The 2015 Spitters List

[Anthony_Toronto]

Originally Posted by MarlynnMarcks

My spitter is the fabulous Brandywine. I grew it twice and hated the taste. It tasted spoiled. Now can someone tell me which heirlooms have a taste similar to Bradnywine so I can avoid them. Otherwise I'm afraid to try heirloloms.

Which brandywine was it? If you don't like brandywine sudduths that actually grew and ripened properly, I would question whether you like tomatoes at all!! Some of my brandwine sudduth seedlings bit the dust so I bought a brandywine ("pink" I believe, whatever they meant by that) plant from a garden centre...the plant was potato leaf and the fruits were beefsteak, but were more of an orangey red colour, definitely not pink...and definitely not good, at all.

[MarlynnMarcks]

Originally Posted by Anthony_Toronto

Which brandywine was it? If you don't like brandywine sudduths that actually grew and ripened properly, I would question whether you like tomatoes at all!! Some of my brandwine sudduth seedlings bit the dust so I bought a brandywine ("pink" I believe, whatever they meant by that) plant from a garden centre...the plant was potato leaf and the fruits were beefsteak, but were more of an orangey red colour, definitely not pink...and definitely not good, at all.

Hate to tell you but the first I grew were just labeled "Brandywine" reddish andpotato leaved. The second time I grew "Brandywine Sudduth" which were pink potato leafed and even worse. Both were from seed. So, although, I do in fact, love tomatoes and have grown them for over 60 years, I DON'T LIKE BRANDYWINE.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by MarlynnMarcks

Hate to tell you but the first I grew were just labeled "Brandywine" reddish andpotato leaved. The second time I grew "Brandywine Sudduth" which were pink potato leafed and even worse. Both were from seed. So, although, I do in fact, love tomatoes and have grown them for over 60 years, I DON'T LIKE BRANDYWINE.

I'm with you the ones I grew didn't do a thing for me like all the hoopla was about.

Worth

[MarlynnMarcks]

Originally Posted by Worth1

I'm with you the ones I grew didn't do a thing for me like all the hoopla was about.

Worth

Thanks, Worth. I was beginning to feel all alone

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by MarlynnMarcks

Thanks, Worth. I was beginning to feel all alone

Several years ago I posted here about my disappointment for the productivity and the taste.
Several folks here from the south feel just about the same way.
Sadly when you say Heirloom many people think brandywine because it is in all the write ups.
I cant think of a worse tomato for the south.
It has done more to discourage folks in Texas against heirlooms than any other tomato.

Common statement I here all of the time.
I tried to grow heirlooms this year and didn't get hardly anything.
What was it?
Brandywine.

Worth

[Anthony_Toronto]

Originally Posted by MarlynnMarcks

Hate to tell you but the first I grew were just labeled "Brandywine" reddish andpotato leaved. The second time I grew "Brandywine Sudduth" which were pink potato leafed and even worse. Both were from seed. So, although, I do in fact, love tomatoes and have grown them for over 60 years, I DON'T LIKE BRANDYWINE.

I'd give the sudduth (or similar) just one more try! For me these seem to be the most classically-flavoured 'tomato', that I have tried anyway. The reddish/orange ones on the one plant last year were worse than store bought (while my brandy sudduth's last year were good...not great...but nothing was great last year because of the weather up here). If you've only tried to grow the sudduth once I'd at least consider giving it another go!! But I'm about 1,400 miles north of you and Worth, maybe the weather in general might explain the differences, as I know that a lot of varieties that you seem to have great success with down there don't seem to perform the same up north.

[Anthony_Toronto]

Oh and production is very spotty for me on brandy sudduth also...I usually throw in an extra plant compared to other varieties, assuming that at least one plant will only give me 3 or 4 good fruits.

[TomatoDon]

I held back on Brandywine because of some of the things mentioned in this thread. One strong consideration was that many people said it didn't do good in the South. I finally tried BW Sudduth and had six in one raised bed. I don't think I have ever had a nicer looking tomato "crop" than this bed. The Sudduths out-performed everything. They were nice, big, plump slicers with excellent taste.

