Brandywine Tomato Seeds

Days to Maturity: 80 to 100

Indeterminate (Vining)

The most popular heirloom tomato in America, Brandywine is a fruit vegetable that sets small "perfect" flowers followed by large purplish red fruits that are not at all uniform and can weigh up to 2 lbs. Brandywine is a true classic and a favorite among connoisseurs of tomatoes. The flavor is tangy (some say spicy) but also rich and sweet, with a juicy, succulent, satisfying bite. Tomatoes are considered a superfood for their nutrient rich content, having a high (top 20) Aggregate Nutrient Density Index score (ANDI), or micronutrient-per-calorie density. Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C and provide vitamin A and potassium. They also contain carotenoid lycopene and beta-carotene as well as phenolic acids and flavonoids.

Usually grown as an annual, Brandywine, an herbaceous tender perennial, is a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), which contains plants that typically grow in temperate to tropical regions. A prolific indeterminate variety, often called a "vining" tomato, Brandywine requires staking or caging for support. Blossoms and fruit continue to develop as the vine grows, so, it bears an impressive amount of fruit over the course of a season. This variety is a good option for a farmers market crop.

Brandywine grows best in full sun and moist, humusy, deep, fertile loams with a preferred pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Open pollinated, the plant produces seed that grows true to variety, ideal for seed saving.

A warm-season vegetable, sensitive to cold temperatures and frost, tomato seeds should be direct sown into warm spring soil after all threat of frost has passed. Seeds can also be started indoors about 5 to 6 weeks before transplanting to the garden. Flowers begin to set fruit with night temperatures between 55 and 75°F. Protect plants with row covers if temperatures are expected to dip below 50°F. Mulching helps to moderate soil temperature and to maintain soil moisture.