How to tell Earl's Faux from BW?

Woodenzoo · July 8, 2006

I gave my brother 4 plants for his garden and of course, however he marked them, they are no longer marked.
I'm sure I'll know the kosovo and the mortgage lifter, but since the EF and BW (Sudduth's Strain) are both PL and pink beefstakes, is there anything that would distinguish one from the other?
BTW, I have all of these growing in my garden also. All are marked so I do know which is which here. But being the first year for both, I certainly wouldn't know any difference just by looking at the plants and green fruits.

Thanks for any advice or ideas!
Cathy
Edited to add the Sudduth's Strain in case that may make a difference.

Earl · July 8, 2006

I'd say the Fauxs are the two with the best tasting fruit. :-)

Brandywine fruit will be larger, a lb. or more. EF weights 8-12 oz.

Woodenzoo · July 8, 2006

Thanks Earl!
lol
I was wanting to go out and just point to the plant and name it, so whichever has the largest fruit will be Brandywine, while the best taste lies in the smaller fruit. :wink:
We may be able to compare the fruits from his plants to mine, but from the sound of it, his are doing better than mine (He has fruits on all of his). My raised bed, where these two are, don't get as much sun as they should (neighbors overhanging trees), but the EF has two fruits so far and the BW has none. Wish I had realized the trees were going to shade the garden so much this year....
Anyway, thanks again!
Cathy

Bryan24 · July 9, 2006

If they're smaller, does that mean they're earlier? I get impatient waiting over 3 months for the Red Brandywines.

laurel-tx

travis · July 9, 2006

"Wish I had realized ('my neighbor's overhanging') trees were going to shade the garden so much this year ..." [Cathy]

Cathy,

I'm not sure if your state or municipality has some whacky tree-huggin' codes, but until recently, it was legal in most American localities to prune tree limbs that overhang one's property line.

I'd make sure and do it in such a way as not to cause death, disease or injury to my neighbor's trees (diminishing his use or value), but I would surely do it if the infringing tree limbs lessened my own use of my own property for whatever legal purpose I chose to put my own property to use ... such as critical tomato gardening space. :wink:

PV

Woodenzoo · July 9, 2006

PV,
Yes, we can trim the tree legally, but I hadn't realised that it was going to be as bad as it is. (You know it's hard to look at bare branches in the winter and decide then how full they will be, well, at least it's hard for me.

)
It will have to wait until next year though, as I don't have the equipment or the strength to tackle that job myself and short on funds to pay someone else to do it.
I don't have that much space in the garden anyway, so have most of my tomatoes in grow bags out in the sun. I really should have chosen other varieties for the garden bed though, like the cherry and currant tomatoes, lol, those seem like they'd grow no matter where I put 'em!:wink:
Cathy

Woodenzoo · July 9, 2006

laurel,
Don't know for sure, but with both plants in partial shade here, the EF has fruit and the BW hasn't. Could just be my garden though...

:wink:
Cathy

travis · July 9, 2006

Cathy,

I understand your quandry. Last year I planted a little patch that got a lot of sunshine in April and May ... only to find out this daggone scraggly maple tree shaded it the rest of the summer. It's gone this year!

Your point about cherries is well taken. I switched to cherries up against the house in a spot that only gets sun from 11:30 - 6:30 yesterday ... Sun Gold and Rose Quartz are thriving there ... last year cukes did well there ... the year before Better Boys were a failure in that particular spot.

Now ... just down the row and up against the house there is a spot that gets an hour's more sun per day and I have Brandywine, Lucky Cross, and Earl's Faux planted side-by-side. From lookin' at the foliage, I can't tell a wit's difference between the three ... but Lucky Cross has yet to set a tomato while Brandywine is pumpin' the greenies out and Earl's Faux is doin' a pretty good job of keepin' up.

And so far, size and shapes of the Brandywines and Earl's Faux fruits are identical. None ripe yet, so time'll tell.

Best of luck with your garden ...

