Big Beef (F1)

Notes:

This tomato seed cannot be shipped outside of North America.
Limited to 5,000 Seeds per order.
Must ship UPS.

Videos

How to prune tomatoes
Grafting greenhouse tomatoes
How to control the tomato hornworm
How identify late blight
How to manage late blight

Additional Information:

How to prevent late blight
How to prevent overwintering late blight
Indeterminate Tomato Comparison Chart

Videos:

Disease Resistance:

Growing Information:

Tomatoes

DETERMINATE: (bush) varieties do not need pruning and may be grown with or without support; fruit ripens within a concentrated time period.
INDETERMINATE: (climbing) varieties should be staked, trellised, or caged, and pruned for best results; fruit ripens over an extended period. Call for additional cultural tips.
CULTURE: GROWING SEEDLINGS: Don't start too early! Root-bound, leggy plants that have open flowers or fruit when planted out may remain stunted and produce poorly. Sow in flats, using a soilless peat-based mix (NOT potting soil), 5-6 weeks before plants can be transplanted out after frost danger. Keep temperature of the starting mix at 75-90°F (24-32°C); tomato seeds germinate very slowly in cooler soil. When first true leaves develop, transplant into plug trays or 3-4" pots for large, stocky 7-8 week transplants for earliest crops. Grow seedlings at 60-70°F (16-21°C). Water only enough to keep the mix from drying. Fertilize with fish emulsion or a soluble, complete fertilizer.
TRANSPLANTING OUTDOORS: Transplant into medium-rich garden or field soil 12-24" apart for determinate varieties, 24-36" apart for indeterminate, unstaked varieties, and 14-20" for staking. Water seedlings with a high-phosphate fertilizer solution (see Index). For earliest crops, set plants out around the last frost date under floating row covers (see Index) which will protect from frost to about 28°F (-2°C). If possible, avoid setting out unprotected plants until night temperatures are over 45°F (7°C). Frost will cause severe damage!
FERTILIZER: Abundant soil phosphorus is important for early high yields. Too much nitrogen causes rampant growth and soft fruits susceptible to rot.
DISEASES: Learn the common tomato diseases in your area. Select resistant varieties. For prevention, use young, healthy transplants, avoid overhead irrigation, plow in tomato plant refuse in the fall, rotate crops, and do not handle tobacco or smoke before handling plants. Fungicides can reduce certain diseases when properly selected and applied.
BLOSSOM END ROT: Prevent it by providing abundant soil calcium and an even supply of soil moisture.
INSECT PESTS: Use row covers to protect young seedlings from flea beetles. Tomato hornworms can be controlled with bacillus thuringiensis. Use spinosad for potato beetle larvae and adults.
HARVEST: Fully vine-ripen fruit only for local retailing or use. To deliver sound fruit, pick fruit less ripe the further the distance and the longer the time between the field and the customer.
STORAGE: Store firm, ripe fruit 45-60°F (7-16°C) for 4-7 days.
DAYS TO MATURITY: From transplants.
TRANSPLANTS: Avg. 850 plants/1,000 seeds, 7,450 plants/oz., 119,000 plants/lb.
AVG. PLANTING RATE: Avg. 785 seeds to produce 667 plants needed to plant 1,000 ft. of row. Avg. 8,540 seeds, approx. 1 oz., to produce 1 acre of transplants, 18" between plants in rows 4' apart (7,260 plants needed).
SEED SPECS: SEEDS/OZ. (varies): 6,875-15,625 (avg. 8,750).
PACKET: 40 seeds, unless otherwise noted.

Symbols Explained:

AAS Winners We carry dozens of All-America Selections winners, including six Johnny's-bred varieties -- Baby Bear Pumpkin; Bright Lights Swiss Chard; Diva Cucumber; Sunshine Kabocha Squash; Bonbon Buttercup Squash; and Carmen Pepper. Read more about Johnny's plant breeding program. Article by Rob Johnston Jr., Johnny's founder and chairman. All-America Selections winners are vegetable and flower varieties that have been tested by a network of independent judges who determined their garden performance was superior. Winners are chosen based on scores received from judges at 34 sites in the U.S. and Canada. Johnny's is proud to be an official trial ground site for AAS.  Visit All-America Selections website for more information.

Performs well in greenhouses Variety does especially well when started in, or grown in, a greenhouse environment.