Beefsteak

Family: Solanaceae Nightshade

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add Beefsteak to a garden.

Sink your teeth into Beefsteak Tomato’s lush, garden-ripened juiciness—an inviting, classic tomato fragrance with a rich, balanced sweetness.

At maturity, fruits are large and meaty with a tender, satiny flesh and a bold, rosy-red interior that holds its shape beautifully. Grow Beefsteak for standout slices in fresh salads, and for thick, spoonable sauces that showcase its full-bodied flavor.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 90 DaysHabit: Indeterminate

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Beefsteak Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Apr 27th	Aug 10th	Nov 8th – Jul 15th
Zone 1b	Apr 13th	Jul 27th	Oct 25th – Aug 1st
Zone 2a	Apr 6th	Jul 20th	Oct 18th – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Oct 8th – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Oct 8th – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Mar 31st	Jul 14th	Oct 12th – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Oct 8th – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Mar 25th	Jul 8th	Oct 6th – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Mar 20th	Jul 3rd	Oct 1st – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Mar 16th	Jun 29th	Sep 27th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Mar 13th	Jun 26th	Sep 24th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Mar 7th	Jun 20th	Sep 18th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Mar 2nd	Jun 15th	Sep 13th – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Feb 20th	Jun 5th	Sep 3rd – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Feb 11th	May 27th	Aug 25th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Feb 2nd	May 18th	Aug 16th – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Jan 16th	May 1st	Jul 30th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Dec 22nd	Apr 6th	Jul 5th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	Continuous Production
Zone 10b	Continuous Production
Zone 11a	Continuous Production
Zone 11b	Continuous Production
Zone 12a	Continuous Production
Zone 12b	Continuous Production
Zone 13a	Continuous Production
Zone 13b	Continuous Production

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	90
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Indeterminate
Support Needed	Cage
Planting Depth	Deep
Germination Temp (°F)	75
Min Soil Temp (°F)	60
Min Night Temp (°F)	50
Harden Off (days)	10

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Beefsteak’s high-meat-to-gel ratio makes it a slicer: the interior stays tender but structured, so it doesn’t turn your sandwich into a puddle. When you cook it, it reduces into a thick, glossy sauce that tastes like concentrated summer rather than watery chopped tomato.

Best Uses

thick slicing for BLTs and burgers where the slice holds up and won’t slump
salads with minimal dressing so the juice stays structured around the seeds
thick, spoonable pan sauces and quick reductions where the flesh breaks down into a glossy coating

Flavor Profile

meaty, juicy flesh with a satin-like bite balanced sweetness with bright tomato acidity rosy-red, classic “tomato fragrance” on the finish

Kitchen Pairings

black pepper garlic olive oil aged cheese mozzarella balsamic vinegar

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my beefsteak tomato plants getting yellow leaves with fuzzy gray mold on stems, and what should I do?

This pattern commonly points to early blight or gray mold/leaf spot during humid weather, especially when lower leaves stay wet. Remove and discard affected leaves, increase airflow by spacing plants and pruning lower foliage, and avoid wetting leaves when watering. If it keeps spreading, apply a copper-based fungicide or an appropriate tomato fungicide labeled for blight/gray mold, following the label and starting at the first signs.

How often should I water beefsteak tomatoes during the 6–10 weeks of active fruiting?

During active fruiting, keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged—aim for about 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week, adjusted for heat and rainfall. Water deeply 1–2 times per week (more often in hot spells) so moisture reaches several inches down, and don’t let the soil dry out completely between waterings. Mulch around the plants helps prevent the soil from swinging between dry and wet, which reduces blossom-end rot and cracking.

How can I tell when beefsteak tomatoes are ready to harvest?

Pick when fruits are fully colored (deep red for most varieties), slightly soft at the blossom end, and reach full size—beefsteaks usually take about 90 days from transplant to maturity. If you see a green “shoulder” that isn’t developing color, leave it a few more days; if the fruit gives slightly to gentle pressure and smells tomato-rich, harvest now. For best flavor, avoid picking too early when the fruit is still mostly firm and green.