Some Tips for Growing Beefsteak Tomatoes

Growing beefsteak tomatoes yourself is quite straightforward and these tomatoes are very tasty and suitable for making stuffed tomato recipes.Beefsteak tomatoes are the biggest type of cultivated tomatoes. They can weight up to two pounds. Most are red or pink with lots of smell seed compartments in the fruit. Beefsteak tomatoes are not grown commercially because they are not thought to be suitable for mechanization.

Beefsteak tomatoes growing on a vine in a greenhouse

Growing Season of a Beefsteak Tomato

You can start preparing the soil for planting beefsteak tomatoes in the fall. You should choose a spot which has not had tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant or bell peppers planted on it for three years, to help control soil-borne diseases. The pH of the soil should be between six and a half and seven.

In the spring, you can till the earth to remove weeds and distribute nitrogen and then mulch the area with straw before planting your beefsteak tomatoes. Wait until the last frost has passed. Tomatoes like it hot and frost can kill them.

Rows of tomatoes need to be a minimum of five feet apart and the plants should be spaced eighteen to thirty six inches apart. About three weeks after transplanting, the first flowers appear along with new shoots. You should remove the shoots at this point because this sends a signal to the plant to put more energy into producing fruit. This does not mean more fruit but you will get larger, earlier fruit.

The tomatoes can be tied to a trellis, staked or caged. Securing them in this way means that disease will be minimized and output will be maximized because they are not touching the earth. Tomatoes need to be well watered. It is a good idea to use a soaker irrigation system or drip so as not to wet the foliage. If your plants do not receive enough water at this stage, they might get blossom end rot, caused by a lack of calcium in the fruit. Too much water can make the fruit fall from the plants. When the fruit begins to turn red, too much water will make the tomatoes crack or split because they have stopped growing.

Beefsteak tomatoes take around eighty five days to reach maturity. If the temperature falls below fifty five degrees or rises over ninety, the tomatoes will not grow.

Beefsteak Tomato Pests

A good air circulation, good crop rotation and the use of disease resistant tomato varieties take care of most pest problems. The most common problems you might face when growing beefsteak tomatoes include tomato fruitworms, beet armyworms and tobacco hornworms. Tomato fruitworms are liable to strike in early July after the main corn season. You can get sprays for these pests if they are damaging your tomato crops. Tomato plants emit a mild toxin which repels small insects.

After harvesting your beefsteak tomatoes, store them somewhere cool. Keeping them in the refrigerator keeps them fresh but they will lose flavor and texture. Growing beefsteak tomatoes is a lot of fun and if you have a bumper crop, your neighbors and friends will be sure to appreciate these huge tomatoes, one slice of which can cover an entire sandwich. The most important things to remember when growing beefsteak tomatoes is to make sure you plant them after the last frost and to give them sufficient water.

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