Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Toronto
Posts: 89
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What’s the closest heirloom tomato variety that’s similar to the big beef hybrid in production and taste?
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Alabama
Posts: 2,250
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IMO, no heirloom is as productive, disease tolerant, and widely adapted as Big Beef. There are a few that can produce heavy crops and are otherwise worth the effort. Lynnwood, Red Brandywine, Burgundy Traveler, and BBXEPB are a few that can crank out the tomatoes.
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: fallon nevada
Posts: 22
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It's not red, Indian Stripe, regular leaf, out produces Big beef almost every year.
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#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Brownville, Ne
Posts: 3,291
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Not enough for a true trend, but the three year attempt at Big Beef from three different sources yielded small, round, red grocery store type tomatoes with fairly low production and less flavor. For me, Big Beef was a Big Bust. Too many good ones out there to try again.
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there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes. |
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#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Toronto
Posts: 89
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I just want to find a heirloom red that will produce and save seeds for the next year. Maybe brandywine red.
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#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Southeast GA, USDA 9a, HZ9, Sunset Z28
Posts: 396
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In my limited experience, Creole is similar to Big Beef. Good mix of acid and tomato flavor. Production is decent, and performs as good as any tomato in the garden. Later in the season the shoulders tend to crack.
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You'll be surprised what you'll never have to do, if you put it off long enough. |
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#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Southeast Kansas
Posts: 878
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Krasnyi Velikan. Definitely gave Big Beef a run for the money on production the year I grew it. Since it's a Russian commercial it may have some disease tolerance but I don't know for sure.
Info from Andrey- Krasnyi Velikan (~Red Giant (Rus.>Eng.) *midseason, indet. (1.5-1.7 m tall), vigorous regular leaf plant with a high yield of red, oblate 250-500 g fruits, good flavor. From Russian CV Sedek. |
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#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Toronto
Posts: 89
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Thanks for all the info. I’ll keep on looking for suitable varieties that I can save seeds and continue to grow.
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#9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Central MN, USDA Zone 3
Posts: 302
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Are you after total production or the big slicers?
One favorite is the old Bonny Best/John Baer: cranks out a big supply of 5-8 oz globes. Old-fashioned flavor. Wisconsin 55 has been reinvigorated using original seed found in a freezer at the U of WI. 6-10oz red globes. Nepal 6-9oz globes. For beefsteaks I like Pruden's Purple (a little earlier than the Brandywines, but similar). A few times I grew one called "Wanda's Potato Top", but gave it up as a space hog: 7 foot cage required, but would drown you in tomatoes. Sent from my motorola edge (2022) using Tapatalk
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a day without fresh homegrown tomatoes is like... ...sigh |
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#10 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Minsk, Belarus, Eastern Europe (Zone 4a)
Posts: 2,278
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1 kg=2.2 lb , 1 m=39,37 in , 1 oz=28.35 g , 1 ft=30.48 cm , 1 lb= 0,4536 kg , 1 in=2.54 cm , 1 l = 0.26 gallon , 0 C=32 F Andrey a.k.a. TOMATODOR |
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#11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Vermont
Posts: 1,001
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Red Brandywine Landis Valley is a great tomato, though smaller and rounder than Big Beef. Equally productive, and maybe slightly bigger is Druzba. And similar, to that, but pink, is Eva Purple Ball (again, pink, not purple tomatoes).
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"Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers |
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#12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MA
Posts: 4,968
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Two plants of Neves Azorean Red is the way that I would go, although I find pinks are better than reds. Two will outproduce one, and NAR has much better flavor than BB, in my garden.
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#13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
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In Canada, I think you will struggle with many of the late season varieties being recommended.
I am also if the opinion that as far as red hybrids are concerned you may find better ones for Toronto than big beef. I was very impressed with the performance, production fruit quality and flavour of Jolene for example last season in my Vancouver island garden.and there are a great many others. Benevento is one you may want to try as well KarenO |
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#14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Calgary, Alberta Canada
Posts: 94
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For me it is one called Purple Potato Top, that I got from Tatiana's. Similar in every respect to Pruden's Purple (earliness, productivity, growth vigour) but compares in the density and richer taste of the Big Beef. It is more heart shaped, and not really purple.
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