Perfect Brandywines?

Spartanburg123 · June 28, 2015

I have been growing Pink Brandywines for a few years now, and I have always found them to be inconsistent in productivity and fruit sizes and shapes. Usually, I experience fused blossoms, some megablooms, and fruit that is pretty oblate, or boat-shaped.

This year, I am experiencing something different. I bought Brandywine (Sudduth) seeds from Baker Creek. The plant looks vigorous and typical of the strain. But the tomatoes are perfect! Not one fused blossom, and the % fruit set is also very high. Moreover, each fruit has a nipple on the blossom end. I have a few Early Girl tomatoes with the same feature.

I was wondering if anyone else has experienced the same- I will say that the upper few tiers of fruit were set in +95F temperatures. But all of the fruit have this feature.

Thanks!

David Dooley · June 28, 2015

I gave up on Brandywine in East Texas. Never got any production. Stump Of The World has the same flavor with better production.

ddsack · June 28, 2015

I guess you'll know more when your tomatoes reach full size and color up. I'm betting it's a cross of some kind. For me, Brandywine has always had the oblate flattened shapes you mentioned having in previous years. Maybe a few rounder, smaller ones might show up higher on the vines late in the season, but have never seen them that rounded and with a nipple.

Spartanburg123 · June 28, 2015

Me either, Sack! The plant looks great, leaves are typical. The blossoms have all been singles, and pretty small. No fusion whatsoever. I'll keep ya'll updated with pics as they mature. Maybe it's a cross, but a better cross!!

AlittleSalt · June 28, 2015

I have some growing ... in Texas - let's see if they are as useless as I have read.

pauldavid · June 29, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I have some growing ... in Texas - let's see if they are as useless as I have read.

Robert, this is Ferry-Morse Pink Brandywine from last year. The biggest tomato I have ever grown. Not sure of the weight because I didn't have a scale then. Only had a few on the plant though.
IMG_20150629_2922.jpg

Gardeneer · June 29, 2015

Yeah. With that nippled blossom end, it is not a brandywine, me thinks.
Probably , you might have something better than BW, that is producing.

Gardeneer.

Cole_Robbie · June 29, 2015

There's a lot of Brandywines, and a lot of big pink tomatoes that I can't tell apart from Brandywine. I have a Grightmire's Pride ripening on my kitchen counter right now. It looks just like a Brandywine.

Spartanburg123 · June 29, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Yeah. With that nippled blossom end, it is not a brandywine, me thinks.
Probably , you might have something better than BW, that is producing.

Gardeneer.

Is Baker Creek pretty reliable? I also got Dr. Wyche's Yellow seeds from them, and it's growing out as described.

So far the plant has 16 set fruit and shooting for the sky. I'll keep ya'll posted as the fruit mature.

Thanks!

Darin

Spartanburg123 · June 29, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by pauldavid

Robert, this is Ferry-Morse Pink Brandywine from last year. The biggest tomato I have ever grown. Not sure of the weight because I didn't have a scale then. Only had a few on the plant though.
Attachment 50716

This is the biggest Brandywine I've grown- from 2013. Weight = 2 lb. 10 oz.

wildcat62 · June 29, 2015

WOW that is a good one.

pauldavid · June 29, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spartanburg123

This is the biggest Brandywine I've grown- from 2013. Weight = 2 lb. 10 oz.

Wow! Thats awesome!

BigVanVader · June 29, 2015

Nice! I may try Sudduth next year. I thought the regular Brandywine was a waste of space in my garden, although it did make some great salsa. They split so often that I had to process almost all of them and there weren't many.

June 28, 2015	#3
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,223	I guess you'll know more when your tomatoes reach full size and color up. I'm betting it's a cross of some kind. For me, Brandywine has always had the oblate flattened shapes you mentioned having in previous years. Maybe a few rounder, smaller ones might show up higher on the vines late in the season, but have never seen them that rounded and with a nipple. __________________ Dee **************

June 28, 2015	#2
David Dooley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Frisco tx Posts: 43	I gave up on Brandywine in East Texas. Never got any production. Stump Of The World has the same flavor with better production.

June 28, 2015	#4
Spartanburg123 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Spartanburg, SC Posts: 1,262	Me either, Sack! The plant looks great, leaves are typical. The blossoms have all been singles, and pretty small. No fusion whatsoever. I'll keep ya'll updated with pics as they mature. Maybe it's a cross, but a better cross!!

June 28, 2015	#5
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I have some growing ... in Texas - let's see if they are as useless as I have read.

June 29, 2015	#7
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,915	Yeah. With that nippled blossom end, it is not a brandywine, me thinks. Probably , you might have something better than BW, that is producing. Gardeneer.

June 29, 2015	#8
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	There's a lot of Brandywines, and a lot of big pink tomatoes that I can't tell apart from Brandywine. I have a Grightmire's Pride ripening on my kitchen counter right now. It looks just like a Brandywine.

June 29, 2015	#11
wildcat62 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: Zone 6 Northern Kentucky Posts: 1,094	WOW that is a good one.

June 29, 2015	#13
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Nice! I may try Sudduth next year. I thought the regular Brandywine was a waste of space in my garden, although it did make some great salsa. They split so often that I had to process almost all of them and there weren't many.