How Tall Are Big Boy Hybrid Tomato Plants?
The Burpee Big Boy Hybrid is an "F1" or "filial 1" hybrid. F1 and filial 1 denote a type of selective breeding procedure used in plant genetics. Developed in 1949 by Dr. Oved Shifriss, a vegetable breeder at the W. Atlee Burpee & Co., the Big Boy hybrid is a beefsteak tomato plant crossed with a parental plant with favorable genes. Because the hybrid is still sold by the Burpee company, the tomato it is crossed with is a secret. Does this Spark an idea?
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Height
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According to the Burpee tomato website, Burpee's Big Boy hybrid grows 36 to 40 inches tall, or about 3 to 4 feet. While the plant is indeterminate -- a vine without a specific growing end point -- it is bushlike and a vigorous grower. The Big Boy species also is resistant to common diseases such as fusarium and verticillium wilt.
Maturity
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Like the majority of tomato plants, the Big Boy hybrid takes 78 days to reach full maturity, which is fruiting stage. After planting, the tomato plant will grow for 73 to 78 days before beginning to bud and show red juicy fruits. The plant will continue to grow taller after the 78 days.
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Sunlight
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The Big Boy hybrid can grow to its full height only if given full sunlight throughout the day. According to the AgriLife Extension at Texas A&M University, tomato plants in general need eight to 10 hours of direct sunlight each day. Without proper sunlight, the Big Boy will not grow to full maturity.
Supports
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Tomato plants need supports to grow healthily. If the Big Boy hybrid will grow 3 to 4 feet tall, or even 5 feet tall, it will droop over on the ground instead of growing bushlike if it does not have supports. Cage or stake the plant, depending on your gardening preference. With caging, fit a cage over the plant in its early growing stages. You will not need to prune or tie back the plants through harvesting seasons. Staking helps support the plant and may be a more attractive option, but pruning is necessary to trim back leaves or browning parts of the plant. According to Texas A&M University's AgriLife Extension, plants with leaves and fruit like the Big Boy hybrid, when supported off the ground, produce more crops than unsupported tomato plants.
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References
- Photo Credit tomato vine image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
