A Big Beef surprise!

May 29, 2016

I planted two plants each this year of Stump Of The World, Barlow Jap, Hoy, and Big Beef. I planted them in a bed I was reserving for Limbaughs Potato Top. Limbaughs didn't look right after germination, so I trashed the eight seedlings and my remaining Limbaughs seed. The Big Beef seed was about six years old and I didn't really expect the seeds to germinate. I had germinated all four varieties as extras which probably wouldn't be grown.

I can't believe how well the Big Beef plants are performing compared to the other three varieties under identical conditions. Big beef is loaded with large green tomatoes which should start ripening in a couple of weeks. Hoy has no tomatoes set and only a few blossoms. Stump and Barlow Jap have a few small tomatoes, but far fewer than Big Beef.

I grew Big Beef about five years ago in the same year I grew Sudduth. Sudduth and Big Beef were almost equal in performance and produced good tomatoes. Since Big Beef is a hybrid, I didn't grow it again preferring to grow open pollinated varieties. I may need to rethink that in future years. It looks like Big Beef may have found a permanent home even if it is a hybrid variety.

I may reserve that bed in the future for more comparisons between four varieties under identical conditions.

Ted

Gardeneer · May 29, 2016

Ted, thanks for sharing your experience.
There is also a thread started by Hudson ( Big Beef Hybrid ,,) . Hudson's results are the same as yours. He is also growing BW Sudduth.

I grew Big Beef for the first time last year and I am growing it again. MY plant is the most vigorous among over 40 plants of various varieties. Only Better Boy comes close to it. No visible fruits yet but I believe they are in the process of setting.

BTW: I have started a thread " Big Beef and The Boys", that is going now.

Gardeneer

Ricky Shaw · May 29, 2016

Hail to the Beef!

Hudson_WY · May 29, 2016

Hi Ted - your results are similar to mine! That's awesome the Big Beef seeds germinated after six years!

Hellmanns · May 29, 2016

Big Beef played a huge role in raising 4 kids. No kidding.

clkeiper · May 29, 2016

Yeah... they are a powerhouse tomato. I grow them EVERY year.

May 30, 2016

I've grown Barlow Jap, Hoy, and Stump in the past with good results. They may simply be later season producers while Big Beef is an earlier variety. I seem to remember Big Beef producing through the entire season.

Ted

Karla · June 10, 2016

Growing big beef this yr.Another favorite, I have grown in the past.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

June 10, 2016

I ate my first medium sized Big Beef of the season a few days ago. I noticed a critter of some kind knocked some of my tomatoes to the ground while still green. I left them to ripen in the shade of the plants they fell from. They were delicious. I noticed the foot prints of the critter visiting my garden at night. They were much larger than squirrel tracks. Maybe a possum or coon climbing the plants knocking the tomatoes off. I usually have birds building nests in my plants. Normally the baby birds disappear at night before they are old enough to fly. I first thought a large snake was taking the baby birds, but now believe a racoon is the culprit. I"m surprised no branches are ever broken on my tomato plants.

Ted

zipcode · June 10, 2016

I was not that impressed with the beef flavour wise. Like only the first 1-2 fruits are good and then it goes downhill fast. I'm not entirely sure why, maybe they need much more fertilizer than other plants (or some micronutrient). They are fairly fast, but not faster than other big-ish fruited ones like Azoychka or BTDP. Consistent producer though, you can always count on it.

May 29, 2016	#1
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	A Big Beef surprise! I planted two plants each this year of Stump Of The World, Barlow Jap, Hoy, and Big Beef. I planted them in a bed I was reserving for Limbaughs Potato Top. Limbaughs didn't look right after germination, so I trashed the eight seedlings and my remaining Limbaughs seed. The Big Beef seed was about six years old and I didn't really expect the seeds to germinate. I had germinated all four varieties as extras which probably wouldn't be grown. I can't believe how well the Big Beef plants are performing compared to the other three varieties under identical conditions. Big beef is loaded with large green tomatoes which should start ripening in a couple of weeks. Hoy has no tomatoes set and only a few blossoms. Stump and Barlow Jap have a few small tomatoes, but far fewer than Big Beef. I grew Big Beef about five years ago in the same year I grew Sudduth. Sudduth and Big Beef were almost equal in performance and produced good tomatoes. Since Big Beef is a hybrid, I didn't grow it again preferring to grow open pollinated varieties. I may need to rethink that in future years. It looks like Big Beef may have found a permanent home even if it is a hybrid variety. I may reserve that bed in the future for more comparisons between four varieties under identical conditions. Ted

May 29, 2016	#6
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	Yeah... they are a powerhouse tomato. I grow them EVERY year. __________________ carolyn k

June 10, 2016	#8
Karla Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ashland,OH Posts: 189	Growing big beef this yr.Another favorite, I have grown in the past. Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk __________________ Karla

June 10, 2016	#9
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	I ate my first medium sized Big Beef of the season a few days ago. I noticed a critter of some kind knocked some of my tomatoes to the ground while still green. I left them to ripen in the shade of the plants they fell from. They were delicious. I noticed the foot prints of the critter visiting my garden at night. They were much larger than squirrel tracks. Maybe a possum or coon climbing the plants knocking the tomatoes off. I usually have birds building nests in my plants. Normally the baby birds disappear at night before they are old enough to fly. I first thought a large snake was taking the baby birds, but now believe a racoon is the culprit. I"m surprised no branches are ever broken on my tomato plants. Ted Last edited by tedln; June 10, 2016 at 11:04 AM.

May 29, 2016	#2
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	Ted, thanks for sharing your experience. There is also a thread started by Hudson ( Big Beef Hybrid ,,) . Hudson's results are the same as yours. He is also growing BW Sudduth. I grew Big Beef for the first time last year and I am growing it again. MY plant is the most vigorous among over 40 plants of various varieties. Only Better Boy comes close to it. No visible fruits yet but I believe they are in the process of setting. BTW: I have started a thread " Big Beef and The Boys", that is going now. Gardeneer

May 29, 2016	#3
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	Hail to the Beef!

May 29, 2016	#4
Hudson_WY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Smoot, Wyoming Posts: 523	Hi Ted - your results are similar to mine! That's awesome the Big Beef seeds germinated after six years!

May 29, 2016	#5
Hellmanns Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: kentucky Posts: 1,116	Big Beef played a huge role in raising 4 kids. No kidding.

May 30, 2016	#7
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	I've grown Barlow Jap, Hoy, and Stump in the past with good results. They may simply be later season producers while Big Beef is an earlier variety. I seem to remember Big Beef producing through the entire season. Ted

June 10, 2016	#10
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	I was not that impressed with the beef flavour wise. Like only the first 1-2 fruits are good and then it goes downhill fast. I'm not entirely sure why, maybe they need much more fertilizer than other plants (or some micronutrient). They are fairly fast, but not faster than other big-ish fruited ones like Azoychka or BTDP. Consistent producer though, you can always count on it.