Big Daddy Hybrid Tomato

‘Big Daddy’ Hybrid Tomato – Seedling

• Botanical name: Solanum lycopersicum
• Tomato type: Large slicing/beefsteak tomato
• Hybrid type: F1 hybrid
• Growth habit: Indeterminate
• Approximate height: 150 cm or more with support
• Approximate spread: Up to 140 cm if not trained
• Fruit colour: Rich ruby red
• Fruit shape: Large, round to slightly flattened
• Average fruit weight: Approximately 425 g
• Texture: Firm, dense and meaty
• Flavour: Rich, traditional tomato flavour
• Days to maturity: Approximately 78 days after transplanting
• Disease resistance: Fusarium and Verticillium wilts
• Light: Full sun
• Soil: Fertile, organically enriched and well-draining
• Ideal soil pH: 5.8–6.8
• Plant spacing: 60–90 cm
• Container size: At least 40–60 litres for one plant
• Support: Strong cage, stake or trellis required
• Best planting season in Kuwait: October to February
• Uses: Fresh slicing, sandwiches, burgers, salads and sauces
• ‘Big Daddy’ Hybrid is a vigorous indeterminate tomato developed to combine large fruit, rich flavour, productivity and disease resistance. It produces impressive ruby-red slicing tomatoes averaging approximately 425 g, with firm, meaty flesh and a traditional tomato flavour.
• Unlike varieties bred solely for extreme fruit size, ‘Big Daddy’ offers a more practical balance between large tomatoes, uniform appearance and continued production. The vines keep growing and forming new flower clusters throughout the season when temperatures remain suitable.
• The large fruits are ideal for sandwiches, burgers, salads and thick tomato slices. They can also be used for sauces, although this variety is primarily valued as a fresh slicing tomato.

Disease Resistance

• ‘Big Daddy’ Hybrid is reported to have resistance to:
• F: Fusarium wilt
  V: Verticillium wilt
• Resistance reduces the risk or severity of these diseases but does not provide complete immunity. It does not indicate resistance to Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus, root-knot nematodes, early blight, late blight, whiteflies or leaf miners.

Growing in Kuwait

• Transplant outdoors from October through February. Planting between October and December provides the longest growing and harvesting period before late-spring heat interferes with tomato pollination.
• Choose a location receiving at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight. Install a strong cage, stake or trellis at planting time because the indeterminate vines and heavy fruits require reliable support.
• Plant seedlings slightly deeper than their nursery level, covering part of the lower stem to encourage additional roots. Space plants approximately 60–90 cm apart. Wider spacing is preferable if the plant will be allowed to develop several main stems.
• Keep the soil evenly moist throughout flowering and fruit development. Severe changes between dry and saturated soil can encourage fruit cracking and blossom-end rot. Apply mulch to reduce moisture fluctuations and protect the roots as temperatures rise.
• Feed initially with a balanced vegetable fertiliser. Once flowering begins, avoid excessive nitrogen and provide adequate potassium. Too much nitrogen can produce vigorous foliage with fewer flowers and delayed fruiting.
• Because the tomatoes are heavy, support individual fruit clusters when necessary. For larger fruits, train the plant to one or two main stems and limit crowded clusters to two or three well-formed tomatoes.
• Fruit set will decline when daytime temperatures remain above approximately 32–35°C and nights stay warm. ‘Big Daddy’ is not specifically classified as a heat-setting tomato and should not be promoted for Kuwait’s summer production.