PV

bully · July 9, 2006

Of course every fruit is not the same but I think this is a pretty good representation of each of them.
I did find EF to be a little smaller and more uniformly shaped

ddsack · July 9, 2006

Are the plants themselves supposed to be smaller in growth habit than other Brandywines or potato leafs? Both of my Faux's (in different gardens) are the wimpiest of any of my big sprawling PL's. They do each have some nice sized green tomatoes which were set quite early, but the plants just don't look as tall, lush and healthy and have more lower leaf yellowing compared to the other PL's.
Or maybe they just got a "bad" spot in the garden with poorer soil where the cats peed or something ...

??

Earl · July 9, 2006

Here's what EF looked like last year. But they haven't reached that size in same amount of time this year. I think it's weather related [planted to soon when soil was still cold]. The second pic, after being away form home for 5-6 days, is of 58 fruit I got off one plant at one time a few years ago.

Fert1 · July 9, 2006

It looks like I may finally have some luck with EF this year. The first year I tried EF, I planted it later than my others, and a Rose plant strangled it out. (I think Rose is part weed sometimes.) Then the next year, it got taken out by the dreaded wilt before it could do anything at all. This year, I seem to have a healthy EF plant, in spite of all the Early Blight and Septoria Leaf Spot that has hit my garden. EF seems to be holding up pretty well, and has set a number of fruit in spite of extremely high temperatures. We pulled the first one this morning. I look forward to trying it. It's very pretty sitting there on my counter ... calling my name.

Woodenzoo · July 9, 2006

PV,
I've got a Lucky Cross sitting out in the sun and it's one of the few plants that haven't fruited yet. (Lots of blossoms though!) Perhaps it isn't the amount of sun they are or aren't getting... Well, hopefully, it's still early enough in the season...
Anyway, thanks for your help and encouragement!
Bully,
Your info and those pics really help and having mine marked, will make it even easier to compare by looks! Thank you!
ddsack,
My EF is the larger more sturdy plant of the two in question. Though both are fairly sparce in foliage, but as I've mentioned, that just may be in my garden...
Earl,
I've noticed that my plants overall are not what I've been expecting size wise and in production (so far) this year. But with my usual garden bed getting more shade this year, and it being my first year growing heirlooms and using grow bags, I wasn't sure if it was my gardening or the weather (or a combination of both! lol) But 58 toms off of one plant, far exceeds my best year!

But perhaps next year will be better for all of us in this area. Thanks again for your help!
Fert1,
Glad to hear that you are having a great year with EF this year. But did you have to torture me with the comment that you've got one sitting on your counter calling your name? :wink: lol
I've gotten some Tiny Tim tomatoes so far and I've got 1 Red Currant that's almost ready to pick and 1 Silvery Fir Tree that is finally started to turn... Everything that I can think of making for dinner calls for a BIG RIPE tomato and I have none!

lol
Cathy

Fert1 · July 10, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodenzoo

Fert1,
Glad to hear that you are having a great year with EF this year. But did you have to torture me with the comment that you've got one sitting on your counter calling your name? :wink: lol

Didn't mean to torture you. Just give it a little more time and you'll have one of your own sitting on a counter, calling YOUR name. I got my first SFT about a week ago, so EF wasn't all that far behind it as it turned out. My SFT didn't do so well. I yanked it today before it could spread its contagion too much.

WVTomatoMan · July 10, 2006

ddsack,

I am having results similar to yours. I am growing EF for the first time this year in a new garden area. The EF plant is smaller than other PL varieties (height wise) but set fruit fairly early. The lower leaf damage that I had was the result of water spash damage. Overall the plant seems strong and healthy, but again is "height challenged".

BTW, the EF gets less sun than the other varieties, but only by a half hour or so. It has had fairly good fruit set. I haven't gotten a ripe fruit yet, but am looking forward to giving it a taste.

From what I've been led to believe it is quite good.

