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Old February 4, 2017   #1
e.thad
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Default Choosing Beefsteak Varieties

I'm growing two beefsteak plants this season because that's all I really need. One very sweet but with some uniqueness to it's taste, and the other with a complex taste that has sweetness but not as it's overriding feature. For the sweet/unique, it's between KBX and Orange Jazz. For the balanced/complex I'm considering Lucky Cross or Brandywine.

Being that Brandywine is a parent of Lucky Cross, I'm assuming there are some similarities in taste. But just how similar are they? And because Lucky Cross is a bi-color and I know bi-colors are usually sweet, I'm also wondering if it has the right taste profile to be considered as sweet/unique and compete with KBX and Orange Jazz? If Lucky Cross does indeed qualify as sweet/unique, would it be redundant to grow both Brandywine and Lucky Cross?

I'm hoping anyone who has grown these varieties can help guide me.
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Old February 5, 2017   #2
b54red
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Brandywine Sudduth's is nothing like Lucky Cross in my opinion. Lucky Cross is very sweet whereas Brandywine is much more complex and balanced. Brandywine Sudduth's and Brandywine Cowlick's are always in my top five for flavor.

Bill
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Old February 5, 2017   #3
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Brandywine Sudduth's is nothing like Lucky Cross in my opinion. Lucky Cross is very sweet whereas Brandywine is much more complex and balanced. Brandywine Sudduth's and Brandywine Cowlick's are always in my top five for flavor.

Bill
I agree with choosing Brandywine Sudduth and Lucky Cross over the other two.

In the spirit of fair disclosure, I have not yet grown Orange Jazz, but will be this coming spring. I have grown KBX and Kellogg's Breakfast both of which were very good, but not to me as good as Sudduth and Lucky Cross. These two are keepers for sure.

Actually, Orange Jazz' biggest competitor in my garden will be Aunt Gertie's Gold.
I fell for Gertie last season and she will be a regular for me. Awesome..

It will actually be a three-way contest between Aunt Gertie, Orange Jazz and Sweet Ozark Orange. May the best tomato win!

P.S. I don't want to short-change Brandywine OTV, either. That's another to earn a permanent spot in my garden. Amazingly good, and quite different from Sudduth, too.
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Old February 6, 2017   #4
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SOO is better tasting than OJ IMHO (I've grown both and will continue to do so) but OJ will outproduce SOO 5 to 1, or did for me last year.
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Old February 6, 2017   #5
e.thad
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Sounds like Brandywine will definitely be one and the other probably Lucky Cross. Although, now I'm wondering if AGG might be a better choice than LC. Decisions, decisions!
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Old February 6, 2017   #6
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Originally Posted by e.thad View Post
I'm growing two beefsteak plants this season because that's all I really need. One very sweet but with some uniqueness to it's taste, and the other with a complex taste that has sweetness but not as it's overriding feature. For the sweet/unique, it's between KBX and Orange Jazz. For the balanced/complex I'm considering Lucky Cross or Brandywine.

Being that Brandywine is a parent of Lucky Cross, I'm assuming there are some similarities in taste. But just how similar are they? And because Lucky Cross is a bi-color and I know bi-colors are usually sweet, I'm also wondering if it has the right taste profile to be considered as sweet/unique and compete with KBX and Orange Jazz? If Lucky Cross does indeed qualify as sweet/unique, would it be redundant to grow both Brandywine and Lucky Cross?

I'm hoping anyone who has grown these varieties can help guide me.
I've grown all but one you mention and I think all of the ones folks have suggested for you to date. Had you asked for red or pink or orange or black or GWRipe ones,I would have made a list of suggestions for you .

But with just beefsteak as a criterion, and just two plants to go out, one of each kind,well, I'm just not up to it, and will let others make suggestions, while I sit here and read.

Whatever you select I wish for you a wonderful growing season this summer.

Carolyn
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Old February 6, 2017   #7
TC_Manhattan
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Sounds like Brandywine will definitely be one and the other probably Lucky Cross. Although, now I'm wondering if AGG might be a better choice than LC. Decisions, decisions!
Well, you could do Sudduth and Lucky Cross this year, and AGG and Brandywine OTV next year, or...

you could grow all four of them this year, or...

you could grow every one we've mentioned, and...

you could get a bigger yard!

I do want to give another plug for Brandywine OTV, also. If you like Sudduth, be sure to try OTV next year. They are both spectacular, but different. OTV is a Brandywine cross, like Lucky Cross, but the two are very different tomatoes from each other.

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Old February 6, 2017   #8
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Sounds like Brandywine will definitely be one and the other probably Lucky Cross. Although, now I'm wondering if AGG might be a better choice than LC. Decisions, decisions!
Grow them all and when you have extra fruits, make some friends with the gift of something delicious.
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Old February 7, 2017   #9
e.thad
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I've grown all but one you mention and I think all of the ones folks have suggested for you to date. Had you asked for red or pink or orange or black or GWRipe ones,I would have made a list of suggestions for you .

But with just beefsteak as a criterion, and just two plants to go out, one of each kind,well, I'm just not up to it, and will let others make suggestions, while I sit here and read.

Whatever you select I wish for you a wonderful growing season this summer.

Carolyn
Thanks, and a wonderful growing season to you too. I wish I could grow more, but I have very limited space and giving away the extras becomes like a second job. It's going to be Brandywine Sudduth and Lucky Cross this year.
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Old February 8, 2017   #10
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Brandywine Sudduth's is nothing like Lucky Cross in my opinion. Lucky Cross is very sweet whereas Brandywine is much more complex and balanced. Brandywine Sudduth's and Brandywine Cowlick's are always in my top five for flavor.

Bill
Do we know the parents of Lucky Cross ? It is actually a multi color close to GWR.
Also it is almost identical To Ananas Noire. JMO
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Old February 8, 2017   #11
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Orange Jazz was sweeter and juicier than SOO in my garden. Also much more productive than SOO.
Orange Jazz will be back this year but not SOO.

Cloz
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Old February 8, 2017   #12
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Do we know the parents of Lucky Cross ? It is actually a multi color close to GWR.
Also it is almost identical To Ananas Noire. JMO
I don't know about your Lucky Cross, but this doesn't look much like a GWR or Ananas Noire: http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Lucky_Cross . Nor did Little Lucky, which I've grown.
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Old February 8, 2017   #13
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Orange Jazz was sweeter and juicier than SOO in my garden. Also much more productive than SOO.
Orange Jazz will be back this year but not SOO.

Cloz
Hmm, that is interesting. I grew SOO 2 years ago and OJ last year so maybe it was the weather. I'm growing both this year so I sure hope OJ taste as good. If so I'd say its pretty much perfect.
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Old February 8, 2017   #14
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Hmm, that is interesting. I grew SOO 2 years ago and OJ last year so maybe it was the weather. I'm growing both this year so I sure hope OJ taste as good. If so I'd say its pretty much perfect.
I qualified with "in my garden" as everyone's conditions can vary. I do intend to re-grow SOO the following year for comparison. No room this year. I do not have a full day's sunshine so that may affect things. My only complaint with Orange Jazz was that it had a bit of a hard core.

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Old February 8, 2017   #15
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I don't know about your Lucky Cross, but this doesn't look much like a GWR or Ananas Noire: http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Lucky_Cross . Nor did Little Lucky, which I've grown.
You are right. I was thinking about another LUCKY: That is Captain Lucky.
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