Topic: brandywine tomatoes

[greenscrump]

Does anyone know if this is bush or vine ??

cheers

[Biscombe]

I know there are a few varieties of brandwine about but most I've read about are cordon/vine

[greenscrump]

thanks Biscombe  :) Did a quick search and mine are the vine type

[cleo]

Yep they are cordons.

[Tora]

Brandywine Sudduths strain I grew last year was cordon but not very tall. :)

[greenscrump]

did you pinch out the sideshoots Tora ?  I haven't with my early sown few and the biggest one, which is quite short, is looking really healthy and has 5 lots of flowers....

[Tora]

No I didn't. My plants did rather well and had big fruits. Unfortunately woodlice (very hungry bunch) ate most of them before I did!

[greenscrump]

I'll leave the first few then and maybe pinch out some of the later sowing to see the difference  :)

[Jeannine]

I grow several types of Brandwine,most are late season beefsteak types,they are indeterminate which have large fruits that can grow to over a pound easily. There is one,the Landis Valley strain which is also an indeterminate but the plant is a little smaller and the fruit more round and smooth,these fruits only get to 1/2 pound and it is a mid season fruiter. All the others have grown very large for me, fruit and plant alike. XX Jeannine

[greenscrump]

didn't realise there were different types of brandywine toms :-[ , catalogue says that it is a large thin skinned tom upto 450g, so sound like the larger type but the largest plant seems quite short to me - perhaps becauase i didn't pinch out ?? Will wait and see what harvest brings  :)

[Jeannine]

The original Brandywine was pink and potato leaved,there are several strains.

Brandywine(that is it's name) pink,tall,potato leaf,1-11/2 pounds.Late season,beefsteak.Irregular shape, green shoulders.1885 Amish heirloom.

Brandywine Red.( it's correct name) comes potato leaf and regular leaf as two types of seed.1 pound.Ribbed shoulders,not usually with the green.

Brandywine Sudduths Strain,considered the best by many growers,1-2 pounds,pink.Ribbed shoulders without the green.

Brandywine OTV(off the vine) a cross between Yellow Brandywine and an unknown red,potato leafed yield is better than Brandywine,likes warm weather.Ribbed shoulders,red  with some slight greening ,1 pound.

Brandywine Red(Landis Valley strain) regular tomato leaf, more smooth fruits than the others, High yields 1/2 pound. Significantly earlier than all the others.

Yellow Brandywine Potato leaf 12 to 24 ounces, fruit size is variable.Slightly ribbed shape,not as much as the reds.

Yellow Brandwine(Platfoot Strain) Better yield than Yellow Brandywine,and even smoother shape.Potato Leaf.1-2pounds.Little earlier than the other yellow.

I grow all of the above


There is also a heart shaped one ,a plum and a black,but are not widely accepted as Brandywines.

I don't grow these as I grow Oxhearts ,other plums and several varieties of blacks.

XX Jeannine

[greenscrump]

blimey Jeannine you do know your onions - I mean tomatoes !! ;D the variety I'm growing are (according to the catalogue) potato leaved, pink and dating back to 1800's.  not sure what the 'green shoulders' means ?? I'll maybe try the Brandywine Sidduths next year   :)

[Jeannine]

Picture your red/pink tomatoes and on the top,the nearest bit to the branch it is growing off, the top and to some degree down the sides are refferred to as the shoulders,then picture that part looking unripe.

[cleo]

Just on Brandywine-I am not growing yellows this year(no space) but I have found they are at their best just the wrong side of fully ripe-when really ripe they taste a bit `flabby`?

[Jeannine]

Cleo, I agree with that, I do think the Paltfoot has a better taste though. I am jsu using up my others and will switch the yellows to Platfoot totally when they are gone. XX Jeannine