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Google
Brandywine-specific question
+27
countrynaturals
Roseinarosecity
FamilyGardening
plantoid
camprn
Turan
walshevak
littlesapphire
CarolynPhillips
Triciasgarden
CharlesB
floyd1440
Nonna.PapaVino
Belle87ad
CapeCoddess
Squat_Johnson
greatgranny
cheyannarach
Coelli
BetsyC
yolos
boffer
gwennifer
RoOsTeR
GWN
Pollinator
llama momma
31 posters
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Re: Brandywine-specific question
RoseinarosecityRoseinarosecity wrote:Dear Gardeners,
... A woman in the Q&A section of Rosalind Creasy's talk asked why her Brandywine tomato plant did not produce tomatoes. Ms. Creasy answered that the Brandywine tomato originated in Ohio and...humidity helps ...and Floyd states, different regions having different results with the same tomatoes...
Thank you for that information!
I can confirm the summer humidity levels here in central Ohio are high and uncomfortable. That helps explain the decent Brandywine production. Cause I know I'm not a gifted gardener.
First time growing 1880's Amish Paste Brandywine did pretty well, even though it dropped blossoms. Now I understand the reason- insufficient pollination of all 8 ovaries.
llama momma
Certified SFG Instructor- Posts : 4914
Join date : 2010-08-20
Location : Central Ohio zone 6a
Re: Brandywine-specific question
Wow! what a great discussion, and all the helpful information.
Rose, like you, Brandywine has been largely a bust for me here in St. Helens, OR, but for flavor and decent fruit set, Black Sea Man has been great. Not as big a fruit set as Early Girl, but sooo much more flavor. If you'd like to try it, send me a P.M. and I'll mail you some of the seed I just received from Tomatofest. Nonna
Rose, like you, Brandywine has been largely a bust for me here in St. Helens, OR, but for flavor and decent fruit set, Black Sea Man has been great. Not as big a fruit set as Early Girl, but sooo much more flavor. If you'd like to try it, send me a P.M. and I'll mail you some of the seed I just received from Tomatofest. Nonna
Nonna.PapaVino- Posts : 1435
Join date : 2011-02-07
Location : In hills west of St. Helens, OR
Re: Brandywine-specific question
I am gardening in Brooks, GA. With very high high humidity in the middle of the summer. Although I had high humidity I still had no flower set because of the high temperatures (I assume). So humidity by itself does not help fruit set. I basically had no Brandywine in July and August on my one plant. Since August (after the temperatures moderated), I have picked 6 Brandywine. So maybe the answer is high humidity and moderate temperatures.
yolos- Posts : 4139
Join date : 2011-11-20
Age : 74
Location : Brooks, Ga Zone 7B/8A
Re: Brandywine-specific question
yolos wrote:I am gardening in Brooks, GA. With very high high humidity in the middle of the summer. Although I had high humidity I still had no flower set because of the high temperatures (I assume). So humidity by itself does not help fruit set. I basically had no Brandywine in July and August on my one plant. Since August (after the temperatures moderated), I have picked 6 Brandywine. So maybe the answer is high humidity and moderate temperatures.
I think you are correct. Even though the area I live in had some very uncomfortable heat this summer there was high humidity. For me the fact that my toms got some shade in the afternoon was a factor that made for a very productive yield.
Just finished picking the rest of my 2 Brandywine plants. Frost nipped them a bit last night - even though there was none in the forecast. The toms themselves were not harmed so I picked the rest today.
