No. 040 · hybrid
Better Boy
Better Boy is an indeterminate hybrid beefsteak with red fruit. It ripens in about 75 days.
Flavor
Described in catalogs as classic tomato flavor with a balance of acid and sugar, meaty and well suited to slicing. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.
Origin
An F1 hybrid developed by breeder John Peto, a cross between the Teddy Jones heirloom and an undisclosed red variety, marketed as an improved version of Big Boy.
What it does well
- Broad VFN disease resistance to Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, and nematodes
- Heavy yields of large beefsteak fruit on vigorous vines
- One of the most popular and reliable home garden hybrids in the US
Where it frustrates
- An F1 hybrid, so seed cannot be saved true
- Indeterminate vines grow tall and need sturdy staking or caging
Growing it
- Indeterminate vine. It keeps growing and setting fruit right up to frost, so plan on a tall stake or cage and regular pruning through the season.
- Mid-season timing, ripening around 70 to 80 days from transplant.
- Generally forgiving and beginner-friendly to grow.
- One of our picks for the cold, short-season gardens of New England.
Disease resistance
Broad VFN resistance to Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, and nematodes, per catalog description.
Why no hardiness zone?
Tomatoes are warm-season annuals, so variety choice comes down to days to maturity and your local frost dates.
Like Better Boy, but...
Sold out, or after a change? The closest alternatives, and how they differ.
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Where to buy seed
Related reading
Common questions
- Is Better Boy determinate or indeterminate?
- Better Boy is an indeterminate variety. Indeterminate vine. It keeps growing and setting fruit right up to frost, so plan on a tall stake or cage and regular pruning through the season.
- How long does Better Boy take to ripen?
- Better Boy ripens in about 75 days from transplant. Mid-season timing, ripening around 70 to 80 days from transplant.
- Is Better Boy an heirloom or a hybrid?
- Better Boy is a hybrid (F1), so seed saved from it will not come back true to the parent and is best bought fresh each year.
- What can I grow instead of Better Boy?
- A close swap is Big Beef, but Big Beef adds nematode and broader disease resistance.
Sources
- Better Boy VFN Hybrid Tomato · Tomato Growers Supply Company
- Better Boy Tomato · Bonnie Plants
- Better Boy · Wikipedia
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