Highlights from an interesting gardening season - Page 2

Yak54 · August 9, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by nctomatoman

Dan, as far as the Brandywines - they all have the same origin - just three different "branches". I received Brandywine from Roger Wentling (it is he who got it from Ben Quisenberry) of the SSE in 1987 (vial 29, long gone).

This year I grew out three that had #29 as its origin - 11-49, 11-60 and 11-61.

11-49 came from 01-25, which came from 98-9, which came from 94-2, which came from 88-9 - first year I grew it - which came from 29. So the 11-49 is 4 grow outs removed from the original seed.

11-60 is from 01-5, which is from 97-27, which is from 93-58, which is from 88-9, which is from 29 - so 11-60 is also 4 grow outs removed.

11-61 is from 01-11, from 02-67 - interestingly, a plant with tomato spotted wilt (it didn't carry through), from 95-100, from 91-51, from 90-16, from 88-9 - so this one is 6 grow outs removed.

In all three cases, the results were the same this year - large pink oblate smooth fruit on a potato leaf plant with superb flavor - among my best of the year.

Craig--Thanks for your response. What I'm most interested in is what type of productivity are you getting with these Brandywine plants. Approx. how many fruits do you get per plant ?

Dan

**nctomatoman** · August 9, 2016

Since this is not a "yield" year approach - they are in about 2.5 gallons of mix in a grow bag! - I am getting approx 5-8 good sized fruit per plant - they live on and continue to set. I am totally pleased with this...I've not had yield issues with Brandywine, like some do.

Yak54 · August 9, 2016

Thanks Craig.

SharonRossy · August 9, 2016

Craig, your report exhausts me. I have no idea how you do what you do or how you keep it all straight. Amazing.
Just wanted to say that I grew Cherokee Green last year and saved the seed. It's a monster this year. I cannot believe how many fruit it is producing. I'm still waiting for it to ripen and hopefully not destroyed by the squirrels. We've had a weird summer here in Montreal - cold spring followed by a very humid and hot summer. So I'm just getting ripe tomatoes. I did find that CG was quite Amber in color and more pinkish on the inside than green. So I'll be happy to report what it does this year.

**nctomatoman** · August 9, 2016

Thanks, Sharon - to tell the truth, the whole year has been a blur (actually, that described the last year and a half!) - somehow it all gets done...seemed like not much was happening then all of a sudden I have seeds saved from more than 140 tomatoes. I guess some years are just like that.

Be sure to get those Cherokee Greens before they go over ripe! The year I discovered it I wasn't expecting a green when ripe from Cherokee chocolate - so some fruit rotted and dropped off the plant before I wised up!

WilburMartin · August 9, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by nctomatoman

Since this is not a "yield" year approach - they are in about 2.5 gallons of mix in a grow bag! - I am getting approx 5-8 good sized fruit per plant - they live on and continue to set. I am totally pleased with this...I've not had yield issues with Brandywine, like some do.

I have seen Pink Brandywine sort of referred to as difficult, low-yeilding plants, which made me a bit nervous initially, as I am container-growing, and couldn't really afford to sacrifice production for taste, necessarily.

HOWEVER, the two Pink Brandywine I have at the fruit-set stage went from 2 green knots Saturday to 14 between the two today. I guess the weather broke just the the right time.

Of course, now I am super excited and want them to ripen by the weekend!

SharonRossy · August 10, 2016

Hi Craig, yes I learned that the hard way. But I'll check on them tomorrow to see. I'll take your advice and give a little squeeze. But like I said, there isn' t a color break yet, but I'm anxious to taste it again.

gorbelly · August 12, 2016

Always good to hear what you're up to, Craig. I tried Dwarf tomatoes for the first time this year in containers, including Dwarf Mr. Snow from the Dwarf Tomato Project. However, my container game is a bit sub-par, and the container plants have kind of been my red-headed stepchildren this year. They're looking pretty sad right now and haven't been super productive, although they did survive. I plan to give Dwarf Mr. Snow and at least one other of the Project varieties a proper go next year. Maybe in-ground with my eggplants moved to containers. I should be getting a taste of my first Dwarf Mr. Snow any day now, judging by ripening.

I'm having an interesting experience with my Cherokee Purple and an unexpected growth/fruiting habit. Here is my thread. Would love to get your insight if you have a chance. I'm trying to figure out whether my seed is wrong or many Internet descriptions of its growth and production are wrong.

August 9, 2016	#17
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Since this is not a "yield" year approach - they are in about 2.5 gallons of mix in a grow bag! - I am getting approx 5-8 good sized fruit per plant - they live on and continue to set. I am totally pleased with this...I've not had yield issues with Brandywine, like some do. __________________ Craig

August 9, 2016	#20
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Thanks, Sharon - to tell the truth, the whole year has been a blur (actually, that described the last year and a half!) - somehow it all gets done...seemed like not much was happening then all of a sudden I have seeds saved from more than 140 tomatoes. I guess some years are just like that. Be sure to get those Cherokee Greens before they go over ripe! The year I discovered it I wasn't expecting a green when ripe from Cherokee chocolate - so some fruit rotted and dropped off the plant before I wised up! __________________ Craig

August 9, 2016	#18
Yak54 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Madison, OH, zone 6 Posts: 474	Thanks Craig.

August 9, 2016	#19
SharonRossy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,140	Craig, your report exhausts me. I have no idea how you do what you do or how you keep it all straight. Amazing. Just wanted to say that I grew Cherokee Green last year and saved the seed. It's a monster this year. I cannot believe how many fruit it is producing. I'm still waiting for it to ripen and hopefully not destroyed by the squirrels. We've had a weird summer here in Montreal - cold spring followed by a very humid and hot summer. So I'm just getting ripe tomatoes. I did find that CG was quite Amber in color and more pinkish on the inside than green. So I'll be happy to report what it does this year.

August 10, 2016	#22
SharonRossy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,140	Hi Craig, yes I learned that the hard way. But I'll check on them tomorrow to see. I'll take your advice and give a little squeeze. But like I said, there isn' t a color break yet, but I'm anxious to taste it again.

August 12, 2016	#23
gorbelly Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania Posts: 1,069	Always good to hear what you're up to, Craig. I tried Dwarf tomatoes for the first time this year in containers, including Dwarf Mr. Snow from the Dwarf Tomato Project. However, my container game is a bit sub-par, and the container plants have kind of been my red-headed stepchildren this year. They're looking pretty sad right now and haven't been super productive, although they did survive. I plan to give Dwarf Mr. Snow and at least one other of the Project varieties a proper go next year. Maybe in-ground with my eggplants moved to containers. I should be getting a taste of my first Dwarf Mr. Snow any day now, judging by ripening. I'm having an interesting experience with my Cherokee Purple and an unexpected growth/fruiting habit. Here is my thread. Would love to get your insight if you have a chance. I'm trying to figure out whether my seed is wrong or many Internet descriptions of its growth and production are wrong.