Trying Brandywine... trying once again. Which strain?

[jhp]

I had given up on Brandywine as a big giant plant that was stingy on the fruit. But still I can't forget how great the taste was. I also read a few posts about others having good luck with it. I've only grown Sudduth's strain and some anonymous brandywine from a nursery.

Now I have someone asking me to start some Brandywine seedlings (for them to grow) this year and I am wondering what strain I should try this time.

Please post your best brandywine. Thanks!

Jen

[Bama mater]

I think "Cowlicks Brandywine" is a very productive Brandywine.

[mecktom]

Brandywine OTV is a good one. I like all of them.

[jennifer28]

I second the "cowlicks brandywine" opinion. I am also growing sudduth this year.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by mecktom

Brandywine OTV is a good one. I like all of them.

That's not really a strain of Brandywine. It was the result of a natural cross in Craig Lehoullier's garden with Yellow Brandwine and???? and when he sent seeds of YB to someone they sent back a picture and seeds of a lovely large PL red. I had more space at the time than Craig so I grew it out, making selections at each F generation and went out to the F5 before it was stable.

Although not a strain, it does set fruits much better than what are called pure Brandywine ( pink)strains.

I've grown lots of different Brandywines and when I do grow one again it will be my fave which is Brandywine ( Sudduth/Quisenberry).

I've had seeds for Cowlicks for a couple of years but haven't grown it. And have seen varying reports on that one as well, which is no surprise for any variety.

Ray sent me some seeds for Croation Brandywine but I can't find them. Please don't tell Ray that. And that one didn't originate in Croatia anyway.

Jen, are you interested just in the various pink Brandwine ones or are the red and yellow ones on your radar as well.? And I didn't mention any so called black ones for a good reason.

[Gobig_or_Gohome_toms]

Sudduth/Quisenberry, Cowlicks, Terhune, and Ed's Millenium have all been good for me here all fairly productive and tasty have not grown them all in the same year to compare taste but I liked them all even if they are not all that productive I will have at least one of these growing every year.

My Ed's Millenium seeds are maybe 3 or 4 years old now will have to get them growing again for fresh seeds in the next few years. As a fairly newbie 5 or 6 years growing I will now have to think about making sure I have fresh seeds of some of the early varities I saved seeds from but I keep them in canning jars so I suspect I have at least 5-8 years to still get at least 50% germination for enough plants for fresh seeds.

Craig

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Gobig_or_Gohome_toms

Sudduth/Quisenberry, Cowlicks, Terhune, and Ed's Millenium have all been good for me here all fairly productive and tasty have not grown them all in the same year to compare taste but I liked them all even if they are not all that productive I will have at least one of these growing every year.

My Ed's Millenium seeds are maybe 3 or 4 years old now will have to get them growing again for fresh seeds in the next few years. As a fairly newbie 5 or 6 years growing I will now have to think about making sure I have fresh seeds of some of the early varities I saved seeds from but I keep them in canning jars so I suspect I have at least 5-8 years to still get at least 50% germination for enough plants for fresh seeds.

Craig

Craig, Tom K, darwinslair, was never able to contact the woman who owned the house that she left in whose garden in the back he found the plants/fruits and named the variety Terhune after the folks who were looking at the house to buy. So no way to know what those plants were.

There's lots of large fruited pink PL's, and Earl's Faux is another one that could or could not be Brandywine.

I just hope no one mentions Liam's Brandywine here, b'c it isn't a Brandywine.

My fave of the so called Brandywine strains is Brandywine (Pawers), but for an amusing reason.

It was listed by Roger Wentling of PA and his SSE code name is then PA WE R, got it? An intial typo at SSE that has lived on and on and is not a strain.

Actually I've discussed here before that I think should recognize two kinds of strains. There are some Brandywines that have a name attached and they aren't strains, rather, the person growing it jsut attached his or her name to it.

A strain is one that differs lightly from the original and having grown all the ones I have I do think that the Sudduth one is a true strain b'c for many it produces better, is much smoother and has an outstanding taste to some, as compared to the original, and who the heck even knows for sure what the original is, to be honest about it.

Some say Brandywine has a unique taste, and I'd agree but for me there are others that have a unique taste as well, and one is the variety Prue.

[Willie Wharfer]

I have yet to grow Prue. I hear that it varies in shapes produced? Sounds like a good tomato from what I have heard. I think I will be adding this to my grow list soon...

This year I am growing Cowlick's, Sudduth, and Yellow Brandywine. I also believe that I have a natural cross between Pink Brandywine and Pink Oxheart that I will be growing again this year. The heart shape has just shown up in this last year of 2011...

Thanks,

Jason

[amideutch]

Terhune is not Brandywine as discussed in previous threads. For me, Cowlicks is the best of the bunch. Ami

[darwinslair]

Originally Posted by amideutch

Terhune is not Brandywine as discussed in previous threads. Ami

<smile> but it is soooo good.

Tom

[Iva]

I've tried growing a few Brandywines: Pink, Yellow, Sudduth's,...
They just don't grow that well in my climate. For a rough climate that Brandywines don't like, grow Cowlick's, that one did extremely well here. The fruits are a bit smaller, but the taste is there. And let's not forget that it is both early and productive!

[paprika]

Another vote for Cowlick's (either PL or Bama's RL) as it has been the most productive of the brandywines for me and has very good flavor. The year I grew one in the 15 gallon container it only gave me 23 ripe fruit, but 3 years worth in the garden each plant has provided 37, 51, and 43 ripe fruit picked avering 11oz-18oz, largest so far was 39 oz.

TimothyT

[barkeater]

The best for me has been the "Walmart Gardens" strain of Brandywine.

I bought the packet in 2004 and for 8 years straight it has beat the "competition": Sudduth, Cowlick's, etc., for yield, appearance, and earliness. I also bagged and saved seeds in 2006 so I'm good to go when this packet runs out this year.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Willie Wharfer

I have yet to grow Prue. I hear that it varies in shapes produced? Sounds like a good tomato from what I have heard. I think I will be adding this to my grow list soon...

This year I am growing Cowlick's, Sudduth, and Yellow Brandywine. I also believe that I have a natural cross between Pink Brandywine and Pink Oxheart that I will be growing again this year. The heart shape has just shown up in this last year of 2011...

Thanks,

Jason

Welcome Jason, or did I miss seeing your intro post in Town Hall?

Anyway, I know from whence you cometh and who you are, and I thought the following link might be of interest to you since a Brandywine Heart is out there but good luck on that natural cross.

http://www.vintageveggies.com/inform...randywine.html

A couple of years ago someone sent me seeds for an Orange Minsk heart and I never thought it would come true, but it did, and I would have listed in this year's seed offer but didn't have enough seeds.

[jhp]

To answer Carolyn's question, I am interested in a pink, preferably PL Brandywine. As I mentioned, I've grown Sudduth's strain and I only got a few fruit. Some were eaten by squirrels, so I think we only got to eat ONE! Maybe there were a couple more. I remember tasting it for the first time standing at the kitchen counter after I just picked it. I had saved it from the squirrels by wrapping it while on the vine in bird netting tied at the branch. That was one heck of a tomato. The best one I had ever eaten at that point.

So, does anyone have some cowlick's seeds? I can send SASE.

Thanks for everyone's input so far. I'd love to hear more, if anyone wants to chime in.

Jen