Beefsteak tomatoes are a large tomato that grows easily from seedling. They can grow up to 8 feet tall and will need strong staking to keep them upright with their heavy fruit. Regular watering is important to stop Beefsteak tomatoes from splitting. Improve the soil with composted cow manure and worm castings before planting for the best tomato crop.
Growing Beefsteak Tomatoes – Key Facts
Plant type | Fruit, but used like a vegetable |
Plant size | Up to 8 feet tall |
Difficulty | Easy to grow from seedling. Not as easy to grow as cherry but a good, large tomato to start with. |
Cost | Choose individual seedlings from $5, 6 packs are around $7. Seeds start from $1.50 for 80 seeds. |
Spacing | Space plants 1.5 feet apart and space rows 2 feet apart. |
Where to plant | Plant in full sun in a raised garden bed, pot or vegetable garden. |
When to plant | Plant seedlings in early spring after the last frost. Plant seeds at the end of winter in a greenhouse to protect from frosts and maintain humidity. |
Soil type | Well-draining soil, rich with organic matter and improved with aged cow manure. |
Watering | Regular, consistent watering will keep the plant growing well and prevent the fruit from splitting. |
Mulch | Straw, hay, lucerne or sugar cane mulch. |
Fertilizer | Aged cow manure, pelleted chicken manure and liquid fertilizer like fish emulsion. |
Best way to grow | Tomatoes grow well in a container or in a garden bed supported by a strong stake or tomato cage. |
Growth type | Grows long, large stems up to 8 feet, trim down to 1-2 main stems. |
Container growing | Choose a pot that is 18 inches across and at least 18 inches deep. |
Companion plants | Chives, basil, parsley, marigolds and borage. |
Harvesting | Wait until tomatoes are almost completely red. They can be picked, leaving the stem on and left to finish ripening in your kitchen. |
Cooking | Beefsteak tomatoes are great cut up in salads, sandwiches. They also work great in sauces with the skin removed. |
How to Grow Beefsteak tomatoes from seedlings
Growing Beefsteak tomatoes from seedling is the easiest way for success. Here is my step by step guide to growing from seedling.
- Choose a sunny or part shade spot in your garden that is at least 1.5 feet wide.
- Rake back any mulch on your soil.
- Add a handful of pelleted chicken manure, compost or worm castings as fertilizer.
- Dig through the fertilizer gently with a small fork or spade into the top 5 inches of soil.
- Make a small hole the size of the pot in the soil and place the soil into a spare pot or bucket.
- Remove the tomato plant from the pot and place it in the hole.
- Backfill the plant with soil removed, place any excess soil in another garden bed or in your worm farm.
- Surround the spinach with straw or sugar cane mulch.
- Water in well to settle the soil around the plant roots.
How to sow Beefsteak tomato seeds
Beefsteak tomatoes grow well from seed. They need to be sown 5mm deep in early spring after the last frost. They will sprout in 5-10 days.
- Choose a sunny spot in your garden bed, raised garden or pot.
- Rake back any mulch on your soil.
- Fill your pot with seed raising mix leaving ½ inch space at the top of the pot.
- Scatter the beefsteak tomato seeds on top of the seed raising mix.
- Sprinkle a 5mm layer of seed raising mix over the tomato seeds.
- Gently water the seeds with the mist setting on your garden hose.
- Keep the seeds moist for the first weeks, seeds will emerge in 5-10 days.
- Transplant the seedlings once they have grown their second set of leaves to a pot, raised garden bed or vegetable garden.
- Leave a 1.5 foot gap between each plant to allow room for them to grow.
Plant type
Beefsteak tomatoes are technically a fruit as they contain seeds. The plant grows flowers that need to be pollinated by insects for the fruit to set. Although tomatoes are technically fruit we use them like a vegetable.
Plant size
Beefsteak tomatoes are one of the largest tomatoes and can grow up to 8 feet tall. They grow large fruit that can grow up to 2 pounds. They are delicious and are great in sandwiches. Some of the largest fruit can cover a whole piece of bread with 1 slice.
Beefsteak tomatoes will need to be staked to keep the stems from falling over, particularly as they start setting fruit. Use a hardwood stake and natural ties to keep the plant stable and stop the stem from snapping.
Difficulty
Beefsteak tomatoes are an easy large tomato to start with if you have the room. Small, fast growing tomatoes like cherry will be easier to start with but once you have had success, you will quickly want to move to growing a beautiful big Beefsteak tomato.
Cost
Beefsteak Tomato seedlings are an affordable way to start your tomato patch and will give the greatest chance of success. Choose individual seedlings from $5, 6 packs are around $7. Seeds start from $1.50 for 80 seeds.
Spacing
Space plants 1.5 feet apart and space rows 2 feet apart. Make sure you give each plant the space to spread their leaves and still get air flow. This will help to prevent leaf diseases.
Where to plant
Plant Beefsteak tomatoes in full sun in a raised garden bed, pot or vegetable garden. If you live in an area that gets very hot summers, you may need to put up temporary shade in the hottest part of the day to prevent the skin of the tomatoes from burning.
The easiest way is to drape shade-cloth over the stakes when the tomatoes are in afternoon sun and then remove it the next morning so they get the morning light.
When to plant
Plant seedlings in early spring after the last frost. Plant seeds at the end of winter in a greenhouse to protect from the cold weather and maintain humidity.
Soil type
Tomatoes are heavy feeders so plant them in well-draining soil, rich with organic matter and improved with aged cow manure. I like to add 1-2 handfuls of pelleted chicken manure in the soil before planting and then again after 4 weeks.
Watering
Regular, consistent watering will keep Beefsteak tomatoes well and prevent the fruit from splitting. Check them regularly in the summer months to make sure the soil has not dried out. They may need watering every day when the weather is hot.
Mulch
Mulch Beefsteak tomatoes seedlings with straw, hay, lucerne or sugar cane mulch. Top up the mulch after 2-3 months as it breaks down. Keep the mulch depth to 2-3 inches to keep soil moisture in for longer.
Fertilizer
Beefsteak tomatoes grow best when the soil is improved first with fertilizer like aged cow manure, pelleted chicken manure and liquid fertilizer like fish emulsion. Stop adding fertilizer when the flowers form and allow the fruit to set.
If you find that you are getting lots of leaf growth and no flowers, add a natural fertilizer that is higher in potassium to stimulate flower growth.
Best way to grow
Tomatoes grow well in a container or in a garden bed supported by a strong stake or tomato cage. Rotate your tomato growing location each year to avoid diseases living in the soil and infecting your plants the next year.
Growth type
Beefsteak tomatoes are large growing plants and will grow 8 foot long stems. Train 1-2 stems up a stake and tie them up as they grow.
Companion plants
Plant Beefsteak tomatoes with chives, basil, parsley, marigolds and borage. These plants will help to keep away pests and the flowers will attract pollinating insects. This will help your tomatoes to set more fruit.
Harvesting
Harvest tomatoes when they are almost completely red. They can be picked slightly underripe, leaving the stem on and left to finish ripening in your kitchen. This can help to stop bugs chewing on your tomatoes just before they are ready to pick.
Tomatoes can also be left on the plant until they are completely red, picked and eaten straight away.
Cooking
Beefsteak tomatoes great cut up in salads, sandwiches. They also work great in sauces with the skin removed.
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I am an accredited practicing dietitian, experienced gardener and a dedicated cook. I love writing and sharing my experience so you can learn from my successes and mistakes.
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