Sey, with Big Beef F1 my expectations would have been higher too. I'm not sure what the reasons are in your case; individual genetics, soil, nutrition imbalance, climate anomolies, all of the above? But a plant that is 6ft tall, with only 6 fruits, a vegetative stage may have been triggered somehow, coupled with some blossom drop/failure (?).

Did you purchase it as a large overgrown start? These can have their own troubles as well, but in your case it would likely have already outgrown these difficulties.

It is still early enough where it may start to flex it's muscle, wishing you luck either way.

Steve.

Thanks , Steve

The plant that I purchase was healthy about 8-10". Certainly not overgrown or root bound.
Soil deficiency ? I don't know. My beds are well established. and have been fertilized with 16-16-16 and MG 24-8-16The plants are growing real fine. Recently I have started fertilizing with Alaska Morebloom with 0- 10 - 10 analysis, hoping it will make a difference.
As you have mentioned, it is still early in the season and the plant has more flowers.

The OP version is clearly not doing good at all. So far no fruits ..It is a ZAP.

Sey

Sey, my OP now looks like it is showing signs of being a determinate, just like yours. Strange. But all four plants are full of tomatoes and still growing.

Hi ncr ,
Yeah, as I have reported before, mine did the same.
The most distinctive growth habit of determinat is that the branches ( main or others) end up with the final leaf branch w/ blossom truss on it.
That is exactly happened with mine. Later on a shoot started growing from that leaf node.

Sey

Yes, same here. But not all my stems are doing it. The plant is acting like a semi indeterminate plant. Is there such a thing? They are marketed as an indeterminate.

UPDATE:
No fruits on OP ( A ZAP candidate). a definite looser. I might as well pull it. Heck, what good is it. !? Taking and wasting the space.

Good news on F1 though. I saw some blushing on the blossom end of two. In another week or so the big test of taste should happen

What is more, is that it is setting more and more fruits. So I feel that is is going to be a regular in my garden..

AUwite ! Lets here from yours. This is a very interesting experiment, growing F1 and OP, side by side. C'mon !

Sey

One of my Big Beef must have 40 or 50 and have eaten about 4 or so. This will be my main tomato next year as the taste is very good. The other Big Beef is in an eight gallon pot and is much smaller as are the tomatoes and not as many. I think a big tomato like this needs bigger pots.

I grew 4 OPs and 3 hybrids. Out of the 4 OPs, 3 turned out to be determinates which topped out at about 4 feet. They did produce well and were really early and did taste fine. But they are now done. The one that grew as an indeterminate is really doing fine. Still producing nice sized, delicious tomatoes. The Big Beef OP is marketed as an indeterminate, but it must be really unstable in this regards, as both my and Sey's showed the determinate trait. If I was certain that every plant would grow as an indeterminate, I would grow it again.

My Big Beef hybrids are doing really well, even the ones that got planted in mid June as replacements for plants that were pulled. I thought it may be too late too plant them, but they are four feet tall already and have lots of fruit on them.

So, for me, I will stick with the hybrids.

Thanks Vince & ncr.

I think the F1 is pretty solid producer. I will grow more of it next year.

Out of about 20 new varieties I have found a few winners so far. Next year I will narrow down my choices to about 10 varieties, proven, positive producers..

Come to "Zaps and Keeps.." thread and lets hear about yours. thnx.

Sey

I've planted 2 big beef F1 tomatoes. One currently has 50-60 tomatoes and the other "only" about 30. They are producing well, but I find the taste "just okay", nothing great. I will still plant 1-2 plants next year just because they are producing well.

On the other hand, I love the taste and productivity of our Indian Stripe!!!! I foresee it being a staple in my garden.

Ngn, .. from what I have , usually early harvest tomatoes don't taste the best. Maybe as the season goes on , they will improve on taste.

Today I picke one at color break and brought it home. I didn't want the birds beat me. hehe.

So in a few days I will slice it and report on taste.

Here it is, weighing 126 gr. or about 4.5 oz

Why is it called big beef? From the name I expected big, beefsteak tomatoes.

Got a point, Caryl. I don't know. maybe mine are small.

Here is a picture from google search. There are all kind of sizes.

The seeds sellers advertise as 8 to 16 oz. haha. Not mine and definitely not many of them in that basket.

Sey

Well sey, last year I would have said the same but this year the OP is virtual twin to the hybrid. I didn't grow the hybrid last year to compare but this year it has done well as have the hybrids. Thank goodness for Big Beef! I would post pictures but I don't seem to be able to for some reason.

caryltoo,

Mine seem to have a variety of sizes but the biggest ones are definitely beefsteak size. Just a few though.

On the OP version, it seems to me that it is quite unstable and erratic.

I am actually tempted to pull it. After 3 months from plant out and no fruits ? It is just a weed. hehe

Sey

Finally I got so mad that I pulled the OP. Now I feel a lot better.

The F1, OTOH, is doing great. So far I have harvested 2 ripe ones and more is getting there. Plus the plant keeps setting and growing more fruits than I expected.

So in my garden the experiment is over : The OP failed big time.

Sey

I'm glad you were able to acquire both versions and compare, although I wasn't expecting the OP to perform so poorly, it would get removed. In other words, the OP pleaded "no contest" and I can eliminate the curiosity of locating seeds from my tomato growing bucket list.

That's OK as I can get a pack of F1 seeds for $1.25 which will last a few seasons. There have been times I've said, "next year I'm going to grow nothing but Big Beef and forget about the rest". Of course, that won't happen. Too many other varieties I hope to try in the future. Big Beef OP won't be one of them. Thanks for your reports on the OP.

Austin

Austin,

You can always afford to plant at least one Big Beef. You will get plenty of tomatoes off of it. Next year prolly I'll plant 2 or 3 BgBf (F1).

sey

I usually plant six Big Beefs. Next year, I think I'll at least double that. Its been so reliable over the years.

Me too Nitsua. It did very well for me this year despite the weather. If not for Big Beef it would have been another very bad year. I will grow at least 12 next year. The OP did pretty much as well as the F1. Last year it didn't do well at all. I don't know if it is variation in the seed or just that it was a lot cooler last year.

hi sey...I am glad your BB hybrid is doing well. My two plants have been awesome. On the other hand....the Brandy Boy contest got me excited to plant the Brandy's. They have been disappointing to me. Mine plants were weak, mis-shapened fruit, and generally a bust.