What should I know about Brandywines?

[hoodat]

I've never tried Brandywine tomatos before. I know they have a long maturity time but I have the climate for that. I've heard they are touchy about some diseases. Anyone with experience growing them have any tips?

 

[lesa]

I will tell what I learned about them, Hoodat- they aren't worth growing in upstate NY!! I did have a few ripen, but they were not very prolific. No disease issues. I think you are in the right part of the world for them...

 

[skeeter9]

I think lesa is right, Hoodat. My brother grew some last year here in central Ca and he had an awful time with them splitting and he didn't have much of a crop. He is an experienced tomato grower, but he just couldn't get it right with Brandywines. He thought that our intense, overwhelming heat here was maybe too much for them, so your climate may be just perfect! Hope yours do well because their flavor is wonderful!

 

[hoodat]

This whole area at one time produced most of the commercial tomatos grown in the US. It's all houses now and the tomato fields are gone, along with the acres of lemon groves that also were once here; and we wonder why food is getting expensive.

 

[journey11]

I have just a long enough season for them here. They are one of my all-time favorites. I didn't have any trouble with disease on mine, no more than any other tomato I grow. I pinch the suckers and train a single vine to a stake -- boy, can you get some huge tomatoes out of them. They are a sweet tomato, great for fresh eating and make one heck of a tomato sandwich!

 

[thistlebloom]

I grew them last year and they were covered with green tomatoes, but my season ended before any ripened. They certainly produced well though.

 

[hoodat]

There's always relish and green tomato pickles, not to mention fried green maters.

 

[Northernrose]

I'm trying a Brandywine again this year. Years ago I tried them a few times and got pretty much nothing. The few tomatoes I did get had blossom rot so bad that they weren't edible. I stopped trying them

This year with a new place and new garden I'm trying one again. I put some oyster shell in the hole when planting to help with any blossom rot issues. The plant I have is growing very nicely and already has blossoms on it. I hope they continue to do good


Trisha

 

[journey11]

Some years I'll have trouble with blossom end rot and some years I won't. Then it will usually happen with just the first wave of baby tomatoes. I've never had it go on the whole season. The wet seasons are the worst. I know what causes it, but still I can't figure it out. :/

 

[vfem]

My very favorite is a brandywine, a flavor like no other. The plants are MONSTERS though, they take up MASSIVE amounts of room. Also, when I got the evil blight, the brandywine was the first to go downhill and never recovered. Very sad, but I did get several lbs of tomatoes off of it first thankfully..... mmmmmmmm.