Bigdaddy,

How many fruit do you typically get off of a single Brandy Boy and Brandywine plant?

Jay

Just want to restate, there isn't a slight anything, bigdaddy, at least in my garden. The margin for taste might be close, but production and vigor isn't close at all.

My experience has been Brandy Boy is by far the best producer. The most I ever got over approximately a six year period and probably 15 plants of Brandywine was 3 tomatoes. My Brandy Boy's last year produced 15-20 a piece. Taste was ever bit as good with the Brandy Boy. I'm trying Brandywine Red this year with better fruit set already. Haven't tasted any yet. Sudduth is gone for now in my garden. Doesn't set in the heat and wind here. Jay

brazosvalleygardener,

I have no idea why I get such good production from Sudduth Brandywine but I do. Many here report that they don't. Maybe it's because I live near the Brandywine river valley itself? Who knows? I have grown Brandywine at least 13 straight years now and only one of those years was I disappointed in it's production. I am estimating 22 to 30 fruit from each of my caged non pruned Brandywine plants compared to perhaps 30 to 35 on the Brandyboys that I grew for the first time last year. I'll get 40 plus from a Big Beef. This year it is close again. I have a nice long season here. First ripes now and I still pick until late October usually. And my unpruned plants become monsters.

To me BrandyBoy tastes ALMOST as good as Sudduth but not quite. Sudduth is my favorite tasting tomato. It's that Brandywine "creaminess" that I enjoy. I can't describe it any other way. Brandywine just melts in my mouth...

Pruden's Purple and Brandyboy come real close to that same creamy rich tomato taste but Sudduth is still king for me. I've been at this 16 years and sampled perhaps 75 varieties for whatever that is worth...:)

I tried the Brandywine last yr, along w/ BrandyBoy. Very disappointing! Very poor production from Brandywine. I always think Brandyboy could produce more, but I love those big pink tomatoes! (I'm also very sold on Lemon Boy.) I have planted quite a few cherry tomatoes to make up for the wait for BrandyBoy. Just got my first ripe one yesterday (okay, I admit it, I gave it away to someone else who loves tomatoes). The weather here though is the big culprit- a late cold snap that did a lot of damage and really slowed the garden down. Good luck w/ whichever you grow. Brandy

I was pleasantly surprised by Brandy Boy this year. Very nice flavor. Productivity of BB and BW Sud are about the same in my garden this year (extremely productive), but then this is not a typical Texas summer. In a "normal" year, BB might very well be a better producer, will have to see.

I've grown both varieties together for two years. Last year Brandyboy outproduced Brandywine, but not by much. The Brandywines tasted a bit better. Both were very good. So far this year, the Brandywines are outproducing the Brandyboys and the Brandywines taste a lot better. This season's Brandyboy seems a bit sickly - not bad, mind you, but a little more yellowing of the lower leaves than normal.

It's my fourth year of growing tomatoes, and I've come to realize that there are many factors affecting taste and production, and that chance has a lot to do with your results. Not that we can't improve our controls upon the environment, but no matter what we do, mother nature's still a b*tch that smiles one moment and laughs in our faces the next. But hey, that's part of what makes gardening an entertaining challenge.

Take care,
Scott in Napa

I do not grow Brandywine tomatoes here they will not take the heat. But this last year I grew Brandy Boy and I am wondering it is not the perfect tomato. Large, great taste, very productive. I will definitely be trying this one again.