Solanum lycopersicum ‘Beefsteak’ (Tomato)

Solanum lycopersicum ‘Beefsteak’ – Beefsteak Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum ‘Beefsteak’ is a classic open-pollinated tomato grown for exceptionally large, meaty red fruits with broad slices, abundant flesh, and rich fresh-tomato flavor. The vigorous indeterminate vines produce large, often ribbed fruits commonly weighing 1-2 lb. (450-900 g), making this an old-fashioned favorite for sandwiches, burgers, tomato plates, salads, and summer slicing.

There is an important naming complication. “Beefsteak tomato” is also a broad horticultural description for large, fleshy slicing tomatoes, so Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, Cherokee Purple, and many modern hybrids may all be described as beefsteak tomatoes without being the cultivar ‘Beefsteak’. Gardenia treats this page as the named open-pollinated cultivar ‘Beefsteak’, not as a profile of every beefsteak-type tomato.

Quick Facts – ‘Beefsteak’ Tomato

• Planting: Plant after frost danger has passed and the soil has warmed; space about 24-36 in. (60-90 cm) apart.
• Water: Maintain reasonably even moisture while large fruits are developing.
• Feeding: Use balanced fertility and avoid excessive nitrogen.
• Support: Use a sturdy cage, stake, trellis, or string system capable of carrying heavy fruit.
• Pruning: Match pruning to the support system and available space rather than automatically removing every sucker.
• Mulching: Mulch after the soil warms to conserve moisture and reduce soil splash.
• Best use: Choose ‘Beefsteak’ for very large, meaty tomatoes intended primarily for fresh slicing.

1 What Makes ‘Beefsteak’ Tomato Special?

‘Beefsteak’ is grown for size and slicing quality. Cornell describes the named cultivar as an indeterminate main-season tomato producing ribbed fruits weighing approximately 1-2 lb. each.

Those large fruits contain broad sections of fleshy interior, producing the substantial slices that made beefsteak tomatoes synonymous with summer sandwiches, burgers, and tomato plates.

The fruits can be less uniform than modern commercial slicing hybrids. Ribbing, flattened shoulders, asymmetry, and very large irregular fruits may occur, especially when cool conditions interfere with flower development.

2 ‘Beefsteak’ Cultivar vs. Beefsteak Tomato Type

This distinction is essential when researching or buying Beefsteak tomatoes.

‘Beefsteak’ can identify a particular open-pollinated cultivar producing very large red, often ribbed fruit.

Beefsteak tomato, however, is also a descriptive category for large, fleshy slicing tomatoes. Many unrelated cultivars fall into that category, including red, pink, purple, yellow, orange, striped, open-pollinated, heirloom, and hybrid varieties.

A Brandywine can therefore be a beefsteak-type tomato without being the cultivar ‘Beefsteak’. The same is true of Mortgage Lifter, Cherokee Purple, Supersteak, and many other large-fruited tomatoes.

3 History and the Beefsteak Naming Problem

‘Beefsteak’ is widely sold as an old open-pollinated or heirloom tomato, but its historical identity is less straightforward than its familiar name suggests.

Some modern seed catalogs treat ‘Beefsteak’ as synonymous with names such as Red Ponderosa or Crimson Cushion. Other cultivar databases maintain those names as separate entries. The result is a genuine naming conflict rather than a simple list of universally accepted synonyms.

The term “beefsteak” also has a much broader history as a description for exceptionally large, fleshy tomatoes. Historical cultivars such as Ponderosa helped establish the large-fruited style, but that does not prove that every cultivar later sold as Beefsteak shares exactly the same pedigree.

For Gardenia, the safest identity for this page is therefore the modern documented cultivar profile: an open-pollinated, indeterminate, main-season tomato producing very large red ribbed fruits. Historical synonym claims should remain attached to the specific seed source making them.

4 Growth Habit, Height, and Support

‘Beefsteak’ is an indeterminate tomato. Its stems continue growing, flowering, and producing fruit through the season rather than terminating after one concentrated crop.

Published mature-height information for seed sold specifically as ‘Beefsteak’ is limited and varies by source. Burpee currently lists its Beefsteak line at about 42 in. (107 cm), but an indeterminate tomato can extend farther depending on growing conditions, support, pruning, fertility, and season length.