I built another raised bed in town and, without being conscious of it, I later realized it was similar to the BW Sudduth raised bed at the farm. Both had some shade, and neither one got that full scorching Mississippi sun in July and August. I believe that had a lot to do with it. They both had plenty of sun, but neither were out in the open with full sun all day.

If you are considering BW Sudduth, but are a little shy about trying it, plant some in a location that has some shade in the afternoon. The morning sun is not so bad, but it's that scorching mid to late afternoon sun that hurts them, in my opinion. They seem to love some relief from the summer sun. BW Sudduth's have always done well for me, even here in the sub-tropical mid-South.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by TomatoDon

I held back on Brandywine because of some of the things mentioned in this thread. One strong consideration was that many people said it didn't do good in the South. I finally tried BW Sudduth and had six in one raised bed. I don't think I have ever had a nicer looking tomato "crop" than this bed. The Sudduths out-performed everything. They were nice, big, plump slicers with excellent taste.

I built another raised bed in town and, without being conscious of it, I later realized it was similar to the BW Sudduth raised bed at the farm. Both had some shade, and neither one got that full scorching Mississippi sun in July and August. I believe that had a lot to do with it. They both had plenty of sun, but neither were out in the open with full sun all day.

If you are considering BW Sudduth, but are a little shy about trying it, plant some in a location that has some shade in the afternoon. The morning sun is not so bad, but it's that scorching mid to late afternoon sun that hurts them, in my opinion. They seem to love some relief from the summer sun. BW Sudduth's have always done well for me, even here in the sub-tropical mid-South.

That's great to know I have never tried it and I have spotty sun in places.
The only Brandywine a have grown is the real Brandywine and it was in the hot sun all day.

Worth

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Several years ago I posted here about my disappointment for the productivity and the taste.
Several folks here from the south feel just about the same way.
Sadly when you say Heirloom many people think brandywine because it is in all the write ups.
I cant think of a worse tomato for the south.
It has done more to discourage folks in Texas against heirlooms than any other tomato.

Common statement I here all of the time.
I tried to grow heirlooms this year and didn't get hardly anything.
What was it?
Brandywine.

Worth

I cannot /should not comment on taste, as it can be subjective and personal.
But production wise it has been widely agreed that BW does not do well in the south. I grew couple of them years ago in GA. It fruited few early on then shut off . But I liked the fruit size and taste, personally.Last year I grew Brandy Boy. It did better but not good enough to repeat. Now, up North people still like BW, especially the Sudduth and Cowlick strains.

Gardeneer

[Fiishergurl]

Originally Posted by Anthony_Toronto

I suspect they were underripe, not overripe. My Sunsugar have a bit of an offputting green/underripe flavour if not allowed to turn the proper colour/get a little orange. Then again if you liked yellow pear at any time, maybe it is just about the taste profile that you prefer. I've only tasted yellow pear a few times, it was pretty much the worst that I have ever grown or tasted, including store bought.

Good point.

The first year I grew tomatoes i had a Sunsugar plant. I tried them when they were under ripe but I didnt know that. They were awful. Didnt try anymore for a while and then one day picked an orange one and tasted it and it was night and day. Sweet and delicious. I had forgotten about tasting them too early.

Ginny

[Cole_Robbie]

I planted a Red Brandywine Landis Valley and a Yellow Brandywine Platfoot last summer and got nothing from either plant. I also had a Marglobe give me zero yield, and I know that is a decent variety. It just didn't produce for me.

I have one plant that was mislabeled. It was a big producer. I think it might be Brandywine Sudduth, but I'm not sure. I am just going to label it Brandywine when I sell plants of it in the spring.

The year before last, I grew several big pink tomatoes, and they all tasted the same to me - Brandywines, Marianna's Peace, Barlow Jap, Omar's Lebanese, German Giant....I think I like pink hearts better, anyway.

[Fiishergurl]

I already had these seeds but wasn't going to grow any of these this year. But because of this discussion, I'm curious if they can grow in the Impossible Garden so I'm starting some today... :-)

Ginny

[TomatoDon]

Worth,

What is the difference in a "real" Brandywine and a Sudduth?

[BigVanVader]

I agree with Cole, all pinks taste the same to me and I'm not very fond of them myself. That said I continue to try new varieties occasionally in hopes one will change my mind. My experience with Brandywine has been very negative.