2016 Contest - Heirloom: Brandywine Pink (Sudduth's Strain)

8 years ago

We are announcing the 2016 Contest - Heirloom Variety - Brandywine Pink (Sudduth's Strain) now to allow everyone time to purchase/plant seeds after January 1, 2016 and participate on this thread. This thread will be dedicated to Brandywine Pink (Sudduth's Strain) with the purpose of inviting everyone that has an interest growing this variety - to compare their growing experience with Brandywine Pink (Sudduth's Strain) and competing for the best results.

Contest Rules:

Here is a review of the Contest Categories for all participants.

Note: Ripe tomato for all categories means picked on the vine ripe or ripened on the counter and >90% red/pink. All entries for any category must include a photo.

Note: Seeds must be planted after December 31, 2015. Please post entries during the season as you have entries. The deadline for all entries must be posted by 12/31/2016. I will make a summary post after 12/31/2016 with the winner of each category.

Note: Thread participants will determine the winner of the prettiest and most unusual ripe tomatoes from my summary post after 12/31/2016.

Note: You need not register to post an entry - Please post an entry at any time prior to 12/31 - the more entries the better!!!!

Note: There are not restrictions for fertilization and serenading !! - haha

Contest Categories

1. Largest ripe tomato including fused fruit.

2. Largest ripe tomato from a single blossom.

3. Earliest ripe tomato for all zones and by each individual zone.

4. Latest ripe tomato for all zones (photo to include a scale showing the weight)

5. Prettiest ripe tomato weighing at least the weight of the average sized fruit for this variety.

6. Most unusual ripe tomato

7. Most blossoms/buds on a truss (note: a photo of the truss showing blossoms/buds is fine - we trust your total count).

8. Most ripe tomatoes from a truss (note: photo can show the ripe tomatoes that are on the truss at the time of the photo - we trust your total count of ripe tomatoes from that truss).

9. Most ripe tomatoes from a single plant.

Here is a seed source description of Brandywine Pink (Sudduth's Strain):

90 days - From the legendary Ben Quisenberry collection, we now offer this great tasting Brandywine variety! Mr.Quisenberry obtained this variety from Dorris Sudduth Hill in 1980, who's family took pride in growing for over 80 years. This large, pink beefsteak variety is considered by many to be the best tasting pink tomato. The luscious fruits can weigh up to 2 pounds and have an intense, rich tomato flavor. Indeterminate vines.

The Contest begins January 1, 2016 - wishing all of you the best growing results possible !! Let the fun begin !!

Featured Answer

hudson___wy
Original Author

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Brandywine is not known for good production but the Sudduth Strain may be the most prolific of all the Brandywine strains. I was surprised to see some of the first trusses develop. One truss has 8 blossoms/buds and the other truss has 12 blossoms/buds. This may be a great sign!

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Comments (165)

whgille
7 years ago
Well, the season has been crazy for me. I got the Brandywine S from Amish seeds, plant is tall and doing okay but is not potato leaved.:)

For the contest I was growing the Big Beef but I run out of seedlings for the community garden so I gave them the BB.

The only one that I know for sure is the right one is the Dwarf for the contest, I grew it before but I did not remember. Now I know why, it is the only one that does not look good in my garden but at least it is given tomatoes. The first that was going to ripen had some small bites and was not a caterpillar, so I threw it out and now about 3 are going to ripen soon....

The first Brandywine S to ripen? it is kind of late since I got a lot of varieties ripening for at least a month....

Hudson, you are going to beat us all, your tomatoes are the prettiest! lol

Silvia
hudson___wy
Original Author
7 years ago
I hear ya Silvia ! I am about ready to abandon Hybrids and save my own seeds from Heirlooms! I didn't have the same problems as you but I ordered Super Sweet 100 and wasted 5 months of GH space to a crop out! Now I have to pull it and start over. The Rapunzel I ordered doesn't like my GH and therefore production and taste sucks!

