Tomato Plant Profile: The 'Brandywine's Red & Suddath's Strain' Heirloom Tomatoes - TRG 2011

Tips, Tricks

1. True Red Brandywine tomato plants do not have potato leaves. The imposter red has very little taste. In fact, the true Brandywine is the red, Landis Valley, regular leaved plant. The Sudduth is pink and potato-leaved and what many people call the real Brandywine. Here is a quote on Amy Goldman, one of the prominent authorities on heirloom tomatoes
   
   In another tomato story, Amy managed to unearth new information about a famous variety. “There’s a lot of misinformation about the original Brandywine tomato,” she said. “Sudduth’s Brandywine, also known as Brandywine, is a delicious pink beefsteak type, and it grows on a plant that has potato leaves. Most people believe it to be the original Brandywine. I went back to the seed catalogues to learn more. The original Brandywine—today known as the Red Brandywine—is red-fruited and grows on plants with regular leaves. It was introduced by Johnson and Stokes in 1889.
   “The pink one that many people know and love is a family heirloom saved by the Sudduth family of Tennessee. As good as the pink one is, the red one is perfection: high acid, high sugar, savory, mouth filling, juicy, beautiful.”
2. Grew Brandywines and Cherokee purples this year as I saw many reviews talk about their great taste.  I have to say I was very disappointed, both had very little taste.  Bought organic seeds from Burpee, is it possible I got wrong seeds? the purples looked the same but I am suspect of the Brandywines. I also grew sweet cherry tomatoes and camparis and those had an amazing taste to them.
3. Thank you for your great videos.
   I am in central Texas and my brandywine is growing slowly and no flowers. I do fertilize regularly. the Cherokee purple is doing great but not the brandy wise what could be wrong? 
4. HelloHello
   
       Very good videos you have, this year I'm planning on growing a tomato called beef boy but I was wondering how big would actually get particular variety of tomato. I just subscribed. Keep up the good work
5. Why would my pink Brandywines still be green? I'm in Michigan. Even when I pick a few and put in the window sill, they will not turn red.
6. I am growing a "Yellow Brandywine". The seeds were given to me by a subscriber. BEST yellow tomato i have find in the large beefsteak tradition. As of today it is still growing and producing large fruits. Other tomatoes mostly died out. It ranges in fruit color from orangy yellow to more yellow. 
7. Here in the UK Beefsteak type of tomatoes are never really planted , probably due to smaller yield obtained compared to the atypical salad tomatoes or cherry tomatoes *i.e 4 trusses of beefsteak type via 7 trusses of salad type). In the end you properly end up with the same amount of fruit. Have you ever grown a yellow type tomato?
8. Just pick them. If the plants were root bound it messes up their timing. Any fruit set when they were bound or just after tends to be smaller. New fruit should gain size.
9. I saved a coupe brandywine tomato plants from the nursery cause they were rootbound. I transfered them in a bigger pot and they are looking great.. But they are producing tomatoes but on one plant has little tomatoes and they are turning red before they get big.. is that normal? Should I pick them once they are fully red or leave them. Do they ripen before they get a nice beefstake size.. I'm dumb founded.. Help 
10. Thanks for taking the time to watch. Please pass them on if you have spare time. The 'Brandywines' taste great too. If you saw the baking soda spray video... I would recommend that. It helps battle future fungi. Hopefully your in an area where blight and spot disease arent an issue.
11. This is my first year gardening and I enthusiastically went to a plant nursery and purchased tomato plants and one of them happened to be a Brandywine, I had no idea what I was getting myself into until I saw this video. Wow, I cant believe that it will get so big. I hope that I have enough space in my garden for it. Thanks Gary for your video, i watch them everyday, they have been a great help to a novice like myself.
12. I will but I sort of make random soil recipes. A soil test might help you. I dig out a planting hole for my tomatoes and use like 50% peat moss, handful of lime, tablespoon of fertilizer and the other 50% is just bagged premium topsoil or something similar.
13. Gardening is a worldwide affair. Outstanding!
14. I'm growing the suddith variety here in Uganda! The plants are about 6-7 weeks old now, looking foward to a great tasting tomato :-)
15. I saw German Queens. I thought about getting some seeds. What zone are you in?
16. on the seed exchange there are listed over 14 varieties of "brandywine" last I saw. I'ts skeptical if some are even actually related to brandywine. I know Bonnie sells a pink potato leaf version , but no one knows it's heritage either. suddith strain has a good known heritage, Red potato leaf was thought to be the original , until research a few years ago.. you can find the original red reg leaf online from several sources..I figure , if it's good that's all that matters in the end.
17. Hmm I heard that the Brandywines have a lot of mixing. Do you think all seed packs selling the Red Brandywine are regular leaf. I found a lot of confusion over what is red, pink, suddath and no one seems to keep track of it. I didn't know that. Thanks
18. Nice !,btw.. the original red brandywine is a regular leaf
19. Thanks for share this VDO, I will try to grow this kind of tomatoes.