I have now harvested a total of 54 tomatoes and a total of 39 pounds. I would say that is amazing since I know that many have not had that success. Wondering if my variety also contributed to that. I purchased two plants from a local nursery. Maybe they are wise enough to only sell what is compatible for this area. I guess I will have to ask them.
greatgranny- Posts : 661
Join date : 2012-05-25
Location : Central Minnesota - Zone 4
Re: Brandywine-specific question
greatgranny, please share the information you glean from the nursery. We keep hearing how delicious a Brandywine is, and we try to grow them without much success. Perhaps it is the varietal. In the meantime: WOW, 39 pounds from two plants! Totally impressive, I'm here to tell 'ya. Nonna
Nonna.PapaVino- Posts : 1435
Join date : 2011-02-07
Location : In hills west of St. Helens, OR
Re: Brandywine-specific question
yolos wrote:The following is the best web site I have ever seen when wanting information on specific varieties of vegetables. I was searching for information on various broccoli varieties and stumbled upon reviews for Brandywine. In the upper left you can type in any variety of vegetable and usually get results. Below the map are the reviews by different growers. Check it out.
http://vegvariety.cce.cornell.edu/main/detail.php?variety_id=1671
Based on the reviews for Brandywine, I think I will try the Brandywine - pink Suddath (Quisenberry strain) sold at Johnny's (or so the reviewer said). Apparently heat is a problem with fruit set. I will try to start as early as I can in the spring using row covers. One thing that many of the reviews said was Brandwine are slow to mature. But I picked my first Brandywine at the same time I picked my first Early Girl. Go figure.
Nice link.... I got my Brandywines from Johnny's I had problems with them setting when it got very hot but when it cooled down several set on each plant but probably will not turn; but I like green toms anyway. Bottomline they are not as prolific as other tomatoes so may plant less of the pink Brandys next year but hopefully it will not be so hot next summer and I will have better results........
floyd1440- Posts : 815
Join date : 2011-06-21
Age : 70
Location : Washington, Pa. Zone 6a
Re: Brandywine-specific question
Nonna.PapaVino wrote:greatgranny, please share the information you glean from the nursery. We keep hearing how delicious a Brandywine is, and we try to grow them without much success. Perhaps it is the varietal. In the meantime: WOW, 39 pounds from two plants! Totally impressive, I'm here to tell 'ya. Nonna
As soon as I can reach them I will ask them. Both of the owners are very well versed in organic gardening, etc.
greatgranny- Posts : 661
Join date : 2012-05-25
Location : Central Minnesota - Zone 4
Re: Brandywine-specific question
WOW! What a great thread, and this link is awesome!yolos wrote:The following is the best web site I have ever seen when wanting information on specific varieties of vegetables. I was searching for information on various broccoli varieties and stumbled upon reviews for Brandywine. In the upper left you can type in any variety of vegetable and usually get results. Below the map are the reviews by different growers. Check it out.
http://vegvariety.cce.cornell.edu/main/detail.php?variety_id=1671
Re: Brandywine-specific question
OMG! Baker Creek just sent me Cherokee Purple seeds as my free gift. I will plant some, today -- even though it's pretty late. I'll move them inside for the winter.Roseinarosecity wrote:Dear Gardeners,
I want to share some info I learned yesterday from author and gardener Rosalind Creasy about Brandywine tomatoes. She held a seminar on Heirloom Gardening here in Huntington Beach, California. A woman in the Q&A section of Rosalind Creasy's talk asked why her Brandywine tomato plant did not produce tomatoes. Ms. Creasy answered that the Brandywine tomato originated in Ohio and requires perfect pollination or the flower will drop. Brandywine has 8 ovaries, if they don't all get pollinated it aborts. She mentioned that humidity helps with the pollination. She suggested Southern Californian grow Cherokee Purple, better suited for our dryer weather.
Re: Brandywine-specific question
Okay, here's my one plant, grown from seed in a Jiffy Pellet, planted July 21,2019. It's now in a 2-gal. container on my balcony. Nobody here mentioned yellow brandywine, but here it is.
In hindsight, I should have planted it earlier, but who knew back then that we'd be finished with triple-digits this early?
In hindsight, I should have planted it earlier, but who knew back then that we'd be finished with triple-digits this early?
Re: Brandywine-specific question
Score!countrynaturals wrote:. . . OMG! Baker Creek just sent me Cherokee Purple seeds as my free gift. I will plant some, today -- even though it's pretty late. I'll move them inside for the winter.
Re: Brandywine-specific question
Countrynaturals, I wish you great success with your Brandywine!
