The Brandywine varieties are some of the most popular heirloom tomatoes grown in North America. They are known for their huge size, great taste, and pumpkin-like ridges. Many color options are also available in the Brandywine family, including red, pink, orange, yellow and even black tomatoes. Their distinctive potato-plant-like leaves set them apart from most other varieties of tomato.
There are both determinate and indeterminate varieties, but most people associate Brandywine with the indeterminate, vining heirlooms. It’s not known exactly how old these heirlooms are, but it’s believed they came to America with the Amish and are some of the first types to appear in seed catalogs.
Best Soil for Growing Brandywine Tomatoes
This variety prefers slightly acidic soil at a pH of around 6.5. This is difficult to maintain in some areas, so it’s important that the soil be at about this level for a period before planting so as to be sure it can be maintained. More important, however, is the proper amount of nitrogen and to know when to “starve” the plants of it in order to encourage more fruiting.
Proper Care of Brandywine Tomatoes
Unlike other, more common tomato varieties that are more fruit-bearing and less demanding, the Brandywine requires detailed care and maintenance. Watering through ground moisture is important (rather than getting the leaves wet with spray) because it not only feeds the plants with more water, but it eliminates the chances of many types of parasites that can affect this delicate plant.
Normal soil fertility (balanced nutrition) is needed for the beginning stages. Once the plants are established and have grown to a foot or two in size (they will be heavy with leaves and you’ve hopefully been pinching off early suckers), adding fertilizer with no nitrogen (0-10-10 or similar) will lower the N value of the soil and discourage more green foliage growth. This stunting of the rapid growth of the foliage will mean that the plants will become less bushy and bear more fruit instead.
Maintain this nitrogen starvation until fruits have appeared and are established. Then feed a balanced 10-10-10 to begin raising nitrogen levels again. This keeps foliage green, encourages larger leaves, and keeps the harvest getting larger.
Like most tomatoes, Brandywines will also require staking, trellising, or large hoops to hold the plants upright (they can get as tall as 8 feet in some varieties).
When to Harvest Brandywine Tomatoes
Harvest quickly, as soon as the tomatoes are ready. They will likely ripen within the same couple of weeks on any given plant. Tomatoes are ready when they have reached their full size (which can be quite large), full color, and are beginning to become slightly soft to the touch. Delaying the harvest can mean split tomatoes and heavy bruising as the big orbs fall from the plant. Most Brandywine varieties take 90 days or more to reach full ripeness.
Saving Brandywine Tomato Seeds
Seeds can be saved from all heirloom varieties of Brandywine. Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop the seds from the centers. The rest of the tomato can be processed or eaten. The seeds should be cleaned of their filaments and residue and then dried in a hot, relatively dry location.
Direct sunlight is OK for two or three hours a day during this process, but more than that can cause the seeds to dry too quickly and die. Leaving them exposed to predators (birds and the like) is also asking for losses. In warm climates, it will take 2-3 days to dry enough for storage.
Pests and Diseases of Brandywine Tomatoes
Brandywine’s are susceptible to many pests and diseases. Because they take so long to ripen and are not particularly hardy or disease-resistant, they can be afflicted by nearly all tomato pests. Watering at the ground eliminates most of the fungal infections, while encouraging plants like Marigolds and the like around the tomato patch can keep many bugs at bay. Netting is popular as a preventive against birds, bugs, and beetles, but can mean beneficial insects like bees, wasps, and other pollinators and bug eaters are also kept out.
How to Prepare Brandywine Tomatoes
Brandywine’s are the most-favored table tomato of all time. They are sweet, large, and pleasing to taste, though not always perfect-looking. They do not have a long shelf life, however, so canning, pickling, saucing, and drying are also recommended. Dried Brandywines retain a sweet flavor and can be sliced into large, pretty cuts for aesthetic appeal as well.
Tips for Growing Brandywine Tomatoes
Novice gardeners probably should not attempt to grow these as their only variety. Most gardeners require two or three years’ of attempts before they are successful with Brandywine crops. These plants require a lot of tender care, so be sure to have the time to devote all that TLC to them for the entire season.
Want to learn more about growing Brandywine Tomatoes?
Check out these helpful resources:
University of Missouri – Growing Home Garden Tomatoes
University of California – Heirloom Tomatoes
What is the botanical name for the Brandywine tomato? Need asap for a judging with my garden club Mon.Aug.20th. Thank you. Or do you simply call it an heirloom tomato without a scientific name.
I bought a reduced tomato plant at a garden centre, it was only £1, no name on but as the fruit has developed we’ve been told its a brandywine variety. My problem is I only have one fruit on it, very very big though but cant figure out why the flowers just keep dropping off and no tomatoes in sight. The stem just beyond the flower turns yellow, the flower wilts and turns brown then drops off. Any ideas why please. They are polinated well as we encourage bees in our garden. It is being grown outside in a large pot.
