Neon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Florence KY Posts: 234	If only I could convince my uncle to allow me to build a greenhouse on his land... My grandmother always wanted a greenhouse, but never got one. You have a beautiful set up. I'm just a little jealous.

May 2, 2016	#32
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	This is a great thread, thank you for sharing! I'm growing Big Beef F1 for the first time this year after the rave reviews here.

May 5, 2016	#36
Hudson_WY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Smoot, Wyoming Posts: 523	Your plant looks great Gardeneer!! I'm excited to see how it does for you in the PNW (did you say sun - haha). You always have great tomato supports - but get ready for this one - there are a lot of tomatoes on the vine at the same time!

May 5, 2016	#37
gdaddybill Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Burton, TX Posts: 294	I planted Big Beef this year to use as a rootstock and had a few left over so one is now in the garden. I grew it last year but it was a wet year in south central Texas and the flavor was just OK. After seeing your beautiful plants I had to try again. Will try to run it a tad dryer this year.

May 7, 2016	#39
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	That is good news, Hudson. My good news is that my BgBf is getting ready to flower, if not today, maybe tomorrow. So mine is about 50 days behind. yours. Gardeneer

May 7, 2016	#40
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 2,000	And mine are done fruiting for the season. Hudson - once it starts blushing, it turns red fairly quick at least with temps in the 80s.

May 8, 2016	#43
Hudson_WY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Smoot, Wyoming Posts: 523	Barb, We are going to try two crops this year - Isn't that what you do in Florida? Now that we are heating our GH it is possible. This is the first year we have tried it though so we are not sure how it will work out. The first crop we have: Brandywine Sudduth, Big Brandy, Big Beef, Brandy Boy, Super Sweet 100, Rapunzel, Sweet 100, Brandywine OTV, Dwarf Golden Gypsy, New Big Dwarf and Dwarf Goldfinch for a total of 30 tomato plants. We are not sure what we are planting for the second crop but Brandywine Cowlick's is sure to be among them. I would like to try some new varieties and two crops helps with that goal!

May 10, 2016	#45
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	Beautiful maters! I planted my Big Beef plant out yesterday! Hopefully by the end of July I'll have my first one!