Cowlick's Pink Brandywine is for Real

[camochef]

Originally Posted by pete

Getting my beds composted for some cowlicks next year, I can't wait!!!
Hope for some better weather than this year. Camo, you are well respected to have so many welcome your posts!!

Pete,
I hope you do well this coming season with cowlick's, even though they dropped out of their usual #1 position this year, they are still my all time favorite tomato. (shows you how good some of the others are though).
As far as all the welcomes, They are just too kind and probably trying to make an old man feel better! Thanks All!
Camo

[KLorentz]

Hey Camo,

Many of us on the other forum missed you a lot and when we saw you posting here I think everyone who knows ya where very happy to see ya posting here. Your advice and knowledge on tomatoes is very helpful. Not to mention your kindness is refreshing in this day and age. Enjoy the accolades you deserve it.


Kevin

[camochef]

Originally Posted by KLorentz

Hey Camo,

Many of us on the other forum missed you a lot and when we saw you posting here I think everyone who knows ya where very happy to see ya posting here. Your advice and knowledge on tomatoes is very helpful. Not to mention your kindness is refreshing in this day and age. Enjoy the accolades you deserve it.


Kevin

Kev,
Thank you! You're much too kind. I'm glad you find my contributions useful. Thanks once again.
Camo

[b54red]

Do you think the Cowlicks would stand a decent chance of growing in the hot and humid conditions we have here in south Al? I've never been able to grow any Brandywine here unless you count Brandy Boy.
They are the main reason I was reluctant to grow heirlooms for so long. In the past I tried growing different types of Brandywines with disastrous results; but would love to try again if anyone has had any luck in this area.

[camochef]

B54red,
I've had reports from Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, and Florida where Cowlick's have been grown with some success. They dont produce as well it seems as they do up here, but they do get somewhat of a crop.
I have a close friend in Kansas that has had trouble growing Brandywines for years, due to the heat and the winds, he has now had some success with Cowlick's.
I'd say if you have the room and the time, give them a try, if not stick with those that have been successful for you. It seems that hot and humid climates are very hard on many tomatoes but even moreso with Brandywines as they have a larger blossom which requires a little extra attention. I started shaking my brandywines quite a few years ago, about twice a day, and increased production significantly.
This is achieved rather easily when they are grown in sturdy cages or on fences, almost impossible if left to sprawl. Depends on your methods of growing. I wish you lots of good luck if you decide to try them.
Perhaps others that have grown them down south will chime in with some suggestions.
Happy Gardening,
Camo

[b54red]

Thanks Camo. What seed seller carries Cowlicks? I usually order most of my tomato seeds from TGS but they don't carry it. I have yet to find it so I thought I would ask you since you seem familiar with this particular tomato. Appreciate the help. Bill

[KLorentz]

Hi Bill,

I aint Camo but I am pretty sure it is only available through the garden community. I am sure Camo will correct me if I am wrong since he discovered it from a nursery in his area. The plants he got where just marked Brandywine. I am sure the story of how he found it is here on Tville. Lots of folks are growing it thanks to Camo so you should be able to find it through the kind folks of this forum. After 2010 I should be able to help out folks needing this flavorful tomato. Had some health issues this year so I was not able to bag anything.


Kevin

[amideutch]

b54red, if you can't find any local shoot me a PM and I will send you some. Ami

[camochef]

Originally Posted by b54red

Thanks Camo. What seed seller carries Cowlicks? I usually order most of my tomato seeds from TGS but they don't carry it. I have yet to find it so I thought I would ask you since you seem familiar with this particular tomato. Appreciate the help. Bill

