About
Giant red fruits (which have been mentioned as reaching a weight of 3kg in the Guinness Book of Records), are meaty, sweet and juicy with few seeds. A huge cordon beefsteak tomato to around 200cm in height, with green leaves. One slice is enough to fill a sandwich with room to spare. Also great for grilling, sauces and for stuffing. Grow indoors or outdoors.
About the 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
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH1C
Plant details
Plant typeAnnual Biennial, Fruit Edible
HabitBushy, Climbing
FoliageDeciduous
Height1.5-2.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height1 year
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants
Care notes
CultivationStart from seed or buy as small plants and grow on in a heated greenhouse or on a warm windowsill. Move to an unheated greenhouse or outside once all risk of frost has passed. Water regularly to keep the growing media evenly moist, feed every 10-14 days with a balanced liquid fertiliser before switching to a high potassium liquid feed once the first fruits have set. Provide support for cordon tomatoes. See tomato cultivation. For help with diagnosing tomato problems see our video What's gone wrong with my tomatoes?
PruningRemove 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
PropagationPropagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds or sowing seeds indoors for further advice
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to glasshouse whitefly and tomato moth
Disease resistanceMay 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