Brandywines (pink) I grew this year

[Suze]

I didn't want to hijack Craig's thread about the history of Brandywine, but I did want to offer some comments and impressions of (pink) Brandywines or Brandywine "types" I grew this year.

Earl's Faux - I do think it's a (pink) Brandywine of some sort, but it remains one of my favorite "strains" or selections - or whatever you want to call it! The flavor is a notch above Brandywine (or BW Sud) - more complex and a touch more acid bite, at least to my tastebuds, and also it tends to be a little more early and productive in my climate than BW Sud. I've grown at least a couple of EF plants in my garden for several years now, and it remains a top 10 favorite that I wouldn't be without.

Terhune - got this one from darwinslair (Tom), who posts here occasionally, and I have little doubt it is also a (pink) Brandywine of some sort. But what a fine selection of Brandywine it is! It has that touch of extra zip or complexity that EF also has. What an awesome tomato! DTM is slightly later than EF, and on avg, fruits are a little larger. High-avg productivity for me this year. A real winner. I would encourage any EF lovers to also try Terhune.

http://www.feldoncentral.com/garden/...rhune.jpg.html

Just on taste alone, EF and Terhune are my favorites this year for med-lg fruited pinks, and both would easily make my overall top 10 list for taste in 2010 out of over 130 vars grown.

BW, Cowlicks - also a (pink PL) Brandywine of some sort. Probably didn't get the best spot in my plot, and was a notch below EF and Terhune, but still very good.

BW, Fliptx - This is an informal name for an unknown strain of BW, and is slightly superior to Sudduth (in shape [less catfacing early on], production and taste), at least in my garden. However, EF and Terhune outperformed it this year. It would still be on my top 10-15 list for this year, tho.

BW, Sudduth - didn't grow this year, because I now grow "fliptx" instead.

Digressing a bit, but Hege German Pink is comparable to the ones mentioned above, even though it isn't a Brandywine or PL. Loads of great tasting fruit from two plants, just a terrific tomato for me here in Texas.

[azgirl]

I'm going to have to plant some Brandywines of some sort. I keep reading about everyone's opinions of them and it has made me want to grow some. I THOUGHT I had purchased a Red Brandywine at the local nursery this year, but I am fairly positive that is not what I got.

So....I'll try again next year (or for fall) from seed. I will have to keep the two you mentioned in mine. Thanks for sharing your opinion of the various ones.

[maryserv]

Suze,
what special "tricks" do you employ to get the BW to set fruit? I've not had any set fruit YET this year, all other including Ch. Purple and Black Krim have. I know that it is a late season tomato. My vines are long, but the fruit isn't setting. Would love to have at least one to try this year : ) !!

Mary

[Suze]

Originally Posted by azgirl

I'm going to have to plant some Brandywines of some sort. I keep reading about everyone's opinions of them and it has made me want to grow some. I THOUGHT I had purchased a Red Brandywine at the local nursery this year, but I am fairly positive that is not what I got.

To my mind (and I'm not going to get into the histories here) comparing red, pink, and yellow Brandywines is like comparing apples and oranges as to how they actually do in the garden and how they taste.

Red Brandywine tends to be rather productive in central to south Texas if planted on time and is a darned good red.

But the flavor profile is completely different from (pink) Brandywine. I could say the same for Brandywine, OTV - which is a another red Brandywine. Productive and also usually does well in Texas.

Yellow Brandywine - I usually grow the Platfoot strain, can also do well here, and the flavor is terrific - one of the few yellow / orange I actually like. But it really needs an early start to do well in a hot climate, and can be stingy with the fruit set.

Having said all that , Earl's Faux (pink) would be a great possible for you if planted "on time" for your area, so would Red Brandywine, or BW OTV (reds) and the seeds for those are all commercially available, I believe.

The yellow BW is rather tasty like I said but just don't count on it to be too productive in AZ.

Originally Posted by maryserv

Suze,
what special "tricks" do you employ to get the BW to set fruit? I've not had any set fruit YET this year, all other including Ch. Purple and Black Krim have. I know that it is a late season tomato. My vines are long, but the fruit isn't setting. Would love to have at least one to try this year : ) !!

Mary, I plant out early to mid March with good sized transplants and protect if necessary from cold nights and harsh winds after I plant by wrapping the cages with mid weight row cover that is rated to protect down to 28F. The cover allows about 85% UV transmission and so I just leave it in place until at least Apr 10.

