- Hybrid F1
- Beefsteak
- 78 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Red
Big Boy
Hybrid F1 beefsteak from USA, 1949. The 1949 hybrid that made F1 tomatoes mainstream: big, round, red, dependable. Ready in about 78 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Aug 30, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Beefsteak 10–16 oz (280–450 g) · Globe (estimated)
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Days to harvest
- 78 days (estimated) from transplant · Mid-late
- Plant height
- 6–8 ft (180–240 cm) (estimated) Tall
- Spacing
- 24 × 35 in (60 × 90 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Polytunnel · Open ground
- Container growing
- Not suited to pots
- Difficulty
- Moderate (estimated) 3/5
- Skin
-
- Red
- Interior
-
- Red
Plant size and habit
Tall · Indeterminate
6–8 ft (180–240 cm) (estimated) · Regular leaf
Big Boy 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 6–8 ft (180–240 cm).
Flavor
“The 1949 hybrid that made F1 tomatoes mainstream: big, round, red, dependable.”
Growing calendar
78 (estimated) days from transplant Mid-late
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
- Slicing
- Fresh & salads
- High yield
- Beginner friendly
Origin
Burpee introduced Big Boy in 1949 and it became the variety that made hybrid tomatoes normal in American gardens. Large, round, red and dependable, it set the template that Better Boy and the rest of the 'Boy' series followed. It carries no modern disease resistance package, which is the main reason newer hybrids displaced it.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked dailyLinks may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices checked Nov 1, 2026.
All photos
Questions
How do you grow a Big Boy plant?
A Big Boy plant grows 6–8 ft (180–240 cm) tall (estimated). Space plants 24 in (60 cm) apart in rows 35 in (90 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 7–14 days (estimated). It needs full sun.
How long does Big Boy take to mature?
Big Boy is ready in about 78 days from transplant.
Does Big Boy need staking?
Big Boy 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 6–8 ft (180–240 cm).
Can Big Boy be grown in a container?
Big Boy is better suited to open ground or a greenhouse bed than a container.
Is Big Boy resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Big Boy.