Do not use height data from ‘Classic Beefsteak’, another beefsteak-type cultivar, or a generic beefsteak tomato to define the height of ‘Beefsteak’. Plan instead for an indeterminate vine and provide substantial support.

The vines also need support capable of carrying unusually heavy fruit. A structure adequate for a cherry tomato may bend or collapse beneath several 1-2 lb. Beefsteak tomatoes.

For more on tomato growth habit, see Gardenia’s Determinate vs. Indeterminate Tomatoes. For pruning guidance, see How and When to Prune Tomatoes.

5 How to Grow ‘Beefsteak’

Sun

Grow ‘Beefsteak’ in full sun, with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight and preferably 8 or more for strong growth, flowering, and fruit development.

Soil

Plant in fertile, organically rich, moist but well-drained soil. Clay, loam, or sandy soil can work when fertility and drainage are suitable. Aim for a slightly acidic to neutral soil pH around 6.0-6.8.

Spacing

Allow about 24-36 inches (60-90 cm) between supported plants. Give multi-stem vines and large cages additional room where possible.

Water

Maintain reasonably even root-zone moisture. Very large fruits require a substantial and consistent water supply, and abrupt changes between dry and saturated soil can encourage cracking.

Feeding

Use balanced fertility rather than pushing excessive leafy growth with high nitrogen. Large fruit requires healthy roots, foliage, and balanced nutrition, not simply more fertilizer.

For complete tomato care, see Gardenia’s Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) profile.

6 Catfacing, Cracking, and Irregular Fruit

Large beefsteak tomatoes are more likely than small-fruited cultivars to show irregularities such as deep ribbing, cracking, or catfacing.

Catfacing produces puckered, scarred, or malformed tissue around the blossom end. Cool temperatures while flowers are developing are an important trigger, and large-fruited beefsteak-type tomatoes can be especially susceptible.

Cracking often develops when rapidly expanding fruit receives a sudden influx of water after a drier period. Maintaining more even soil moisture can reduce the risk, although outdoor weather cannot always be controlled.

7 Disease Resistance and Common Problems

Do not assume a standardized modern disease-resistance package for every open-pollinated tomato sold as ‘Beefsteak’. Cornell’s cultivar record identifies the growth habit, fruit size, and maturity but does not assign a resistance package to the named cultivar.

Individual commercial seed lines may advertise particular resistance traits, but those claims should remain attached to that maintained seed source unless the underlying cultivar identity has been verified.

Plants may encounter early blight, late blight, Septoria leaf spot, blossom-end rot, cracking, and pests such as tomato hornworms.

If symptoms are unclear, use Gardenia’s Tomato Problems: What Is Wrong With My Plant?. For infectious diseases, see Tomato Diseases: Identification, Treatment & Prevention.

8 Harvesting ‘Beefsteak’

‘Beefsteak’ is a main-season tomato. Cornell lists the named cultivar at approximately 80-96 days from transplanting, although individual maintained seed lines may use narrower maturity estimates.

For peak fresh-eating quality, harvest when the fruit has developed its mature red color and has begun to soften slightly without becoming mushy.

Because a single tomato can weigh 1-2 lb., check large fruits frequently as they approach maturity. Heavy ripe fruit may crack, drop, or place considerable strain on stems and support structures.

9 Growing ‘Beefsteak’ in Containers

‘Beefsteak’ can be grown in a container, but it is not an ideal small-space tomato. The combination of an indeterminate vine, substantial root system, and exceptionally heavy fruit requires generous soil volume and strong support.

Use a container of at least about 10 gallons, with 15-20 gallons providing a more forgiving root zone for a vigorous plant. Install sturdy support at planting rather than trying to add it after large fruit begins developing.

Container plants require especially close attention to watering because limited soil volume can shift rapidly from moist to dry during summer heat.

10 Companion Plants for ‘Beefsteak’

Choose companions that share full sun and compatible soil conditions without competing heavily with the large tomato canopy and root system.

• Basil (Ocimum basilicum) shares similar sun and moisture requirements and fits naturally into an edible tomato bed.

• French Marigold (Tagetes patula) thrives in full sun and can flower along the edge of the tomato bed.

• Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) can trail around bed edges rather than competing for vertical canopy space.

• Garlic (Allium sativum) can occupy garden space before the tomato reaches full summer size.

For more ideas based on compatible growing conditions and practical garden functions rather than folklore, see Gardenia’s Companion Plants for Tomatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions