skip to main content

Cornucopia - Australia

Brandy Wines

18 years ago

The list for next year is becoming far too big therefore i have got to start thining down my tomatoe hopes.

i've just got a funny feeling that the brandy wines may not do all that well in tropical Darwin weather. The weather in Darwin normally stays around 32 degrees all year round, night time tempreture drops down to around 20+ on average in the dry season which is my growing season.

I've read great reviews about the suduth strain in the up over forum, any advice on any of the strains would be helpful.

Thanks in advance

Keith

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

ozmantis
18 years ago
Give them a go Keith. I grow them in my greenhouse down here and they produce really well. So, humidity should not worry them. My greenhouse turns into a shade house in summer, so a bit of shelter from direct burning sun could help. If you have a shade house, try one in there. I reckon it would produce for you. Mantis
Darwin_NT
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks Mantis for your reply.
I guess I will try the sudduth. I normally try to grow two of the same variety in different locations on the same plot so I get a fair idea to whatÂs happening.
In one area IÂve got a spot for about half a dozen plants that get shade from about 2 oÂclock onwards due to a big tree. For some reason the plants usually do well in this area, I generally plant Grosse Lisse in this area as it always does well and is a main stay for me. I have been saving and growing the same seeds for the past 15 years.
For the first time last year I grew a potato leaf variety, Blue Ridge. The vine was very large and the largest tomatoe I got of it was 633 grams although not very productive.
The mates loved the potato leaf as it was the first time they had seen it.
Any ways wait till they see and taste the sudduth.
Keith
Related Discussions
Closest you've planted your tomatoes?
Q
Comments (23)
Well, this question wasn't about nutrient availability. It was about spacing. No question that if you plant tomatoes in, say, washed sand, you won't get any tomatoes at all, no matter how far apart you plant them. It's also going to depend on weather conditions and disease, and so the particular year. So the question is this - if you had two patches, with the same nutrients and soil properties, with the same weather conditions in the same year, how would the productivity depend on spacing? I'm suspecting that the productivity *per plant* would be constant for spacings larger than 2 feet, and would decline when the plants get closer than 2 feet. By the same rule, for spacings larger than 2 feet, the productivity *per unit area* would decline as the spacing got larger, but for spacings smaller than 2 feet the productivity *per unit area* would stay the same. I dunno, call it 3 instead of 2? So if I put sixteen plants in a square yard, I'd get the same number of tomatoes as I would if I had put one plant there. Of course, if I had one plant there and accidentally stepped on one, I'd get none. If I had sixteen plants there and accidentally stepped on one, I could expect my productivity to stay the same. I get my hybrid cherries in 6-packs, and I have two 6-foot long trellises devoted to those cherries. So in principle, I could get one six pack, but I'd better not step on any. So I get two packs, and plant them closer than I need to. No sweat. I still get two trellises full of cherries.
...See More
Confession of Tomatoe Test
Q
Comments (4)
Sticking with what works is always a good idea, but I have found things to vary enormously from year to year particularly with tomatos. A couple years ago I had every tomato plant in my yard (in 3 different places and some in containers) get wiped out by weather/disease and this year everything is doing great and seems immune to any/all problems. Many of the same varieties too. I have also found some tomatos (heirlooms mostly) taste great some years and just so so others. My overall philosophy with tomatos and veggies in general is to grow what I prefer to eat and accept that some years will be better than others.
...See More
Brandy wine tomato
Q
Comments (2)
Thanks for info.I'm post the same message on the tomato forum.I have been searching.But I can't find the information that I'm after.I'm hoping someone on the forum might know where to look.
...See More
New to Tomato growing
Q
Comments (6)
I will be using good soil (miracle grow vegetable mix.) Do you mean the MG Garden Soil? I believe it says something on the bag about "for all your vegetables..." and shows pics of veggies on it. If so, please note that it also says it is NOT for use in containers. MG Garden Soil is for adding to raised beds, in-ground gardens, etc. but not for use in containers because it compacts and drains poorly. You'll find several precious discussion here about that problem. For containers, especially smaller ones like 5 gallons you need to use potting mix - mix, not soil. MG makes a Potting Mix (2 varieties) that is plain and also one with "Moisture Control" added. With good potting mix in your container there is no need, as Trudi said above, to add manure and I would strongly advise against it. And there is also no point to adding egg shells either or Epsom Salts. Definitely only 1 plant per container and Brandwine, an indeterminate variety, can easily get 6-8 feet tall so a large strong support of some kind will be needed. They get top heavy and when they have fruit on them can easily lay over in the wind - bucket and all. They would do much better in much larger containers but if that is all you have to work with then consider a timed drip watering system and a regular feeding system too. Good luck. Dave
...See More
Raymondo
18 years ago
G'day Keith,
Brandywine Sudduth didn't do well for me in Sydney last year, but that was a very humid summer and I had a bad nematode infestation. Cherokee Purple seems to cope well with the warmer, wetter weather and is a great tasting tomato. I think that most tomatoes would do okay given time to adapt, as your Grosse Lisse has done. Even if the Brandywine Sudduth doesn't do well this season, it might do better next season from saved seeds. Just my thoughts.
Ray
Patrina_Pepperina
18 years ago
There are a few that have been bred for hot humid areas, but the only one I can think of at the moment is 'Tropic'. Haven't grown it yet, but have seeds that were sent to me - let me know if you'd like a few.

PP
finbar
18 years ago
Sudduth didn't work for me in Sydney's summer. Autumn was the go. They won't pollinate in prolonged heat or humidity. But it can't hurt to try.

Related Stories

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Guest Picks: Summer Dining Essentials

Enjoy Meals Outdoors this Season with Help from a Few Key Tabletop Pieces

FARMHOUSES Houzz Tour: Nestling Into the Rural Pennsylvania Landscape

By Becky Harris

Regional barns and nature provide the inspiration for a new home sited between a meadow and the woods

ARCHITECTURE Design Workshop: How to Separate Space in an Open Floor Plan

By Eric Reinholdt, Architect

Rooms within a room, partial walls, fabric dividers and open shelves create privacy and intimacy while keeping the connection

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Grandkid-Friendly Lake Minnetonka Home

By Becky Harris

Beauty and durability go hand in hand in this contemporary, welcoming lakefront home in Minnesota

HOME OFFICES Guest Picks: A Creative's Desk

Shape up your desk this season with 20 pieces that organize and inspire

REMODELING GUIDES 15 Ways to Design an Easy-Clean Home

By Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR

Spend more time doing what you love with these pointers for minimizing cleaning needs throughout the entire house

PETS Houzz Call: Send in the Dogs

By Sheila Schmitz

Have the greatest dog in the world? Share your best design photo featuring the dog you live or work with

HOME OFFICES Consider the Home Office Bar

By Jonathan Baker

Stir Up a Little Mad Men Style With a Mini Bar in Your Home Office

BATHROOM DESIGN Style Up Your Bathroom Storage

By Joanna Thornhill Interiors

Consider these ideas for attractively displaying your towels, toiletries and other bathroom essentials

TRAVEL BY DESIGN How to Prepare Your House for a Home Swap

Trading homes for your vacation? Leave yours in great shape for your guests and help them enjoy a happy break with these 12 tips

Sponsored

10 Reviews

Providing Easy-to-Install, Reliable Heating Products in North America