Beefmaster Tomato Info
There are around 13 species of wild tomato plants and hundreds of hybrids. Hybrids are created to breed selected traits into a tomato. Such is the case with Beefmaster hybrids (Lycopersicon esculentum var. Beefmaster) wherein the plant was bred to produce larger, meatier, and disease resistant tomatoes. Beefmasters are categorized as F1 hybrids, which means they have been cross bred from two distinct “pure” tomatoes. What this means to you is that the first-generation hybrid should have better vigor and producer larger yields, but if you save seeds, the successive years’ fruit will likely be unrecognizable from the previous one. As mentioned, Beefmaster tomato plants are indeterminate (vining) tomatoes. This means that they prefer lots of staking and pruning of tomato suckers as they grow vertically. The plants produce solid, meaty tomatoes and are fertile yielders. This type of tomato hybrid is resistant to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and root knot nematodes. They also have a good tolerance against cracking and splitting.
How to Grow Beefmaster Plants
Growing Beefmaster tomatoes is easy via seed, or this hybrid can often be found as seedlings at nurseries. Either start seed indoors five to six weeks prior to the last frost date for your area or plant seedlings after all frost has passed. For transplants, space seedlings 2 to 2 ½ feet (61-76 cm.) apart. Beefsteak tomatoes have a fairly long growing season, 80 days, so if you live in a cooler region, set the plants out early but be sure to protect them from the cold.