I have been searching for that great tasting Heirloom tomato that has great production - so we can save seeds and control to a large degree that what we plant is what we get. Heirlooms have great taste but great production has been a problem form us. Finally - this year - Brandywine Sudduth and Brandywine OTV appear to like our GH and are rewarding us with taste and production! I see myself moving towards Heirlooms which five years ago - I thought would never happen (because of the production issue).

Your Brandywine S (?) looks great. The regular leaf is puzzling and may indicate that you were shipped Brandywine Red - RL seeds? I don't think Sudduth Strain is available in a RL?
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(For a red slicer I tend to go with fairly productive medium sized tomatoes with what I consider to be good flavor. That would include things like RED BRANDYWINE (Not related to regular Brandywine), Mule Team, Box Car Willie, almost any Bulgarian tomato (they all tend to be sweet), and then for larger and later tomatoes of great flavor I like things such as Marianna's Peace, Italian Sweet and Stump of the World.) You've got some pinks in there with the reds About Box Car Willie and Mule Team, both good, but I think even better is another one that Joe's father bred, which is Red Barn. Joe found the above three and also Great Divide and Pasture already named in glass jars in a toolhouse. He couldn't germinate them, sent them to me, and I was able to get the ones I named above going, but there were three that I couldn't germinate and I always wondered what they might have turned out to be. Carolyn, who sometimes cuts and pastes info from a post she's answering b'c this Senior Citizen cannot always remember all that was said, and hates going back to a previous post to check. LOL
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My Brandywines always have some cracks and surface scars, but it is possible you just have a really good growing condition for them this year. If they taste great and have the complexity of flavor that a Brandywine should, relax and enjoy it. And maybe you should save the seeds from a few... :) Or maybe you have a very good cross, in which case you should REALLY save the seeds! And share them. I volunteer to be a test garden next year... ;) Seriously, every well-regarded heirloom came from some cross or adaptation. Maybe you have a new one that will be famous some day.
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yummy, I agree with 6-8 weeks as noted above, but since I don't know how you grow your transplants nor how fast they'll grow I'll just add that I like to set out ones that are about 6-9 inches tall. As to the question about what constitutes a Brandywine, one first has to think of the three known family ones which are: Yellow Brandywine Red Brandywine Brandywine ......and there's no known relationship between the three of them. If you look in any SSE YEarbook you can see many listings for Brandywine this or that, meaning, Glick's, Pawers and on and on. And just as with the various Mortgage Lifters they usually indicate the name of the person who grew a Brandywine or Mortgatge Lifter and attached their name to it. And then there's the amusing part of it. There's one called Brandywine (Pawers), which is the result of a typo that's persisted since it was Roger Wentling of PA who listed it and his SSE code would then be PA WE R, just as mine from NYS state would be NY MA C. When Brandywine has been part of a natural cross and then a selection from that hybrid taken out to the OP state then sometimes Brandywine becomes part of the name such as Liam's one or the OTV one. If you want to know more about the history of various brandywines, pure ones or others, I suggest you go to Victory Seeds and read the article written by Craig LeHoullier. He did the family ones and I did the others and the article needs updating but both of us have had other priorities in getting around to doing that. Hope that helps. Carolyn
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I must have posted this dozens of times but here it is again: I was fortunate to discover Brandywine Pink through the old Seed Savers catalogue when this variety was first introduced. Back then there was only one Brandywine (pink, Sudduth, Quisenberry). Today quite a few seed companies and especially transplants sold by Garden Centers offer inferior strains of Brandywine so the first thing you have to make sure is to get the true Sudduth (also called Quisenberry) strain, e.g. from Johnny's of Maine, quote: Around 1980 a Mrs. Sudduth of Tennessee gave seeds said to be in her family for 100 years, to tomato seedsman, Ben Quisenberry of Ohio. This is a strain that Craig LeHoullier believes is of the original Brandywine (end of quote). I grew Brandywine Pink next to my old favorites and immediately became convinced that Brandywine was by far the best tomato I have ever tasted. This opinion has not changed in nearly 20 years comparing Brandywine Pink to over 100 other taste champions, although Marianna's Peace recently introduced by TomatoFest comes close to or even matches Brandywine Sudduth in taste. I guess what I am trying to say is that I am a big Brandywine Sudduth fan, by the way not only due to the wonderful flavor but also due to the truly unique mouth watering texture of a vine-ripened Brandywine. I also grew Brandywine Red Landis strain and this is a different animal altogether. While the Landis strain is quite nice neither taste nor texture match Brandywine Pink Sudduth strain. As experienced Brandywine Pink growers know, this variety does not set fruits in hot weather (possibly due to defective blossoms or split calyces as was pointed out on this forum by Carolyn and I think Craig), even here in Southern CTs zone 5. As VP International I had to travel and live in different parts of North America and Europe. I grew Brandywine in Northern Germany, Dublin/Ireland and Northern Italy. As Brandywine is a late season variety, starting the plants early and getting them into the ground early was absolutely necessary in Germany and Ireland and is also important here in CT. I use efficient Metal Halide grow lights and cool basement conditions which gives me sturdy stocky plants. It allows me to start Brandywine 9 weeks before setting them into the ground. I plant well established, hardened, stocky plants out in early /mid May depending on the weather conditions and go out of my way to protect them against cold temperatures. I noticed that Brandywine did really well in the lower sun intensity countries so while my other tomatoes are planted in full sun, Brandywine does best in an area where high trees block the summer sun around lunchtime. However, you will also get good yield if you follow these rules: Most gardeners are growing tomatoes in far too rich soil or over-fertilized soil and often use too much fresh compost. Carolyn Male, author of "100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden" said it best, quote: The result of using compost in the planting hole and added to the soil and using too much fertilizer and too many amendments is that plants are stressed by growing too fast and the stress helps induce blossom end rot and also makes the plants far more susceptible to various diseases (end of quote). Over-fertilized soil prevents early fruit set. Add to that the fact that Brandywine does not set fruit in hot weather and what do you get: Disappointing yields. By observing the above mentioned suggestions: 1. Start early 2. Grow the plants in soil that has been fertilized the year before 3. Try to provide some shade during hot summer month you will get good yields. I foliar feed with a marine brown algae extract and water once with a stinging nettle manure tea after first fruit set. This procedure is repeated when the first fruits start to turn pink and after the first significant harvest. While tomatoes are ripening I will side dress sparingly with a high potash natural fertilizer blend based on sunflower, rapeseed and soybean meal together with kelp meal, lignite, rock phosphate and mined sulphate of potash or greensand. The ratio is N:P:K 5:4:8. ThatÂs it. Follow these instructions and you will be astonished about the yield increase of Brandywine Sudduth strain. And if you have never grown Brandywine, get ready for a treat.
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whgille
7 years ago
Good morning Hudson

I guess I am not the only one with surprises in the garden.:) I think that you and your methods of growing will do great with heirlooms in the greenhouse. Have you tried any of the oxhearts? if not you should at least trial one of them next season, they are very tasty and productive for me, they are also the earliest to ripen in my garden.

And I cut the BS this morning and just like you said it does look red, very tasty too!

Silvia
hudson___wy
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hi Silvia - No - I have not tried Oxhearts. Do they hold up with cold temps? I ordered Big Raspberry Hybrid from a seed supplier last year and got a crop out Oxheart leaf and vine - it did not do well with colder temps here in Wyoming so I pulled it early. I have not given them a true test and am not sure where to start if I did. Which Oxheart do you like the best?

Your Red Brandywine looks tasty!
whgille
7 years ago
Hi Hudson, you have a valid reason about being cautious planting tomatoes in your zone. I really don't have any experience in zone 3, but I had gardens in NY and Mass and they did fine there. For me, most of the oxhearts perform well and I am not an expert but I planted before German Red Strawberry, Monoka's Hat, Kosovo and others that I would have to look in my seed supply. This season I planted a South American oxheart from Tatiana's. If you pull past threads that talked about oxhearts, you will find a lot of recommendations from people that successfully grow them in colder zones but then again is a matter of preference and taste and we all think different.:)

Silvia
hudson___wy
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks for the info on the Oxhearts Silvia. I want to do some reading on the varieties you recommend.

Brandywine Sudduth made a seed saver out of me!! The taste of Brandywine Sudduth and Brandywine OTV was so good I want to replicate it every year!! I hope I have cloned the exact plants we have this year! I'm not giving up on our Brandy Boys -mind you - in fact I saved F2 seeds this year.

That was way easier than I had thought - assuming they germinate next year that is!!
Seysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7
7 years ago
I see that "Lacto Fermentation" is at work. It is almost done when you see a layer of that white goo on top. That is how pickles used to be made: Just salt and water.

Sey
Randall__UT
7 years ago
The best germinating seeds we plant are those we save ourselves, so we're committed food bank junkies. In the past we haven't been too discriminating on which plants we save seeds from; now on we're going to choose the healthiest and most productive. On the other hand, Hudson's approach of rooting cuttings for his "second season" is real cloning in action - hope they keep the magic going!
mnwsgal
7 years ago
Great to see some ripe Brandywine Suddoth tomatoes. Still a long wait here as just planted out last Monday. Plants have adjusted well and putting out new growth.
Seysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7
7 years ago
I will probably grow BW Sudduth next year based on Hudson's reviews. Every year I take one of his favorites. This year I am growing New Big Dwarf.

sey
hudson___wy
Original Author
7 years ago
Sey - I hope you have better luck with New Big Dwarf and Brandywine Sudduth than you did with Brandy Boy! Brandywine Sudduth may respond similar to Brandy Boy in your Climate? Sudduth has done well for us though!
alan7975
7 years ago
WOW! I'm amazed people in colder climates already have ripe Brandywine S's. Mine are still little green globs from plants that sprouted Feb 10. And I'm in sunny California!

Hudson, you may have had the first ripe BS but I may get you in production. My BS plants are full of blossoms with a dozen or more green globs (scientific vegetable term) already formed. :)
Ohiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
7 years ago
We probably ought to have divisions in this contest -- like greenhouse, tunnel and unenhanced nature. Oh yeah, and another one for Hudson.
Randall__UT
7 years ago
Yup, although I usually need someone that inspires. That would be Hudson...
hudson___wy
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I think you are right Alan - your plant looks very productive!! There is another thing that your plants will have that mine were a bit deprived - SUN !! I bet your BS tomatoes will also be larger than mine! Can't wait to see how they perform in Sunny California!

Ohiofem, Randall, Sey, mnwsgal, whgille - You are all too kind, thanks for your comments! Greenhouse really should be a separate category if enough GH gardeners would participate!
averycason
7 years ago
I will try the bw ss for next year myself
alan7975
7 years ago
I saw in the contest categories that there was a "Most blossoms on one truss". I'd like to enter these two. It's a Brandywine Sudduth. The first one has 13 and the second one has 17. Don't know if that's a lot or not.
alan7975
7 years ago
My BW SS is pretty productive, but NOTHING is anywhere close to being ripe.
Julia_WI Zone 5b
7 years ago
Here is my BW update.

I was pleasantly surprised that my BW got lots of flowers, doing much better than last year that I got my seeding from Home Depot. I bought my seed pack from our local garden center (Stein's), it just says Brandywine Pink, did not say anything else, but I assume it might be one of the productive variety.

Also, my BWs set fruits almost the same time as my Big Beefs and Parker's Improved Whopper, which are supposed to be shorter DTM. The largest set of fruits are similar size too.
hudson___wy
Original Author
7 years ago
Alan - nice Brandywine Sudduth! I think you will win the most blossoms on a truss!! Can you get a count? Those are very productive BW-S ! It appears that a high percent of blossoms are setting fruit too!

