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Growing Brandywine Black Slicer Tomatoes in the Vegetable Garden

Only sow tomato seeds outdoors in warm climates such as zones 8 and 9. Around two months before the last spring frost, use Minute Soil Coco Coir or another well-draining potting soil to start your seedlings. Plant 2-3 seeds in each cell about a quarter inch deep. Use a gentle watering can or mister hose attachment to water the seeds and keep them moist until germination occurs. The seedlings should be kept warm and will emerge in 7-10 days. When they break the soil surface, promptly move them to direct sunlight or provide a grow light. They should receive 8-16 hours of sunlight paired with darkness .

Once the seedlings are one to two inches tall, thin them so that there is only the strongest seedling per cell. Then, when they have developed two true leaves, fertilize with a mild fertilizer. When the seedlings have grown to fill the cell with their roots, transplant them into 6-inch pots to continue growing. Around two weeks before their predicted transplant date, harden them off. Do this by gradually leaving them outdoors for a few hours during the warmest part of each day and adding a few more hours as the days progress. Keep them indoors at night and if temperatures dip. Once temperatures are consistently around 70 F, transplant the seedlings outdoors. Tomato plants are warm weather lovers and should be protected from temperatures below 50 F. Using protections such as cloches, covers, garden quilts, and others improve survival rates during cold snaps.

Provide Brandywine with loamy, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Add compost to the soil to increase water retention and nutrient density. Adding a calcium powder at the time of transplantation will reduce blossom end rot. When transplanting, remove all the leaves but the top 2-3 sets and bury the plant so that only the reserved leaves are above the soil. This will encourage more root development. Given the right environment, tomato plants, unlike other plants, can sprout roots from anywhere along their stem. Apply an even fertilizer at the time of transplantation.

Throughout the season, conduct maintenance pruning by removing suckers and bottom leaves. Doing this allows the plant to focus on fruiting. Tomato plants must receive full sun throughout the season to thrive. Fertilize once again at mid-season. Watering them in the morning reduces evaporation and water waste. Avoid splashing water on the leaves.

Harvesting. Brandywine Black Slicer Tomatoes

This indeterminate variety will produce fruit until the plant dies. As soon as the tomatoes are ripe, they should be picked. Being quick about it avoids overburdening the plant and encourages more fruit. Harvest the fruit when it is reddish brown, shiny, and firm. Gently twisting the tomato to remove it from the calyx (the green part connected to the tomato) is the least invasive form of harvesting, but the tomatoes can be snipped off if needed. If you know that a frost may soon kill your plant, but it still has fruit on it, harvest the rest of the fruit, regardless of ripeness, and continue ripening them indoors.

About Brandywine Black Regular Leaf Tomato Garden Seeds

Brandywine Black has a gorgeous dark exterior and a succulent, fruity, flavorful interior. Their deep fruity flavor makes them perfect for cooking or even just a fresh snack.

These oblong tomatoes have an intense and fruity flavor. Brandywine Black Regular Leaf tomatoes are the perfect ingredient in any meal!

Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses, Brandywine Black is also resistant to Early Blight and Fulvia Blight. Tomatoes can be grown in containers with at least 20 gallons of soil.

The origin of Brandywine Black is unclear. It may have come from an accidental cross of Brandywine with a regular leaf "purple/black" tomato, such as Cherokee Purple or Black Tula. Others claim it was intentionally developed on a farm in Ohio. Others still say it results from a cross between New Big Dwarf and Paul Robeson.

Brandywine tomatoes are indeterminate. They are heavy-yielders yet should have support, such as a tomato cage for the vines to climb up.

Tips From Our Gardeners

"The difference between the regular and potato leaf varieties of Brandywine Black is simply the leaf shape. Some gardeners claim one shape is preferred over the other. The fruit is the same."

- Lara Wadsworth, True Leaf Market Writer

Other Resources

• Guide to Tomatoes

Brandywine Black Slicer Tomato Seeds Per Package:

• 300 mg packet - Approximately 65 Seeds
• .25 oz - Approximately 1,700 Seeds
• 1 oz - Approximately 6,800 Seeds
• 4 oz - Approximately 27,200 Seeds
• 1 lb - Approximately 108,800 Seeds

Non-GMO Brandywine Black Slicer Tomato seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on qualifying orders.