Solanum lycopersicum 'Beefsteak'

RHS Plant Profile

tomato 'Beefsteak'

Other common names

tomato (beefsteak) 'Beefsteak'

Synonyms

Lycopersicon esculentum 'Beefsteak'

Fruit Edible

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A cordon (indeterminate) tomato grown as an annual either in an unheated greenhouse or outside. Clusters of yellow flowers are followed by large, ribbed, red fruit in summer and into autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1 year
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H1C

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Solanaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy, Columnar upright
Genus: Solanum can be annuals, perennials, evergreen or deciduous shrubs or twining climbers, with simple or pinnnately lobed leaves and star- or bowl-shaped, 5-lobed flowers with prominent stamens, followed by fleshy fruits
Name Status: Unresolved

How to Grow

Cultivation

Tomatoes can be started from seed indoors or in a heated greenhouse. See tomato cultivation. For help with diagnosing tomato problems see our video What's gone wrong wtih my tomatoes?

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds or sowing seeds indoors for further advice

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Conservatory and greenhouse
Edible fruit
Wall side borders

Pruning

Remove all side shoots and pinch out the growing tip when the plant has reached the top of the greenhouse or have set seven trusses indoors or four trusses outdoors

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse whitefly

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), potato blight, tomato blight, tomato leaf mould, tomato viruses, magnesium deficiency and blossom end rot. See Tomatoes: leaf problems