Randy

July 8, 2006	#1
Woodenzoo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ohio z6 Posts: 141	How to tell Earl's Faux from BW? I gave my brother 4 plants for his garden and of course, however he marked them, they are no longer marked. I'm sure I'll know the kosovo and the mortgage lifter, but since the EF and BW (Sudduth's Strain) are both PL and pink beefstakes, is there anything that would distinguish one from the other? BTW, I have all of these growing in my garden also. All are marked so I do know which is which here. But being the first year for both, I certainly wouldn't know any difference just by looking at the plants and green fruits. Thanks for any advice or ideas! Cathy Edited to add the Sudduth's Strain in case that may make a difference.

July 9, 2006	#6
Woodenzoo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ohio z6 Posts: 141	PV, Yes, we can trim the tree legally, but I hadn't realised that it was going to be as bad as it is. (You know it's hard to look at bare branches in the winter and decide then how full they will be, well, at least it's hard for me.) It will have to wait until next year though, as I don't have the equipment or the strength to tackle that job myself and short on funds to pay someone else to do it. I don't have that much space in the garden anyway, so have most of my tomatoes in grow bags out in the sun. I really should have chosen other varieties for the garden bed though, like the cherry and currant tomatoes, lol, those seem like they'd grow no matter where I put 'em!:wink: Cathy

July 9, 2006	#12
Fert1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Upstate SC, Zone 7 Posts: 543	It looks like I may finally have some luck with EF this year. The first year I tried EF, I planted it later than my others, and a Rose plant strangled it out. (I think Rose is part weed sometimes.) Then the next year, it got taken out by the dreaded wilt before it could do anything at all. This year, I seem to have a healthy EF plant, in spite of all the Early Blight and Septoria Leaf Spot that has hit my garden. EF seems to be holding up pretty well, and has set a number of fruit in spite of extremely high temperatures. We pulled the first one this morning. I look forward to trying it. It's very pretty sitting there on my counter ... calling my name. __________________ Holly

July 8, 2006	#2
Earl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,278	I'd say the Fauxs are the two with the best tasting fruit. :-) Brandywine fruit will be larger, a lb. or more. EF weights 8-12 oz.

July 9, 2006	#4
Bryan24 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 176	If they're smaller, does that mean they're earlier? I get impatient waiting over 3 months for the Red Brandywines. laurel-tx

July 9, 2006	#5
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	"Wish I had realized ('my neighbor's overhanging') trees were going to shade the garden so much this year ..." [Cathy] Cathy, I'm not sure if your state or municipality has some whacky tree-huggin' codes, but until recently, it was legal in most American localities to prune tree limbs that overhang one's property line. I'd make sure and do it in such a way as not to cause death, disease or injury to my neighbor's trees (diminishing his use or value), but I would surely do it if the infringing tree limbs lessened my own use of my own property for whatever legal purpose I chose to put my own property to use ... such as critical tomato gardening space. :wink: PV

July 9, 2006	#9
bully Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: S.E. MI Posts: 794	Of course every fruit is not the same but I think this is a pretty good representation of each of them. I did find EF to be a little smaller and more uniformly shaped

July 9, 2006	#10
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,220	Are the plants themselves supposed to be smaller in growth habit than other Brandywines or potato leafs? Both of my Faux's (in different gardens) are the wimpiest of any of my big sprawling PL's. They do each have some nice sized green tomatoes which were set quite early, but the plants just don't look as tall, lush and healthy and have more lower leaf yellowing compared to the other PL's. Or maybe they just got a "bad" spot in the garden with poorer soil where the cats peed or something ... ??

July 10, 2006	#15
WVTomatoMan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: West Virginia - Zone 6 Posts: 594	ddsack, I am having results similar to yours. I am growing EF for the first time this year in a new garden area. The EF plant is smaller than other PL varieties (height wise) but set fruit fairly early. The lower leaf damage that I had was the result of water spash damage. Overall the plant seems strong and healthy, but again is "height challenged". BTW, the EF gets less sun than the other varieties, but only by a half hour or so. It has had fairly good fruit set. I haven't gotten a ripe fruit yet, but am looking forward to giving it a taste. From what I've been led to believe it is quite good. Randy