- Open-pollinated
- Beefsteak
- 73 days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Red
Big Beef
Open-pollinated beefsteak from USA. Red beefsteak slicer, large fruit, indeterminate vine. Ready in about 73 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 9, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Beefsteak 10–16 oz (280–450 g) · Flattened globe
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Days to harvest
- 73 days from transplant · Midseason
- 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
- Difficulty
- Easy-moderate (estimated) 2/5
- 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
“Red beefsteak slicer, large fruit, indeterminate vine.”
Growing calendar
73 days from transplant Midseason
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 (estimated) weeks before your last frost date. Look up your last frost date by ZIP code →
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.
Uses & tags
- Fresh & salads
- Slicing
Origin
A red beefsteak slicer. 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
Questions
How do you grow a Big Beef plant?
A Big Beef plant grows 5–8 ft (150–240 cm) tall. Space plants 24 in (60 cm) apart in rows 39 in (100 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 6–10 days (estimated). It needs full sun.
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.
