Tomato : Brandywine (Heritage)

Vegetable

• Crops in : 78 Days
• Ideal for : Children

Description

Cordon (Indeterminate). This variety dates back to 1885 and is regarded as one of the world's finest flavoured 'beefsteak' tomatoes ever offered. Tomato Brandywine yields a heavy crop of firm, clear skinned, light rosy pink fruits on plants with potato like leaves. (Lycopersicon esculentum).

Heritage tomatoes: Thompson & Morgan over the past 100 years have found several tomatoes from their own trials and through travelling around the world seeing and tasting varieties both old and new. We have put together a range of good old fashioned tomatoes from those forgotten years that we consider have stood the test of time. All are unusual in colour and shape having a wonderful flavour of how tomatoes used to be, making a welcome addition to any kitchen garden.

 Customer Rating

Reviews
Wonderful flavour, but have problems
By Kirstine Oswald 26-09-2011
These tomatoes have a superlative flavour and very few seeds, however, in my unheated greenhouse in the Scottish Borders I've had a lot of trouble with rotting and mold plus repeatedly the huge tomatoes break their stems. Some of the tomatoes were huge! I ended up putting them in slings made from the string bags from packs of oranges. I've switched to Marmande which has a comparable flavour but fewer problems.

Lovely flavour
By Alison James 21-09-2010
These are lovely, no seeds and my first one grew bigger than a grapefruit! You do have to be patient as they take a while to ripen due to their size (I had mine in a plastic patio greenhouse) but they are brilliant, especially sliced with Olive oil and fresh Basil leaves, a real treat. Everyone who tasted them commented on the flavour.

Sowing Instructions

Sow seeds in late winter for heated greenhouse cultivation or early spring for the cold greenhouse and mid spring for outdoors. Sow 6mm (¼in) deep in a good compost. Germination usually takes 6-14 days at 24C (75F). Transplant seedlings when large enough to handle into 7.5cm (3in) pots and grow on in good light and cooler conditions.

Growing Instructions

When 15-23cm (6-9in) tall plant out 45cm (18in) apart in a prepared greenhouse border soil, growbag, 23cm (9in) pots or ring culture. Remove side shoots as they appear and pinch out the growing point when 5-7 trusses have formed. Provide adequate support and tie in main stem at regular intervals.

To grow outdoors, gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions and plant out after all risk of frost is gone, 45cm (18in) apart in a sunny spot on light, rich, well drained soil. Remove side shoots regularly and pinch out the growing point after four trusses have set. Provide adequate support and tie in main stem at regular intervals.

Aftercare

Water regularly and feed using a high potash fertilser once the first truss has set. Remove side shoots regularly and pinch out the growing point after four trusses have set. Provide adequate support and tie in main stem at regular intervals.

Nutritional Information

Tomatoes are packed with antioxidants and are rich in Vitamins A and C and lycopene, all helping to stimulate your body's immune system.