b54red,
As far as I know, no seed seller carries Cowlicks, and I hope it stays that way. I began distributing them 3-4 years ago after discovering a Brandywine plant from a local nursury, that just out produced every other brandywine I had. I called it Cowlick's Brandywine as that was the name of the nursury where the plant came from.
The plant itself was larger and more productive than all the others, producing larger tomatoes, with a superior taste and texture. It also produced them earlier than any of the others and continued to produce them much longer than the others till a killing frost finally did it in on the 31st of Oct of that year. Since then I went on a mission to grow as many Brandywines as I could find from many different sources. None compared! either in production or taste and texture. Glicks Brandywine came closest, in taste... but nowhere near it in production. Sudduths (from seven different sources) was even further behind as were plain Pink Brandywines.
Throughout this period I kept sending Cowlick seeds to friends and fellow tomato growers asking them to give them a try and see what they thought of them. The reports back were impressive and it's fame spread by word of mouth and soon there were many requesting the seed! I filled as many requests as possible. I soon had to request SASE's as I couldn't afford the postage and envelopes to send so many seeds.
Last year, thousands of seed requests were filled. Not just in this country but throughout the world. many in areas where I felt sure they wouldn't stand a chance of growing still wanted to try so I sent seed anyway. (such as the Phillipines). Still many were successful! They've done extremely well in many areas, and although this was a terrible year here in the northeast, with temperatures being much cooler and it being much wetter than I can recall, many were still pleased with both taste and production. Personally, I thought its taste dropped off a little for me this year with other tomatoes doing better in taste but nothing did better in production.
Unfortunately, I was overwhelmed with everything getting ripe at the same time in August this year and I didn't get to save near as much seed as I would have liked. I have previous commitments that I have to fill first and I've already been besieged with still more requests than I think I can fill. Therefore, if you can secure seed elsewhere please do, if not...PM me in the future and I'll send you my address and you can submit a SASE in the hopes that I'll have some seed left after filling other commitments. I feel bad but this was a terrible year and I had so many requests from last year alone that I ran out of seeds and have to fill first. Hoping you much luck!
Camo

[FILMNET]

My beds are ready now, black compost, sand and lime in beautiful dirt never used before for growing.

[KLorentz]

Originally Posted by camochef

b54red,


Last year, thousands of seed requests were filled. Not just in this country but throughout the world. many in areas where I felt sure they wouldn't stand a chance of growing still wanted to try so I sent seed anyway. (such as the Phillipines). Still many were successful! They've done extremely well in many areas, and although this was a terrible year here in the northeast, with temperatures being much cooler and it being much wetter than I can recall, many were still pleased with both taste and production. Personally, I thought its taste dropped off a little for me this year with other tomatoes doing better in taste but nothing did better in production.
Unfortunately, I was overwhelmed with everything getting ripe at the same time in August this year and I didn't get to save near as much seed as I would have liked. I have previous commitments that I have to fill first and I've already been besieged with still more requests than I think I can fill. Therefore, if you can secure seed elsewhere please do, if not...PM me in the future and I'll send you my address and you can submit a SASE in the hopes that I'll have some seed left after filling other commitments. I feel bad but this was a terrible year and I had so many requests from last year alone that I ran out of seeds and have to fill first. Hoping you much luck!
Camo

Well Camo if nature is kinder to me next year I should have seeds to send out in 2011 and give you some help . I also have some others you have grown. So maybe we can compare notes next year. I am hoping to have 25 varieties next season so it should be interesting.


Kevin

[camochef]

Originally Posted by KLorentz

Well Camo if nature is kinder to me next year I should have seeds to send out in 2011 and give you some help . I also have some others you have grown. So maybe we can compare notes next year. I am hoping to have 25 varieties next season so it should be interesting.


Kevin

Kev,
Thanks for volunteering. I know others are helping out too. I just heard from a few that are already sending out seeds for Cowlicks and a few others. I hope you can handle the increase for next year. I'm going the other way, after years of planting 230 to 260 plants each year, I'm cutting way back next year, maybe 10-20 plants. planting lots of alliums and peppers instead, maybe beans. I want to go fishing next year, tired of buying a license and never getting to go! Then too, I say something similar every year.
Camo

[KLorentz]

Yes I remember a similar post last year on Idig. Kinda like a New Years resolution for a lot of people ain't it Camo?


Kevin

[geeboss]

Cameo

I only got to go bass fishing in April and I only had 28 plants. I must be wimping out on making such a fuss while they are still small seedlings. Maybe I can get a trailer and put my SWC (Self Watering Container) on It and take them with me when I go fishing.

George

[camochef]

Originally Posted by KLorentz

Yes I remember a similar post last year on Idig. Kinda like a New Years resolution for a lot of people ain't it Camo?


Kevin

Kev,
It certainly seems that way every year, doesn't it.
I'm gonna try to stick to it this year!
Camo