View Single Post
Old October 24, 2009   #10
camochef
Tomatovillian™
 
camochef's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Posts: 707
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by barkeater View Post
Camo,

This year I don't think it would have mattered. All the large beefsteak types grew large and green and catfaced and still won't ripen. Even an earlier beefsteak type like Aunt Ginny's Purple. It's the weather here this year. Even some of the semi-determinate types that are midseason, like Momotaro and Old Brooks, are barely starting to ripen. But, at least I didn't get late blight like most nearby, so I can't really complain (but I do anyway! ;-)

BTW, Brandywine, Cowlick's Brandywine, Brandywine Sudduth, and the other pink Brandywines with made up first names are ALL the same variety. Some are strains, and some not even that in many cases.
Barkeater,
Sorry to hear that you had such a bad season. Maybe next year will be better.
I've grown every variety/ strain of Brandywine for quite a few years now. And this year many of their crosses like Dora, Gary O'sena, Rose, Earl's Faux and others. You would have a hard time convincing me that they are all the same. I plant seedlings on the same day for Cowlick's Brandywine, Brandywine-Glick's, Brandywine-Sudduth's, Brandywine-Stumps, Brandywine Pink, Black Brandywine and transplant them to larger pots at the same time, and again into the gardens at the same time and Cowlicks always produces ripe tomatoes about two-three weeks earlier than any other. They continue to out produce all other Brandywines including Red Brandywine which doesn't even come close to being in the same category. And are usually producing weeks after the others quit! If you enter in Yellow Brandywine you can increase their ripening time even longer.
Then if you cut each "strain" at the equater and simply compare, you'll see that they aren't alike at all. I've had many that say Cowlick's also have much smaller seeds than say Glick's or Sudduths, but They never complain once they've grown the tomato to maturity, as it produces nice large, tasty tomatoes, and on most years it's the first to ripen in my gardens (as it was this year) and one of the last if not the very last to still be producing when the first killing frost forces me to pull the plant.
These are just observations as I have no formal training in plant biology or anything else, I just like growing tasty tomatoes and have been growing them for a number of years now. Cowlick Brandywine is still my #1 favorite year after year, although this year it dropped to #9 as the cooler and wetter weather effected my early planted tomatoes more then they did those planted much later. Still, out of 238 tomato plants this year, 77 0r 78 varieties, #9 isnt that bad a position. You can imagine how good the other 8 that beat it were! Good Luck with yours this coming year.
camochef is offline   Reply With Quote