Also, from mid April throughout May, I walk the plants daily and shake all the cages /plants to assist with pollination as those are my peak fruit set times.

If you've got plants in that look healthy, but still have not set fruit, try shaking them daily (preferably in the morning to afternoon), and it probably wouldn't also hurt to cover them with 40-50% shade cloth to help keep them going if you want to see if you can get anything from them later on in the year.

Temperatures and humidity really aren't favorable for good set on anything but mostly cherry types right now in Texas.

[maryserv]

Suze,
Thanks! I will try!

Mary

[darwinslair]

I will try to make a good amount of Terhune seed available this year. For a slicer tomato, they really have very few seeds, with only one row of seed cavities near the outside of the plant. I only grew a couple this year as I was trialing dozens of Siberian types this year, so Suze, I hope you saved some seed too.

Tom

[azgirl]

Thanks, Suze. I will look for seeds for the Earl's Faux and maybe a true Red Brandywine or OTV for next Spring.

The so-called "red brandywine" I bought ended up being a VERY little plant, almost dwart size, and produced small (larger than cherry) red tomatoes with a tinge of orange to them. I concluded that the plant was mismarked and enjoyed it for whatever it was. Not good enough to try and save seed from, but okay.

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by maryserv

Suze,
what special "tricks" do you employ to get the BW to set fruit? I've not had any set fruit YET this year, all other including Ch. Purple and Black Krim have. I know that it is a late season tomato. My vines are long, but the fruit isn't setting. Would love to have at least one to try this year : ) !!

Mary

I see Richmond is past Sugar Land as you radiate west-south-west from Houston.

I'd be inclined to start checking temperatures on the last week of February and be shooting for a planting date of March 7-14th. And this is large established plants (8-10 inches tall) started the first week of January or last week of December.

But you must be willing to protect on those 1-3 nights each year when temperatures drop into the low 30's.

There's more great information about growing in S.E. Texas at SETTFest.com too.

[Suze]

Originally Posted by darwinslair

I will try to make a good amount of Terhune seed available this year. For a slicer tomato, they really have very few seeds, with only one row of seed cavities near the outside of the plant. I only grew a couple this year as I was trialing dozens of Siberian types this year, so Suze, I hope you saved some seed too.

Yep, I saved plenty, and will save some more here in a few days. Thanks for sharing such a great tomato with me, Tom.

[maryserv]

Originally Posted by feldon30

I see Richmond is past Sugar Land as you radiate west-south-west from Houston.

I'd be inclined to start checking temperatures on the last week of February and be shooting for a planting date of March 7-14th. And this is large established plants (8-10 inches tall) started the first week of January or last week of December.

But you must be willing to protect on those 1-3 nights each year when temperatures drop into the low 30's.

There's more great information about growing in S.E. Texas at SETTFest.com too.

Yep, you are right! I started my seeds in mid-January this year, we just had those freak low temps until the end of March. I didn't get my tomatoes in the ground until April 3 & 4 (good because we had a wind/hail storm right before then). So, everyone who got things in the ground late was fortunate.

[Sherry_AK]

Originally Posted by darwinslair

... I was trialing dozens of Siberian types this year ...

I hope maybe you can give a report on these in a separate thread when the time is right. I'd be very interested to hear the result.

Thanks,

Sherry

[darwinslair]

Originally Posted by Sherry_AK

I hope maybe you can give a report on these in a separate thread when the time is right. I'd be very interested to hear the result.

Thanks,

Sherry

I planted nearly all of them late, since they are supposed to mature, for the most part, in 65 days or less. The ones I am doing this year are all determinate. Next year will be the indeterminate ones. Have hundreds of plants in. Kinda excited to see the results.

Tom

[Gobig_or_Gohome_toms]

Tom looks like I missed out on planting the terhune seeds you gave me a couple years ago went with brandy boy, BWS, and cowlicks this year and planned on comparing them to Rose as well but had probloms with the rose seedlings, will have to make sure I get a terhune planted for next year.

Tom's neighbor Craig

[darwinslair]

we get a long season here. It is possible I may have a plant I can give you that would make it to maturity.

Let me check.

Tom

[darwinslair]

<smile> and as you know, now you have a few plants.

Tom