Big Beef
Single source · Reviewed Sep 9, 2026
Values marked like this (estimated) are model estimates, not confirmed from a source.
Open-pollinated beefsteak from USA. Widely grown red beefsteak slicer, large fruit, indeterminate vine. Ready in about 73 days from transplant.
- Open-pollinated
- 73 days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Large fruit
- Easy-moderate (estimated)
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Beefsteak 10–16 oz (280–450 g) · Flattened globe
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Plant height
- 5–8 ft (150–240 cm) Tall
- Spacing
- 24 × 39 in (60 × 100 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Polytunnel · Open ground · Container
- Container growing
- Not suited to pots
- Skin
-
- Red
- Interior
- Not recorded
Plant size and habit
Tall · Indeterminate
5–8 ft (150–240 cm) · Regular leaf
Big Beef is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 5–8 ft (150–240 cm).
Flavor
“Widely grown red beefsteak slicer, large fruit, indeterminate vine.”
Growing calendar
- Sow indoors
- Transplant out
- Harvest
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost date.
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.
Uses & tags
- Fresh & salads
- Slicing
Origin
A widely grown red beefsteak slicer, one of the most common large-fruited tomatoes in US home gardens. Tatiana's TOMATOBase lists it as open-pollinated; several commercial catalogs sell a distinct F1 hybrid line under the same name, so the exact relationship between the two needs a second source before this record is treated as settled.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
We're adding trusted seed sources for this variety.
All photos
-
Big Beef tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover -
A truss of Big Beef tomatoes -
Big Beef tomato plant in a garden bed with ripe fruit on the vine -
A ripe Big Beef tomato held in a gardener's hand -
Freshly picked Big Beef tomatoes -
Big Beef tomato sliced in the kitchen
Questions
How long does Big Beef take to mature?
Big Beef is ready in about 73 days from transplant.
Does Big Beef need staking?
Big Beef is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 5–8 ft (150–240 cm).
Can Big Beef be grown in a container?
Big Beef is better suited to open ground or a greenhouse bed than a container.
Is Big Beef resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Big Beef.
See also
Other beefsteak varieties people put next to this one.
Grows like this one
Indeterminate, midseason, full sun. Same support, same calendar.
