VegetableTomato
Beefsteak Determinate Tomato
Beefsteak Determinate Tomato delivers the classic tomato experience in a compact, manageable plant. Growing just 18 to 36 inches tall, this determinate variety produces substantial bright red fruits weighing up to 10 ounces, with some reaching as much as 2 pounds. In just 70 days from transplant, you'll have meaty, juicy slicers with a rich sub-acid flavor that shine on sandwiches and burgers. Hardy in zones 3 through 10, this open-pollinated cultivar thrives in full sun and resists a formidable list of tomato diseases including Fusarium Wilt, Late Blight, and Verticillium Wilt.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Growth Stats
36 in
Height
TypeDeterminate
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-10
Size
36in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
The combination of substantial fruit size and a genuinely compact plant makes this variety exceptional. You get the meatiness and flavor depth of a full-sized beefsteak tomato from a plant that fits into tight spaces, raised beds, and even greenhouses. The slightly ribbed fruits are true slicers with flesh that's both meaty and juicy, and the rich sub-acid flavor brings real character to fresh eating. For gardeners who want impressive tomatoes without sprawling vines, this hits the sweet spot.
Common Uses
These tomatoes are built for slicing and fresh eating. The meaty, juicy texture and rich sub-acid flavor make them outstanding on sandwiches and burgers, where the substantial fruit size and firm flesh hold up to toppings and condiments without collapsing. The density of the fruit also suits them to any application where you want tomato substance rather than just juice.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting mix kept at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Seedlings will emerge in 5 to 10 days.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days, then transplant outdoors after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperature reaches at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Space plants 18 inches apart in rows set 36 inches apart. Bury the stem deeper than it was in the pot; tomatoes will root along buried stem sections.
Harvesting
Harvest when fruits reach full size and turn bright red. The slightly ribbed fruits typically weigh 10 ounces or more, with some reaching up to 2 pounds. Gently twist and pull ripe tomatoes from the vine, or use pruning shears to avoid damaging the plant. Determine readiness by color and gentle firmness; fully ripe fruits will yield slightly to hand pressure. Since determinate varieties set and ripen their entire crop within a narrow window, expect a concentrated harvest period rather than continuous production throughout the season.
Pruning
Determinate tomatoes produce all their fruit in a concentrated window and do not require the aggressive pruning needed for indeterminate varieties. Remove only the lowest leaves once the plant is established and flowering to improve air circulation and reduce disease pressure.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Solanum lycopersicum
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Solanum
Growth Habit
Determinate
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)HI (I)PR (I)VI (I)CAN (W)