Beefsteak tomatoes are TOO small

16 years ago

I have four pink beefsteaks which have been doing very well for me. They were the first to flower, set fruit, etc and I have ALOT from them. But I notice my first ripe tomatoes, but they are the size of large grapes...What gives?

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Comments (4)

garygnu
16 years ago
I asked that question yesterday, my brother has the same exact problem, 2 plants, zillions of tiny pink maters.
No solid answer so far.
digdirt2
16 years ago
My first guess would be that these were mis-labeled plants - and that is the most likely. But the very first fruit isn't really a valid indicator of later fruit size. I can't find anything specific on a variety called "Pink Beefsteak" but many varieties exist with that as part of its name. Any chance there is more to the name?

Dave
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Territorial Seed Company (with lots of information for the Northwest) has some discussion in their catalog about "heat units" required to ripen certain varieties of tomatoes. Their on-line catalog (like the print catalog) also divides many varieties of tomatoes by the time it takes to ripen them, from "Ultra-early" to "Main Season". And it notes some varieties which maintain flavor in cool fall weather. Of the commonly available beefsteak-type varieties (Lowe's, etc.) Big Beef might work out better for you. It's a little earlier than standard Beefsteak. There are even some heirlooms which are earlier than "Beefsteak". Here is a link that might be useful: Territorial Seed tomatoes
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Last year in the heat, wind and drought all of the fruits on my plants were smaller. When the weather changed and got cooler and it started raining the tomatoes got bigger. I've read where others have experienced that. Some claim the stress put on plants by the conditions causes that. I know mine had plenty of water. Just my experience. Jay
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Tomatoes are shallow rooted apparently. Are you mulching? I have a 7" deep raised bed sitting on concrete...I planted my big tomato plants in it and staked with bamboo. My Aunt gertie's gold grew a good size but only had a few tomatoes and so did my cherries with about 100 per plant...gianormous cherries which are normally average in my backyard soil. I planted 9 indeterminates plants in a 4 x 4 space in the raised bed.....no place for the roots to grow except 7" down. Tomato sizes came out like the tomatoes you buy at the grocery store still on the vine. I used backyard soil, compost, and peat moss in the beds. Didn't fertilize except at seedlings stage. Watered every day to every other day. I didn't mulch...but I had the peat moss. Wasn't a great result but I definitely believe that its the health of the plant that really matters...and a calcium source with a good slow release like Tomato Tone. I am a vegetarian so I don't fertilize with feather meal or bone meal etc...but it is a cheap and easy way to grow tomatoes.
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looks good, but if you plan on maturing that plant there it's going to need a LOT more light and lower light on the sides, as a result, also prepare for more heat generated (even cfls generate a bit of heat in an enclosed area). it will likely out grow that area in a matter of a month.. so start planing on moving to a new area unless you plan on pruning heavily to keep it compact. i would lower the lights to no more than around 8-10 inches above the top of the plant, lights are too high to start off, otherwise they will get leggy.. tomatoes in hydroponic grow extremely fast.. unbelievable fast - under the right conditions they can grow about 1 inch per day. i would add some fertilizer to the water because they grow so rapidly that in a matter of days you'll have the first set of leaves.. start with about 200ppm of fertilizer, work up from there and once it starts flowering increase to max of about 900ppm (you can go higher, but depends how mature the plant is). good luck!
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timmy1
16 years ago
Could be wrong label. Another little known fact is the better a tomato is pollinated, the bigger the fruit. Each grain of pollen that attaches to the stigma becomes a seed. More seeds, more meat, gel, and weight.
jbann23
16 years ago
As far as I know the tomato plant requires a lot of sunlight. If you don't have at least a good six hours then the plant doesn't produce it's maximum yield. That may be the problem. Everybody else is right in that the plant isn't what you think it is. I've encountered that problem when I bought plants from big box stores instead of a nursery. They don't even keep them watered most of the time. Best of luck.

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Beefsteak tomatoes are TOO small

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garygnu

digdirt2

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timmy1

jbann23

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