Big Beef Tomato: Growing Guide
Big Beef produces 10–16 oz slicing tomatoes in 70 days. Learn to grow, stake, and harvest this All-America Selections disease-resistant hybrid.
Key takeaways
- Big Beef is an indeterminate hybrid producing 10–16 oz beefsteak-style fruit in about 70 days from transplanting
- It is an All-America Selections winner (1994) with disease resistance to 9 pathogens including Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, nematodes, and tobomovirus
- As an indeterminate, it needs a 6–8 foot stake or heavy-duty 5–6 foot cage — standard 4-foot cages are too small
- Prune suckers weekly to maintain 1–2 main stems, which directs energy to fewer, larger fruit
- Big Beef performs well across US climates and is more heat-tolerant than many beefsteak heirlooms, maintaining fruit set above 85°F better than Brandywine
What is Big Beef tomato?
Big Beef (Solanum lycopersicum ‘Big Beef’) is an indeterminate hybrid tomato variety that produces beefsteak-style fruit averaging 10–16 ounces in approximately 70 days from transplanting. It won the All-America Selections award in 1994 — the most recognized plant trial program in the US — for its combination of large fruit size, disease resistance, and broad adaptability.
All-America Selections (AAS) trials test new varieties across multiple sites in the US and Canada before awarding recognition. The 1994 AAS win for Big Beef validated its performance across different US climates and growing conditions, not just in one region.
Its disease resistance package is the key reason Big Beef outperforms many large-fruited alternatives in US home gardens. Most large beefsteak heirlooms (Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, Cherokee Purple) have no disease resistance. Big Beef carries resistance to 9 common tomato pathogens, making it far more reliable in gardens where soil-borne diseases have appeared previously.
Big Beef variety details
| Trait | Big Beef |
|---|---|
| Type | Indeterminate hybrid |
| Days to maturity | 70 days from transplanting |
| Fruit weight | 10–16 oz average |
| Fruit color | Classic red |
| Vine height | 6–8 feet |
| Disease resistance | VFFNTASt (9 pathogen resistances) |
| AAS winner | Yes, 1994 |
Disease resistance code breakdown:
- V = Verticillium wilt
- F = Fusarium wilt race 1
- FF = Fusarium wilt race 2
- N = Nematodes
- T = Tobacco mosaic virus (tobomovirus)
- A = Alternaria alternata (crown/stem rot)
- St = Stemphylium (gray leaf spot)
Big Beef vs. similar large-slicing tomatoes
| Variety | Days | Disease resistance | Fruit weight | Best feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Beef | 70 | VFFNTASt (9 traits) | 10–16 oz | Disease package, reliable yield |
| Better Boy | 65–70 | VFN | 12–16 oz | Earlier harvest, widely available |
| Brandywine | 80–85 | None | 12–20 oz | Heirloom flavor, higher risk |
| Celebrity | 70 | VFFNTA | 8–10 oz | Determinate; more compact |
| Mortgage Lifter | 80 | None | 16–32 oz | Very large fruit; heirloom |
| Beefmaster | 80 | VFN | 16–32 oz | Largest fruit |
When to choose Big Beef over Better Boy: If your garden has had soil-borne disease issues (early blight, Fusarium, nematodes visible as root knots), Big Beef’s broader resistance package is preferable. Our Better Boy tomato guide covers that variety’s specific traits and growing profile.
When to choose Big Beef over Brandywine: For consistent yield in a shorter season or humid climate, Big Beef is significantly more reliable. Brandywine’s flavor advantage is real but comes with late maturity (80–85 days) and zero disease resistance — a high-risk combination in the Southeast and Midwest.
When and how to plant Big Beef
Transplant Big Beef outdoors after the last frost date when soil temperature is consistently above 60°F. In Zone 7, this is typically mid-April to early May. In Zone 5, late May.
Big Beef is widely available as transplants at garden centers nationwide. If starting from seed indoors, start 6–8 weeks before your last frost date.
Planting steps:
- Select a site with 6–8 hours of direct sun — Big Beef like other large-fruiting varieties is a full-sun crop
- Prepare the soil with 2–3 inches of compost worked to 8 inches deep
- Dig the planting hole deep enough to bury two-thirds of the stem
- Remove all leaves from the buried portion
- Place the transplant at an angle if the stem is very long (trench planting)
- Backfill, water thoroughly with 1–2 gallons
- Install a 6–8 foot stake at planting time — do not wait until the plant needs it
Spacing: 24–36 inches between plants. Big Beef is a large-vining indeterminate; crowding reduces air circulation and increases disease pressure.
Mulch immediately: Apply 2–3 inches of straw or wood chip mulch around the base, keeping mulch 2–3 inches away from the stem. Mulch stabilizes soil moisture, which is directly linked to blossom end rot prevention.
Staking and caging Big Beef
Big Beef is an indeterminate that grows 6–8 feet tall. It requires a 6–8 foot wooden stake or a heavy-duty 5–6 foot cage. Standard folding wire cages sold at most hardware stores (3–4 feet tall) will not support a full-size Big Beef plant.