Julia - your plants look great! Are they Sudduth? Unless the pkg identifies it as Suddith it is hard to know - but whatever it is - the plants look great!
Julia_WI Zone 5b
7 years ago
Hudson,

I did not know if it is Sudduth or not. The package did not say. This is my second year of growing tomatoes, I can only compare to myself from last year. They got many flowers going, a lot more than last year.
hudson___wy
Original Author
7 years ago
Just for comparison sake - you may want to try a package of seeds next year that are labeled Brandywine Sudduth - then you know you have the Sudduth strain. I have grown Brandywine Pink and Brandywine Sudduth. The Sudduth strain was much more productive and little taste difference when compared to Brandywine Pink. The Sudduth strain out performs Brandywine Pink for us - it may also in your garden. Your Brandywine Pink plants look great - as did mine. FYI
alan7975
7 years ago
Hudson- the best truss I had on one of my BWS was 20 blossoms but I lost 5 to blossom drop so my best truss to date is 17. I just did a count and there are 46 formed fruit on that plant with lots more blossoms opening every day. This BWS is getting huge and crowding out the Chocolate Stripes it's planted next to. But still not one sign of ripening, even with the great California sunshine we've been getting.
hudson___wy
Original Author
7 years ago
Nice Photos Alan! Your plants look awesome! We don't worry about blossom drop for the number of blossoms per truss. So someone needs to have more than 20 blossoms per truss to knock you out of that category! Most ripe tomatoes produced on a single truss takes into consideration blossom drop.
yolos - 8a Ga. Brooks
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
My Brandywine Suddath is very productive. I have always grown Pink Brandywine and it was never very productive. I was lucky to get 3 or 4 tomatoes all season. The Suddath strain is really pumping out the tomatoes.

Here is my biggest one to date. Just over 1 pound.
hudson___wy
Original Author
7 years ago
I had the exact experience as you did Yolos! Brandywine Pink had a good taste but production was very low - only 3 to 4 per plant. Sudduth made growing heirloom tomatoes a viable option for us! The best heirloom tomato for taste and production that we have grown to date!
yolos - 8a Ga. Brooks
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
My biggest yet. 1 pound 9+ oz. = 25.7 oz
hudson___wy
Original Author
7 years ago
Congratulations Yolos - you are the leader in the largest Brandywine Sudduth Tomato! 25.7 oz !!
alan7975
7 years ago
Finally!! My BWS are just starting to get color

A smaller BWS behind the main plant in a self-watering container.

Lots of fruits on the main plant.
hoosier40 6a Southern IN
7 years ago
Picked my first Brandywine Sudduth's yesterday and though I haven't tasted it yet I am impressed with the plant and the tomatoes on it.
hoosier40 6a Southern IN
7 years ago
alan7975
7 years ago
I also picked my first BWS today. Fruits are all finally starting to ripen. Can't wait to try it tonight.
hudson___wy
Original Author
7 years ago
Alan - they look great! Loaded too! I know you will like the taste but please give us a report!
rgreen48
7 years ago
I also picked my first Brandywines today. I don't think I'll have anything worthy of placing in the contest. There may be a few good sized fruits on the vines yet, but I doubt they will be in the running for anything. I therefore sentence them to go under the knife. Off with their slices!

The 2 fused fruits on the center are the Brandywines. The first Cherokee Purples also came in today. The 3 on the left are Rose, and all the medium sized fruits are Bellstar. The ones in the blue dish are Sweet Olive and White Cherry. Yep, tomato harvest season has started.
mnwsgal
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Those look yummy. I picked my first tomato today but it wasn't a B Sudduth. Deer had been through during the night/morning and eaten all the tiny tomatoes and most of the blossoms on Sudduth. There are some new blossoms at the top and I've been using a toothbrush hoping for more tomatoes.

