Bush Beefsteak, Bush Big Boy Hybrids and Glacier strains

[HoopHouseHydroGuyGA]

Anybody grown these strains? Glaciers are a Swiss heirloom strain. The others hybridized versions of Beefsteak and Big Boys that are determinate patio bred for short compact growth. I have quite a few in the hoophouse awaiting dutch bucket time this summer on the deck. Do they perform as they are designed, short and compact with heavy fruits? Gonna have a set of them along with indeterminate strains on a separate rail. Any info is appreciated.

[imafan26]

New big dwarf is a dwarf beefsteak and produces large fruit. You have to remember smaller plants will equal smaller yieds and bush varieties will only give you one good flush and then they are done but determinates won't need to be pruned. Dwarf and determinate varieties are usually under 5 feet tall with short internodes.

You can get semi-determinate varieties that don't get as tall but produce a little better on a compact plant. They still sucker but not as much as indeterminates. They are 5-6 ft tall.

Indeterminates will get very tall and wide unpruned. These are usually pruned if you want to space them closely. These will usually have the best yields, but again, pruning reduces the number of fruit but can increase the weight.

indeterminates keep on growing so unless you top them they will get 7 - 12 ft. tall.

Besides variety, you should consider taste, disease resistance and earliness. If you live in a northern climate, it would not pay to grow a long season tomato. I cannot grow Glacier because it is not heat resistant, but Celebrity os a semi determinate that grows well here because it is very disease resistant but tastes like a market tomato....actually around here it probably is the market tomato variety. Also remember as a general rule, the larger the tomato gets, the fewer fruit you will get.
The ones I liked
New big dwarf, 80 days, 2-3 ft tall. still needs a stake. Large beefsteak tomatoes.
Big beef, indeterminate, 73 days, good disease resistance
Brandy boy, 80+ days, indeterminate. Brandywine crossed with bush champion. Good flavor, but not as good as brandywine but has much better disease resistance and produces more fruit than brandywine.
Prudens Purple, 80 + days, indeterminate Brandywine type but with better disease resistance and production.

[sweetiepie]

I agree with imafan. I planted beefsteak last year in my garden and they produced poorly compared to other varieties. Yes they didn't vine out as much and their fruit was bigger but so much less produce. I am not planting them again. They probably will work great for a porch though.
I expect a lot from my plants in the garden and have almost no luck with plants in containers. So I hope you have way better luck than me.