Tomatoes, like peppers, beans, and eggplant are self pollinating. You can help this along if you like by GENTLY tapping the stem of the tomato by the bloom, enough to make the bloom vibrate. I do it every few days or whenever I think of it. Good luck :))
Snap off a couple branches just above a cluster of flowers. Don’t know why, but it will put mtos on.
Tomatoes are self pollinating. I have cages around mine and every day I go out and gently shake the cages. I have found they make more when I do this.
This sounds like your blossoms are not being pollinized. Try using a Q-tip, going from flower to flower to pollinate, twirl gently not to harm the blossom. Don’t this at least twice a week.
I bought three tomatoe plants from Costco and one of them was a Barlywine verity. It is over 5 feet tall and lots of flowers that are falling off before fruit can set. I read that this was so to weather, but we have been having weather with in the perimeters. I have pruned a bit but not as much as recommended. Any advice?
Just saw the above question!?
Remove the suckers they are between the main stem and the branch it looks like another stem that will product flowers but it’s not will remove that hope that helps
So I’ve got a Brandywine that has set a few fruit higher up the plant (2ft) and they are growing nicely. Lower down my first and second sets of blooms have set fruit, however the fruit are not growing. Since the higher up fruits that are growing are younger and the lower tiers seem as though they are in stasis. (BTW the dried up flowers are still attached to some of the blooms and the bloom stems are firmly attached.) I sense a problem. Am I wrong. I am a first time tomato gardener. 11 plants, all but the Brandywine, Big Italian and Black Cherry(no fruit, Blossom Drop) have set quite a bit fruit.
Thanks
Mike
How did this go in the end Mike? My Brandywine has similar-sounding ‘issues’ this year – I think it’s not taking up moisture from the roots and the blooms that exist are struggling to fruit, and no new blooms are happening. It’s a shame – it was all going so well, until about 3-4 weeks ago (in Zone 8/9 here, coastal UK). Gill
My pink brandywine plant its about 5 feet tall looks very healthy but there are no flowers on it. Any advice?
Brandywines are very late season producers
Stop feeding it just water it. Sounds like too much Nitrogen .
Are the brandywine tomato plants tolerant of hot weather? I tend to lose my plants in the hotter weather. Thanks!
It’s been in the upper 90’s the last couple weeks, and while I’ve been watering, mine look very happy and not wilted at all.
hey Carl … thanks for commenting! I think my problem is that the plants I lose are planted fairly close to a building wall, facing southwest, and that reflection off the building intensifies the heat. It must be too much, since these plants ultimately fail and die, but other tomato plants in other areas of my yard seem to survive quite well. We also have temp’s in the 90’s where I am, just west of Boston. I think next year I will need to provide a sunshade screen over the plants in this location.
I’ve been growing Red Brandywine Tomatoes by seed since March in my Mom and Dad’s house and possibly some others that I’m not sure about that I should have labeled which is a very good idea so that I don’t make this same exact mistake in the future.
Anyways it says it takes up to 90 days or more to grow these bad boy tomatoes and I transplanted them in the backyard here in the State of Washington around in June.
Also I’ve been using organic fertilizer starter while they were indoors and later on I used regular organic fertilizer and bath salt as the bath salt is suppose to help make them produce better fruit and boy are they producing well!
Last but not least I’ve also have been using fish bone meal and regular bone meal as well too.
Anyways I can’t say if they’ll ripen here in Renton,WA due to our temperate climate but I won’t give up at all as there are other varieties from Europe that grow in a similar climate to that of Western Washington State.
Also I wouldn’t mind using a compost tumbler so that I can make super rich soil and as well a worm bin and last but not least by raising Mason and Leafcutter bees so that my garden production goes way up beyond like never before!
I hope these tips help others out.
Bye.
Blossom drop is due to extended heat 100+ for more than 4 hours. And they take along time to ripen.
Thank you! We’ve had unusually hot weather here in Sussex, UK – plus i was keeping the plants in my conservatory (now in the shade outside – and blossom looking better. Gill
This is the first year we have planted Brandywine tomatoes and they are amazing. Lots of 20-24 ounce fruit , and lots of them. Probably have harvested 125 pounds + from 5 plants. Will probably another 50. They make great bloody Mary mix and salsa.
Michael, any hints as to how/when to start, what you plant them in, watering schedule? How long from seed to ripened fruit? I live in the Pacific Northwest but have a grow light and a small greenhouse. I am new at all this, but am trying hard to learn.