Choosing Beefsteak Varieties

[e.thad]

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.

[b54red]

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

[TC_Manhattan]

Originally Posted by b54red

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.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by b54red

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

[sjamesNorway]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

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.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by sjamesNorway

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.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

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

Yes, we do know the other parent of Lucky Cross, and it's called Tad,please see the link below in the background/history section.

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Lucky_Cross

Carolyn

[KarenO]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

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

Are you thinking of Captain Lucky?
KarenO

[BigVanVader]

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.

[tryno12]

What is the plant SOO ?
Thank You

[e.thad]

Originally Posted by tryno12

What is the plant SOO ?
Thank You

South Ozark Orange

[tryno12]

Thanks much!

[e.thad]

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!

[TC_Manhattan]

Originally Posted by e.thad

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.

You need a farm!

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by e.thad

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.