Heirloom

Brandywine

Solanum lycopersicum

Harvest

78d

Days to harvest

📅

Sun

Full sun

☀️

Zones

10–10

USDA hardiness

🗺️

Height

1-10 feet

📏

Planting Timeline

Zone:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Start Indoors

Transplant

Harvest

Start Indoors

Transplant

Harvest

Showing dates for Brandywine in USDA Zone 7

All Zone 7 tomato →

Zone Map

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Brandywine · Zones 10–10

What grows well in Zone 7? →

Growing Details

Difficulty

Difficult

Spacing36-48 inches

SoilRich, deep, well-drained soil with abundant organic matter

pH6.2-6.8

WaterHigh — consistent moisture needed

SeasonWarm season annual

FlavorIntensely sweet, rich, and complex with perfect acid balance

ColorPink to rose-pink with some yellow shoulders

Size1 lb.

Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar

Zone	Indoor Start	Transplant	Direct Sow	Harvest
Zone 1	May – May	July – August	—	October – August
Zone 2	April – May	June – July	—	September – September
Zone 11	January – January	January – February	—	April – June
Zone 12	January – January	January – February	—	April – June
Zone 13	January – January	January – February	—	April – June
Zone 3	April – April	June – July	—	September – October
Zone 4	March – April	June – June	—	August – October
Zone 5	March – March	May – June	—	August – October
Zone 6	March – March	May – June	—	August – October
Zone 7	February – March	April – May	—	July – September
Zone 8	February – February	April – May	—	July – September
Zone 9	January – January	March – April	—	June – August
Zone 10	January – January	February – March	—	May – July

Complete Growing Guide

We describe Brandywine's luscious, heirloom flavor as "very rich, loud, and distinctively spicy." The large fruits, often over 1 lb., have a deep pink skin and smooth red flesh. The medium-tall, potato-leaf plant is best staked or caged. Our 'Quisenberry' strain is considered among the best. Indeterminate. According to Johnny's Selected Seeds, Brandywine is 78 days to maturity, annual, open pollinated, indeterminate growth habit. Notable features: Heirloom, Organic Seeds, Plants, and Supplies.

Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day). Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. Spacing: 3 feet-6 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: High. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.

Harvesting

Brandywine reaches harvest at 78 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. Expect 1 lb. at peak. As an annual, harvest continues until frost ends the season.

The fruits are smooth, shiny, glossy, and are classified as berries. The size, shape, and color will vary depending on the variety or cultivar. The color of the fruits may be red, yellow, orange, green, purple, or pink. The fruits may contain over 100 yellow to light brown seeds.

Color: Gold/Yellow, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy, Variegated. Type: Berry. Length: > 3 inches. Width: > 3 inches.

Garden value: Edible, Showy

Harvest time: Fall, Summer

Edibility: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.

Storage & Preservation

Store freshly harvested Brandywine tomatoes at room temperature (68–72°F) away from direct sunlight until fully ripe; refrigeration damages their complex flavor profile and should be avoided unless fruit is overripe. Keep them in a single layer on a clean cloth or cardboard to prevent bruising. Properly ripened tomatoes keep for 5–7 days at room temperature before quality declines.

Because their thin skin and high water content make them unsuitable for traditional canning, focus instead on freezing for cooked applications: core and quarter the fruit, then freeze whole on a tray before transferring to bags. You can also slow-dry them in a low oven (200°F, 6–8 hours) for concentrated flavor, though this diminishes their prime fresh-eating appeal.

Given this variety's reputation for unparalleled taste, prioritize eating them fresh within days of harvest rather than preserving. Their superior flavor is the whole point—don't compromise it by chasing shelf life.

History & Origin

Brandywine is an heirloom variety with documented breeding heritage. Brandywine is open-pollinated, meaning seed saved from healthy plants will produce true-to-type offspring. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.

Origin: Peru

Advantages

+Intensely rich, complex flavor with perfect acid balance that defines heirloom excellence
+Large fruits often exceeding 1 lb provide substantial harvests per plant
+Deep pink skin and smooth red flesh create visually stunning, appetizing tomatoes
+Potato-leaf foliage and indeterminate growth allow flexible staking and season-long production

Considerations

-Susceptible to late blight, early blight, and fusarium wilt requiring vigilant disease management
-Prone to cracking and blossom end rot under inconsistent watering conditions
-Difficult growing difficulty demands experienced gardeners and precise cultivation techniques
-Long 78-day maturity requires extended growing season in short-season climates

Companion Plants

Basil pulls its weight next to Brandywine. The flavor-improvement claim is mostly word-of-mouth, but basil does draw predatory insects and its scent appears to disrupt aphids scouting for a landing spot on nearby foliage. Marigolds — French marigolds (Tagetes patula) specifically — do something more measurable: their roots secrete alpha-terthienyl, a compound that suppresses root-knot nematodes in the surrounding soil. Plant them as a dense border 12 to 18 inches from your tomato stems rather than scattering a few across the bed; a thin row won't build up enough root density to matter.

Fennel is the one to relocate entirely. Its roots release allelopathic compounds that stunt most vegetables, and tomatoes are among the more sensitive. Brassicas cause a different problem — they compete for similar soil nutrients and concentrate aphid populations, and you don't want an aphid reservoir sitting right next to a slow-maturing indeterminate like Brandywine. Keep brassicas in a separate bed, at least 10 feet away.