I had a new experience with the Brandywine tomato this year. It can in a six-pack of a variety of heirloom tomatoes that included a Rutger, which was the only tomato I wanted in the six varieties. I still planted all of them and was quite surprised to have a good number of Brandywine tomatoes! It wasn't prolific, but it was so, so delicious. It had very few seeds, a good center core and sweet, but not cherry tomato-sweet. I know we are going through a climate change; this summer was not as hot as the previous last two. We had a record 33 inches of rain this past rain season, so all the soils were deeply moist when I planted my Brandywine in spring.
Knowing now more than 2012, I think this Brandywine tomato was possibly grown closer to my California temperature than Ohio's. I didn't keep the grower's info. I did keep the last two largest, ripest tomatoes for seeds. I'm going to plant each year for as long as I can and I am hoping this Brandywine will be suited for my environment after 7 years. Seven years is what I learned will be the amount of time the plant will need to adapt to its environment. Well, I'm hoping.
Seeds fermenting:
I had a new experience with the Brandywine tomato this year. It can in a six-pack of a variety of heirloom tomatoes that included a Rutger, which was the only tomato I wanted in the six varieties. I still planted all of them and was quite surprised to have a good number of Brandywine tomatoes! It wasn't prolific, but it was so, so delicious. It had very few seeds, a good center core and sweet, but not cherry tomato-sweet. I know we are going through a climate change; this summer was not as hot as the previous last two. We had a record 33 inches of rain this past rain season, so all the soils were deeply moist when I planted my Brandywine in spring.
Knowing now more than 2012, I think this Brandywine tomato was possibly grown closer to my California temperature than Ohio's. I didn't keep the grower's info. I did keep the last two largest, ripest tomatoes for seeds. I'm going to plant each year for as long as I can and I am hoping this Brandywine will be suited for my environment after 7 years. Seven years is what I learned will be the amount of time the plant will need to adapt to its environment. Well, I'm hoping.
Seeds fermenting:
Roseinarosecity- Posts : 315
Join date : 2011-08-14
Location : 10a - San Gabriel Valley - Pasadena, California
Re: Brandywine-specific question
Thanks, Rose. Was yours in the ground or in a container? I'm a little concerned about mine because I can only give it a 5-gallon pot for the winter. Fingers crossed that will be big enough.
Re: Brandywine-specific question
countrynaturals wrote:Thanks, Rose. Was yours in the ground or in a container? I'm a little concerned about mine because I can only give it a 5-gallon pot for the winter. Fingers crossed that will be big enough.
It was in a raised bed facing east/west on a 5-foot trellis and by early September it was over 5 feet. I trimmed some side shoots to keep it within the trellis. It got filtered shade after 4 PM due to some trees. I saved the full sun for my Cherokee Purple tomato, which is another delicious tomato.
I think your five gallon container is enough.
R
Roseinarosecity- Posts : 315
Join date : 2011-08-14
Location : 10a - San Gabriel Valley - Pasadena, California
Re: Brandywine-specific question
I will definitely try Cherokee Purple next year. I hope you're right about the container, cuz that's all I can do. Fingers crossed.Roseinarosecity wrote:countrynaturals wrote:Thanks, Rose. Was yours in the ground or in a container? I'm a little concerned about mine because I can only give it a 5-gallon pot for the winter. Fingers crossed that will be big enough.
It was in a raised bed facing east/west on a 5-foot trellis and by early September it was over 5 feet. I trimmed some side shoots to keep it within the trellis. It got filtered shade after 4 PM due to some trees. I saved the full sun for my Cherokee Purple tomato, which is another delicious tomato.
I think your five gallon container is enough.
R
Re: Brandywine-specific question
My Brandywine is now about 4' tall, with 2 little blossoms. Hubby and I transplanted it into a 5 gal. bucket and it seems happy. It's also living inside, in front of a south-facing slider and seems okay with the amount of light it's getting. It's about 100 days old, and I'm satisfied with its progress, considering the fact that our days are roughly 30% shorter than they were in July. I gave it a nice dose of liquid bone meal when we put it into its bigger bucket. Fingers crossed that after 3 years of trying, this could be the one!
