Beefsteak tomato characteristics

Tomato Beefsteak is a variety not of the usual form of Moscow selection. It was launched relatively recently, and entered in the official register in 2009. But even for this short period, he was able to win the hearts of many gardeners and is now grown throughout the country.

Characteristics of Beefsteak tomato

The main feature of the variety is not only an interesting fruit shape, but also high yields. From one bush you can get up to 3.5-4 kg of tomatoes per season. In order to achieve abundant fruiting you need to know about the characteristics of the variety and be able to provide it with good conditions for growing.

Characteristic

Reviews of the variety are very different from each other, since the plant is prone to late blight and gray rot. But this disadvantage is brightened by the high yield and quality of the fruit.

In order to understand how to grow this tomato variety, it is necessary to know its features and disadvantages. Beefsteak tomato description and characterization will help to figure it out.

Variety description

Beefsteak tomato belongs to mid-season varieties with a high level of yield from 1 sq.m.The period from the appearance of the first seedlings to the beginning of fruiting is 105 – 110 days. The plant is suitable for cultivation in film shelters and in the open ground. In greenhouses, the variety yields more harvest, and ripens 1 to 1.5 weeks earlier.

This variety does not apply to hybrids, so you can collect seeds from the fruits of this plant. They retain the varietal characteristics of the parent bush.

Description of the bush

The bush is indeterminate, so it grows to impressive size. The stalk is formed into 2 shoots because the tomato bears fruit as well as possible.

The stems reach a height of 1.7 – 2m. They need to be tied up, otherwise the fragile stems of the tomato simply break. The plant is a lush tall bush and needs to remove stepsons. This will prevent the development of fungal diseases due to lack of natural ventilation.

Description of the fruit

Description of the tomato variety Beefsteak indicates that the fruits of this plant are of impressive size. Mostly they weigh 260-290 gr., But there are specimens weighing up to 370 gr. The shape of the tomato is round, flattened. The fruit itself is divided into 6-8 seed chambers.

Despite the impressive size of the tomato, it has a very delicate skin. This feature in tandem with excellent taste makes the variety ideal for preparing fresh salads and stuffed dishes. But transporting tomatoes is problematic.The same goes for long-term storage. I keep my marketable appearance in the refrigerator for no more than 4-5 days.

Since the tomatoes are quite large, they cannot be completely preserved. When preparing tomato beef steaks, they prefer cooking:

• fruit drinks;
• juices;
• pastes;
• ketchups ;
• adjik, etc.

Tomato fruits are large with a delicate skin

There is also a tomato variety Big White Beefsteak. Its fruits are distinguished by an unusual appearance for this culture. Ripe tomatoes have a white color with a slight shade of pink, and in taste they are no different from their red counterpart.

Growing seedlings

In order to get a good tomato crop. You need to take care of high-quality planting material. It is not uncommon to buy young plants from the hands of amateur gardeners, you can get the wrong variety for which you were counting. And since no one wants to waste their time and effort on it is not known what, it is recommended to start growing seedlings yourself seeds. They can be purchased in specialized stores or collected independently from the best fruits of the previous crop.

Seeds are planted in a special substrate. It can be purchased at any gardening store, but it’s easier and cheaper to prepare it yourself. To do this, you will need:

1. Peat absorbs water well during irrigation, and due to this, the earthen lump remains longer moist and does not dry out. Also, the presence of peat in the substrate makes it more loose.
2. Leafy soil is soil collected under a deciduous tree. Annually falling and decaying leaves form a special composition that is useful for seedlings. You can not use the land taken under the willow, walnut and oak.
3. Well-rotted humus is the source of most of the necessary nutrients to the plant. Not completely rotted manure will destroy young shoots.

After the soil is prepared, you can proceed to the preparation of seeds. Before planting, they are soaked for several hours in warm water. Seeds that have surfaced are discarded, as there will be no sense in them.

Seedling Care

Young shoots are very sensitive and therefore require special care. For the normal development and growth of tomato seedlings, it is necessary to maintain indoor air temperature of 22-25 ° C, as well as its normal humidity. Overflow can trigger the development of fungal diseases. It is also worth paying attention to the amount of sunlight.If there is a lack of seedlings, it is necessary to illuminate the seedlings with special lamps.

Planting seedlings

When the seedlings reach the age of 55-65 days, they plant it in open ground or in a greenhouse. Before planting, it is recommended not to water the tomatoes for 1-2 days, and after transplanting, water already abundantly.

The soil on the bed should be loose and light, and also free from weeds. It is best to plant tomato seedlings at the place where cabbage, beets, carrots or peas grew last year.

Fertilizer

2 weeks after transplanting the seedlings, you can produce the first top dressing. By this time, the plant has strengthened sufficiently and restored the damaged root system.

To prepare the nutrition for tomatoes, the following components must be diluted in 10 liters of water:

• 20-25 gr. nitrogen fertilizers;
• 15 gr. potash fertilizers;
• 40-50 gr. phosphate fertilizers;

With this solution, water the bushes at the root, 600-700 ml each. Pre-tomatoes are well watered with plain water.

Watering

It is not recommended to pour water on fruits and leaves

Watering a tomato Beefsteak is necessary often, but little by little. Due to the large size of the fruit and thin skin, Beefsteak tomatoes are said to be prone to cracking. This variety cannot be filled immediately with large amounts of water.

During irrigation it is forbidden for water to fall on the leaves and fruits, as this can cause late blight. Also, do not irrigate in the sun. Evaporating moisture from the surface of the earth damages leaves and fruits, and the rhizome can even stale.

Diseases

Despite the high yield and good quality of the fruits, Beefsteak tomato has one a huge drawback is the sensitivity to many nightshade diseases. Most often, tomato blight can be seen with late blight. Black spots appear on the leaves and fruits, which quickly spread to neighboring bushes.

Due to cracking of fruits, gray rot often forms on the tomatoes. This disease is also extremely dangerous for tomatoes. No matter how high the crop yield, the majority of tomatoes simply rot on the vine.

Prevention

Any solanaceous disease is much easier to prevent than to treat it later. In order to reduce the risk it is necessary: ​​

• to remove diseased plants and fruits in a timely manner;
• not to use the affected parts of tomatoes for composting;
• to moderate seedlings and adult plants;
• not to use planting material of dubious quality;
• in autumn to burn the shoots left from tomatoes;
• to spray bushes with a solution of copper sulfate;
• observe crop rotation.

Compliance with these simple rules will help preserve the crop, as well as avoid contamination of neighboring crops. Many diseases of tomatoes cannot be treated.

Conclusion

Reviews of tomato of Beefsteak variety are excellent. Most summer residents grow it in their personal plots with great pleasure.

Despite some difficulties in caring for this variety, it is still worth planting. Thanks to the high palatability of its fruits, it perfectly complements the summer table with fresh and tasty salads.