Plant Together

Basil

Repels aphids and whiteflies, may improve flavor

Marigold

Deters nematodes and aphids with natural compounds

Oregano

Repels spider mites and provides ground cover

Parsley

Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps

Carrots

Help break up soil and don't compete for nutrients

Chives

Repel aphids and may reduce fungal diseases

Nasturtium

Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles

Lettuce

Provides living mulch and utilizes different soil levels

Keep Apart

Black Walnut

Produces juglone toxin that causes tomato wilt and stunted growth

Fennel

Inhibits growth through allelopathic compounds

Brassicas

Compete for nutrients and may stunt tomato growth

Corn

Both attract corn earworm and compete for similar nutrients

Nutrition Facts

Calories

27kcal(1%)

Protein

0.83g(2%)

Fiber

2.1g(8%)

Carbs

5.51g(2%)

Fat

0.63g(1%)

Vitamin C

27.2mg(30%)

Vitamin K

4.2mcg(4%)

Iron

0.33mg(2%)

Calcium

11mg(1%)

Potassium

260mg(6%)

Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)

Pests & Disease Resistance

Resistance

Very limited disease resistance, requires preventive care

Common Pests

Tomato hornworm, aphids, spider mites, cutworms

Diseases

Late blight, early blight, fusarium wilt, cracking, blossom end rot

Troubleshooting Brandywine

What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.

Large gray-green patches spreading across foliage fast — whole branches withering within a few days, sometimes with dark water-soaked spots on fruit

Likely Causes

Late blight (Phytophthora infestans) — a water mold that moves aggressively in cool, wet conditions and can wipe out a planting in under a week
Overcrowded canopy trapping humidity against leaves

What to Do

1.Pull and bag affected plants immediately — do not compost them; late blight spores spread by wind and water
2.Stop overhead watering; switch to drip or soaker hose at the base
3.NC State Extension recommends rotating tomatoes out of a bed for at least 3 to 4 years after a late blight occurrence — 5 to 7 years if fusarium wilt is also present in that soil

Dark, sunken leathery patch on the blossom end of fruit — shows up first on the earliest tomatoes of the season

Likely Causes

Blossom end rot — calcium deficiency in the developing fruit, usually caused by inconsistent watering rather than a soil calcium shortage
Root damage from deep cultivation too close to the plant

What to Do

1.Water deeply and consistently — Brandywine needs high, even moisture; letting the soil dry out between waterings is the most common trigger
2.Mulch 3 to 4 inches deep with straw to hold soil moisture steady
3.Get a soil test before adding calcium amendments — a pH between 6.2 and 6.8 already makes calcium available; adding lime to soil that doesn't need it creates new problems

Fat green caterpillars, 3 to 4 inches long, chewing large ragged holes in leaves and sometimes boring into fruit

Likely Causes

Tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata) — eggs laid by a large sphinx moth; larvae can strip a branch in 48 hours
Missed early scouting — hornworms blend in almost perfectly with green foliage

What to Do

1.Hand-pick by checking the undersides of stems and the top third of the plant where they feed first; drop them in soapy water
2.If you see white rice-shaped cocoons attached to a hornworm, leave it — those are braconid wasp pupae, and they'll kill the caterpillar and parasitize more in the area
3.Apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray to foliage if populations are heavy; it works best on larvae under 1 inch long

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Brandywine tomato take to grow?▼

Brandywine tomatoes require 85-100 days from transplant to harvest, making them a long-season variety. Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before your last frost date for best results. In northern climates (zones 3-5), choose the shortest-season varieties or start extra early to ensure ripening before fall frost.

Is Brandywine tomato good for beginners?▼

Brandywine is considered difficult and not recommended for beginners due to its susceptibility to diseases, need for intensive support systems, and specific growing requirements. New gardeners should start with disease-resistant varieties like Celebrity or Mountain Fresh Plus before attempting heirloom varieties like Brandywine.

Can you grow Brandywine tomatoes in containers?▼

Yes, but use containers at least 20-25 gallons with excellent drainage. The large plant size and heavy fruit production demand substantial root space and consistent moisture. Provide sturdy 8-foot stakes and expect lower yields than garden-grown plants. Container growing actually helps prevent some soil-borne diseases that affect this variety.

What does Brandywine tomato taste like?▼

Brandywine offers an intensely sweet, complex flavor with perfect acid balance and rich, almost wine-like undertones. The taste is often described as 'old-fashioned' tomato flavor at its peak—what tomatoes used to taste like before modern breeding prioritized shipping over flavor. The texture is meaty yet tender with minimal seeds.

When should I plant Brandywine tomato seeds?▼

Start Brandywine seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before your last expected frost date. Seeds germinate slowly (10-14 days) and plants need warm soil (60°F+) for transplanting. In most areas, this means starting seeds in late February to early March for May transplanting. Never rush—cold soil stunts growth significantly.

Brandywine vs Cherokee Purple tomato - what's the difference?▼

While both are prized heirloom varieties, Brandywine produces larger pink fruits (1-2 lbs) with sweeter flavor, while Cherokee Purple yields smaller purple fruits (10-12 oz) with more complex, smoky taste. Brandywine requires longer growing season (85-100 days vs 80-90) but Cherokee Purple offers slightly better disease resistance in most climates.