Re: Brandywine-specific question
Seems like brandywines are thirstier than other tomatoes. I almost lost this one twice, when it dried out too much. I blamed it on the container being too small or my forgetfulness, but now I don't think so. It wants a quart of water every day, now that it's getting so big. That's more than any of my other tomato plants are getting -- even the ones in the peak of production.
Re: Brandywine-specific question
countrynaturals wrote:Seems like brandywines are thirstier than other tomatoes. I almost lost this one twice, when it dried out too much. I blamed it on the container being too small or my forgetfulness, but now I don't think so. It wants a quart of water every day, now that it's getting so big. That's more than any of my other tomato plants are getting -- even the ones in the peak of production.
All of my tomatoes, which grew to over 8' tall this year, seemed to require a lot of water. I had to modify the drip irrigation in the tomato bed to run the lines around each plant so the roots got more water than the bed would normally get. I normally just have the tubing run the length of the bed, but for the tomatoes I had to extend the tubing and circle each plant and then run to the next plant. Of course, having the severe drought we had this summer caused a little more watering than usual, too.
"In short, the soil food web feeds everything you eat and helps keep your favorite planet from getting too hot. Be nice to it." ~ Diane Miessler, "Grow Your Soil"
Re: Brandywine-specific question
I read somewhere that less water means better tomatoes. That makes it a real challenge.OhioGardener wrote:countrynaturals wrote:Seems like brandywines are thirstier than other tomatoes. I almost lost this one twice, when it dried out too much. I blamed it on the container being too small or my forgetfulness, but now I don't think so. It wants a quart of water every day, now that it's getting so big. That's more than any of my other tomato plants are getting -- even the ones in the peak of production.
All of my tomatoes, which grew to over 8' tall this year, seemed to require a lot of water. I had to modify the drip irrigation in the tomato bed to run the lines around each plant so the roots got more water than the bed would normally get. I normally just have the tubing run the length of the bed, but for the tomatoes I had to extend the tubing and circle each plant and then run to the next plant. Of course, having the severe drought we had this summer caused a little more watering than usual, too.
Re: Brandywine-specific question
I have a theory about Brandywines being less productive. My blossoms are all in a cluster. That works for cherry tomatoes, but there's no way 4 1-pounders could survive in one little bunch on the same stem. That means at least half of them won't survive. If they only produce on the main stem -- which is what it's looking like so far -- that would explain the low output. If all I'm gonna get is 2 tomatoes, I don't care how good they are, it won't be worth the effort.
Re: Brandywine-specific question
countrynaturals wrote:I have a theory about Brandywines being less productive. My blossoms are all in a cluster. That works for cherry tomatoes, but there's no way 4 1-pounders could survive in one little bunch on the same stem. That means at least half of them won't survive. If they only produce on the main stem -- which is what it's looking like so far -- that would explain the low output. If all I'm gonna get is 2 tomatoes, I don't care how good they are, it won't be worth the effort.
Excellent observation. Maybe you could remove two flowers before they open, leaving two flowers to produce a tomato.
Are you trimming your potted Brandywine? I see a broken leaf in your picture.
R
Roseinarosecity- Posts : 315
Join date : 2011-08-14
Location : 10a - San Gabriel Valley - Pasadena, California
Re: Brandywine-specific question
countrynaturals wrote:I have a theory about Brandywines being less productive. My blossoms are all in a cluster. That works for cherry tomatoes, but there's no way 4 1-pounders could survive in one little bunch on the same stem. That means at least half of them won't survive. If they only produce on the main stem -- which is what it's looking like so far -- that would explain the low output. If all I'm gonna get is 2 tomatoes, I don't care how good they are, it won't be worth the effort.
That theory didn't seem to hold for my Brandywine tomatoes. They grew in big clusters, all ripened, and were absolutely delicious. I did hand pollinate them, though, to ensure all were pollinated.
"In short, the soil food web feeds everything you eat and helps keep your favorite planet from getting too hot. Be nice to it." ~ Diane Miessler, "Grow Your Soil"
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