Solanum lycopersicum
Overview
Uses: Tomato crop production—produces excellent yields
Benefits: Cordon (produces crops all season). Very similar to our Beefsteak Tomatoes, just slightly sweeter. Best for eating fresh, right off the vine or sliced. Has won more taste tests than any other type of tomato.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 - 9 suggested (has been known to survive in all USDA Hardiness Zones)
Sun: Full
Growth: Indeterminate (cordon), Potato Leaf
Life Cycle: Annual
Mature Height: As high as 8' with proper staking and fertilization.
Mature Width: 30"
Bloom Season: Summer to Early Fall
Summary
Brandywine Tomatoes are rumored to have won more tomato taste tests than any other variety. They're very similar to our Beefsteak Tomato, but are slightly sweeter and have "potato leaf" type foliage.
Potato leaf tomatoes (such as Brandywines) have leaves with smooth edges. Regular leaf tomatoes (like all our other varieties of tomatoes) have leaves with serrated, jagged edges.
Brandywine Tomatoes typically average around 6" in diameter, and are known to weigh as much as 1.5 lbs!
Fleshy and meaty just like a Beefsteak Tomato, Brandywines are perfect for tomato sandwiches and slicing!
Brandywine Tomatoes have a slightly slower than average maturation rate, and should begin to produce their first harvests sometime in the middle of summer, often sustaining their production of crops until mid-fall.
Brandywine Tomato is an indeterminate variety of tomato, often referred to as a vine or cordon tomato. This means; unlike a determinate variety, they keep growing and producing tomatoes from the beginning of the summer until early fall (determinate varieties stop growing at a certain height, then produce all of their crop within a short time frame).
Does not require staking or caging, although we highly suggest doing such. It grows as a vine, so unstaked plants will travel along the ground, causing their fruit to be more susceptible to rot. Brandywine tomatoes are very large and heavy, so a strong stake or cage is suggested.
Care
Brandywine Tomato Plant Care
Brandywine Tomatoes will likely tolerate temperatures above 40°F, but it's suggested to attempt to keep them in temperatures above 55°F.
Plant 36" apart.
Suggest planting late-March through May depending on temperatures in your area. Keep in temperatures above 55°F.
Does best in temperatures between 70°F and 85°F.
Likes organic, rich soil with lots of drainage.
Make sure to water regularly and attempt to keep soil moist but not wet.
Give early dose of high nitrogen organic fertilizer either when planting or as a part of soil preparation.
Will benefit from a high phosphorus organic fertilizer once established, just prior to or after it begins to produce fruit.
Suggest caging, or staking and providing something to climb, although not required. Unsupported plants will likely grow on the ground in a somewhat vine-like fashion, which will drastically increase the potential of rotting fruit.
You'll know your Brandywine Tomatoes are ready to harvest once they develop their beautiful deep red skin color and are firm, yet bouncy when squeezed.
Size
Size of Brandywine Tomato Plants for Sale Online
The Brandywine Tomatoes that we sell online will ship in a greenhouse grade grow pot. Each plant will be appropriately sized for its pot. Please contact us with any specific questions.
Size of Brandywine Tomatoes When Fully Grown
Brandywine Tomatoes often spread to a width of around 30" when staked and allowed to grow vertical. They're cordon-type growers, so their vines may grow as long as 6' long in certain situations.
Additional Information
Botanical Name of Brandywine Tomato
The botanical name of Brandywine Tomato is Solanum lycopersicum.
Toxicity and Risks of Brandywine Tomatoes
Tomato plants are actually considered toxic. They're members of the nightshade family, and produce an alkaloid called tomatine.
This alkaloid is most present in the unripe fruit, the stem, and the leaves of a tomato plant.
Tomatine is toxic when ingested in extremely large doses, it may cause gastrointestinal problems, liver, and even heart damage.