Single stake method
Drive a 7-foot wooden stake (2x2 inch or 1x2 inch) 12 inches into the ground alongside the transplant. As the plant grows, tie the main stem to the stake every 8–10 inches using soft ties or strips of fabric.
Single-stake training works best when combined with aggressive sucker pruning to maintain 1–2 main stems. This concentrates energy into the fewer remaining stems and produces the largest individual fruit.
Heavy-duty cage method
A 5–6 foot cage made from heavy-gauge galvanized wire (or from concrete reinforcing wire as a DIY project) provides support without the need for weekly tying. The downside is less control over plant shape and somewhat smaller individual fruit compared to single-stake training.
For a full guide on support systems, see our tomato cages guide.
Pruning Big Beef tomatoes
Remove suckers weekly from Big Beef to maintain a single or double main stem. Unpruned Big Beef plants produce more but smaller fruit; pruned plants produce fewer, larger fruit — the beefsteak-sized tomatoes the variety is known for.
A sucker is the new shoot that grows from the junction between the main stem and a leaf branch (the “V” crotch). Left to grow, each sucker becomes a full secondary vine.
Pruning schedule:
- Check plants every 7 days
- Remove suckers when they are 1–2 inches long by pinching with fingers
- Larger suckers should be removed with clean shears to reduce the wound area
- The first sucker below the first flower cluster can be left to create a two-stem plant if desired
For detailed sucker removal technique with timing by season, see our how to prune tomatoes guide.
Fertilizing Big Beef
Big Beef is a heavy feeder that benefits from a structured fertilizing program.
At transplanting: Work a balanced slow-release granular fertilizer (10-10-10) into the planting hole according to label directions, or add a handful of bone meal for phosphorus.
At first flower: Switch to a lower-nitrogen formula (5-10-10 or tomato-specific fertilizer). Excess nitrogen at flowering stage promotes vegetative growth over fruit production.
Through the season: Continue fertilizing every 2–3 weeks through the growing season. Large-fruiting varieties like Big Beef draw heavily on soil nutrients to build 10–16 oz fruit.
Calcium: Big Beef is susceptible to blossom end rot if calcium availability is inconsistent. A calcium/magnesium foliar spray applied every 2 weeks during fruit development helps, alongside the more fundamental solution of consistent watering. See our tomato fertilizer guide for a detailed nutrient management schedule.
Common Big Beef problems
| Problem | Symptom | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blossom end rot | Dark, leathery bottom on fruit | Inconsistent moisture/calcium | Water consistently; mulch; calcium spray |
| Fruit cracking | Radial or concentric cracks | Dry then wet cycle | Consistent watering; mulch |
| Blossom drop | Flowers fall before setting | Temperature extremes (below 55°F or above 95°F) | Time planting; afternoon shade in hot regions |
| Catface (deformed fruit) | Rough, lobed fruit at stem end | Cool temperatures during early fruit development | Avoid planting too early in cold soil |
| Early blight | Brown spots with yellow halos on lower leaves | Fungal disease (soil splash) | Mulch; remove affected leaves; copper fungicide |
| Sunscald | White or yellow patches on fruit | Exposed fruit in intense sun | Ensure adequate leaf cover; don’t over-prune |
Despite its disease resistance, Big Beef is not immune to early blight (Alternaria solani). Its resistance is to the race that causes crown and stem rot, not necessarily all strains. Good cultural practices — mulching, removing lower leaves that touch soil, avoiding overhead watering — reduce early blight regardless of variety.
Harvesting Big Beef
Harvest Big Beef when fruit reaches full red color and yields slightly to gentle thumb pressure. Full color development takes about 70 days from transplanting. Once fruit begins coloring, ripening to full red takes 7–10 more days.
Signs of readiness:
- Deep red color throughout (no green shoulders)
- Slight give when pressed gently — not hard, not mushy
- Clean separation with gentle twist
Temperature note: Tomatoes left on the vine in temperatures above 85–90°F can lose red pigment and develop an orange or pink coloration. This is a color defect, not a flavor issue. Harvest fruit in the “breaker stage” (beginning to color) and ripen indoors at 65–75°F to avoid this problem in hot climates.
Do not refrigerate fresh tomatoes. Refrigeration breaks down flavor compounds within 24 hours. Keep harvested Big Beef on the counter at room temperature for up to 5–7 days.
For growing multiple tomato varieties for a diverse harvest, see our guides on Super Sweet 100 for cherry tomatoes, Cherokee Purple for heirloom flavor, and Sun Gold tomato for a high-sugar yellow cherry. Our how to grow tomatoes guide covers the full growing lifecycle applicable to all varieties.
Sarah Mitchell is a Master Gardener and garden writer based in the Pacific Northwest. She has been growing food and flowers for over 15 years across USDA zones 7 and 8.