We've had rain often enough that deer and rabbit repellants aren't working. Think I will try netting over the tops. The bottom halves were caged with chicken wire this spring.

(Edited to add: I was mistaken on the identity of the tomatoes eaten,
not Sudduth.) Picked two from Sudduth that were just blushing a few days ago. Will take a photo tomorrow. Added netting to prevent deer from eating tomatoes and blooms on all my plants.)
alan7975
7 years ago
I'd like to enter this under the category of "Most tomatoes on one truss". This truss has 10 full size fruits and they're all ripening. I picked one from this truss this morning and it was a 1 pound 1 ounce beauty.
hudson___wy
Original Author
7 years ago
Entry noted Alan! What a beautiful Truss loaded with large fruit! They are beauties!
mnwsgal
7 years ago
Correction, it wasn't Suddoth that was eaten, rather Azychoka. Last night I put netting around all the tomato plants and noted that Suddoth has a blushing tomato near the bottom.
rgreen48
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Not quite as heavy as Yolos' above, but this is my largest so far...

I'm not sure there will be anything heavier still out on the vines, but It's producing just fine. I'll definitely be including the Suddoth strain in future grows.
mnwsgal
7 years ago
Here is my first ripe Suddoth picked this Monday, July 25. Not as large as other people's. Also picked a 1.23 lb. Stump of the World. We have had several large rainfalls the last two weeks resulting in split tomatoes.
rgreen48
7 years ago
I forgot there was a category for 'prettiest'. Once they are on the table with the other varieties, I can't tell them apart from the 'Rose'. They are identical in looks. Taste is similar, but Rose is slightly sweeter.

Anyway, here's one for 'unusual'...

It's just ugly to me lol.
hoosier40 6a Southern IN
7 years ago
Tomatoes only a mother could love. :)
John A
7 years ago
I have one that's close to turning and it also has a pretty irregular shape.

John A
Seysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7
7 years ago
How are you all doing, contestants ?

I was in farmers market this past Thursday and sa a vendor selling Brandywine Sudduth strain. I was pleasntly surprise and bought one, to taste and maybe to save seeds from. As you can see in the picture there were a lot big ones but I bought one that was almost 10 oz.

Today I sliced it and tasted. Wow ! what a great tasting tomato. Now the seeds are fermenting. Next year I will grow it.

Thanks to Hudson for introducing and promoting this variety

Sey
hudson___wy
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks Sey - glad you like the taste! Growers seem to like to connect this strain to the Amish (just reading the label in the photo) rather than to Doris Sudduth Hill (maybe Doris was Amish?) that had been in their family for 80 years?
John A
7 years ago
My first BSS. 1 lb., 0.6 oz. Had a slice on a sandwich today. Taste was excellent.

John A
K K
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
hi Hudson, That's a nice sudduth fruit you've got. How would you compare sudduth with brandy boy in terms of taste, yield, earliness and ease of growing? And how would you compare the shelf life of both?
hudson___wy
Original Author
7 years ago
KK - there is a greenhouse hydroponics grower in Alaska that has grown both. He is currently growing Sudduth because they produce well for him and he claims there is a better local market for Sudduth. I like Sudduth and plan to continue growing the strain. I find them very similar in taste, earliness, shelf life and ease of growing. I do not grow hydroponically but Brandy Boy has a much better yield for us (maybe 1/3 better yield). The Alaska hydroponics grower claims they are similar in yield. I really suggest you grow them both to see which one does better for you in your climate!!
John A
7 years ago
I grow both in Connecticut and Florida (in the winter). Each year will be different, depending on the weather. This year Sudduth had a little better yield. Both are very tasty and similar. I think Brandy Boy is a little more disease resistant.

John A
mnwsgal
7 years ago
I still have some Sudduth tomatoes that were picked green and now ripening.

The plant ripened tomatoes were delicious but yield was lower and later than Stump of the World and Brandy Boy which are similiar tasting so will not grow Sudduth again.