I also grew Big Mama this year. First time last year and well impressed. My first fruit set had some blossom end rot due to my irregular watering, my other tomatoes also had the same problem. Once I sorted out my watering regime the rot stopped. I can only grow tomatoes in the greenhouse because of blight outside. I have been well surprised with the flavour of Big Mama, I have in the past been disappointed with beefsteaks, there are fewer fruits per plant but again, that is normal with beefsteak varieties. I grow mine as cordons to get the bigger fruit, I believe some growers thin the fruit to one tomato per truss to get the large size but I do not bother to do that as I do not mind a few smaller ones.
I was given a couple of plants of beefsteak tomatoes this year … despite virtually being neglected after planting in the veg patch they have out performed any similar type of tomato I’ve ever grown and the texture and flavour has been very good indeed.
Sadly the chap who gave them to me cannot remember what variety they are so I’m saving one tomato for seeds 🤞
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Sorry to hear of your troubles. Double flowers are normal for beefsteak tomatoes. As far as I can tell it is an indeterminate variety, so removing side shoots is correct. I don't know why yours seems to be growing more like a determinate (bush) variety. Were the seeds from a reputable supplier?
I was just going to post a query about tomato plants and this seems to refer to this. I watched a video about life on a canal barge where a man had a tub of tomatoes on the roof. They just unsupported and spilled over the side of the tub. This may well have been this determinate variety referred to above.
We are always give tomato plants (indeterminate) by a neigbour and these are the type that need a frame of canes. Would it be possible to grow these as determinate varieties - I was thinking of tubs on a hard surface.
At about 750 feet on the western edge of The Pennines. Clay soil.
I grew 3 tomatoes outside this year as well as in my G/house - Rose de Berne an indeterminate variety. My dog was chasing something furry down the garden and ran straight through one leaving just a 2ft stump.....bless her!! it was about a 5ft plant. I left it to see what would happen. It got to about a 6ft+ wide sprawl (when I had to cut it back) and about 2ft high at most. Loads of flowers and it now has some decent fruits forming, but still very green atm. But I'd imagine if kept in bounds with plenty of pruning I would have had ripe fruits from it by now. I gave it no care at all. The 2 survivors done extremely well (grown as cordons) and have produced as many if not more than the R de B I have in the greenhouse. I didn't feed them and rarely watered them even after weeks of no rain and they done really well, and still are (apart from slug attacks here and there)
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I am going to have a go at dehydrating a couple of my Big Mamas today, just out of curiosity, along with some apple slices. I assume the tomatoes will need rehydrating in water the same as dried mushrooms. The dried apple slices I eat as a snack.
I was given a couple of plants of beefsteak tomatoes this year … despite virtually being neglected after planting in the veg patch they have out performed any similar type of tomato I’ve ever grown and the texture and flavour has been very good indeed.
Sadly the chap who gave them to me cannot remember what variety they are so I’m saving one tomato for seeds 🤞
If the variety is an F1 hybrid, the seedlings will not come true to the parent plant so be prepared for some surprises
Posts
I have been well surprised with the flavour of Big Mama, I have in the past been disappointed with beefsteaks, there are fewer fruits per plant but again, that is normal with beefsteak varieties. I grow mine as cordons to get the bigger fruit, I believe some growers thin the fruit to one tomato per truss to get the large size but I do not bother to do that as I do not mind a few smaller ones.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
My dog was chasing something furry down the garden and ran straight through one leaving just a 2ft stump.....bless her!! it was about a 5ft plant.
I left it to see what would happen.
It got to about a 6ft+ wide sprawl (when I had to cut it back) and about 2ft high at most.
Loads of flowers and it now has some decent fruits forming, but still very green atm.
But I'd imagine if kept in bounds with plenty of pruning I would have had ripe fruits from it by now. I gave it no care at all.
The 2 survivors done extremely well (grown as cordons) and have produced as many if not more than the R de B I have in the greenhouse.
I didn't feed them and rarely watered them even after weeks of no rain and they done really well, and still are (apart from slug attacks here and there)
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.