Brandy Boy ??

Well,I'm surprised it took as long as it did,but he's here.

I got a Burpee's catalog yesterday,even though it's been years since I ordered from them.Since I was going back to the office,I took it along and started flipping through it.

There he was on page 2.Their new _hybrid_ Brandywine...It's a pink _potato leaf_ hybrid tomato!

Now I asked this very question of Carolyn earlier this year,because I was curious if there were any hybrid PL tomatoes.I had never run across any,and was curious.She had never heard of any at that point either..so this is a first.
I'm almost curious enough to order a package...*gasp*..Supposed to be productive and crack free..hmmm...

Burpee's claim that Brandywine is a parent,and they tack the 'Boy' on the end,so I'm assuming that it has part of the Big Boy in it's heritage.I'd be curious about it's pedigree,but I guess if anyone told,they'd be shot.

Just thought I'd throw this out for everyone's reaction.It sounds to me like Burpee's is trying to accomplish a couple of things.first,to get the hybrid people who turn their noses up at our heirlooms to buy something with a familiar tag..second,since they know that people who grow heirlooms seriously don't use Burpee's for a seed source,they're trying to tempt us.Oh,yes...possibly third...they actually are trying to develop a hybrid with good taste and production...yeah,right.Actually,I think they want a plant that they can sell with the Brandy name that you have to come back year after year to buy seeds from them.

Well,it certianly got me curious.What about y'all??

Melody,

Here's the so called scoop on Brandy Boy.

Seeds and plants for it were available last Spring but only thru the Burpee website, so there are quite a few folks who have grown it and reported back.

And I haven't heard any glowing reports at all. it does NOT taste like Brandywine. So why grow it?

I think folks should know that George Ball ( owner of Burpee's) is anti-OP, pro-hybrid. Always has been and always will be. He feels very strongly that world famine can be alleviated only with hybrids.

You'll remember that several years ago Burpee offered a Red Brandywine hybrid. I got seeds and also plants and compared them with my own Red Brandywine. There was absolutely NO difference, which makes me wonder what the RB hybrid really was in terms of parents.

Then one fine year they offered Bucks County Red and said it was the hybrid RB. Then that little factoid disappeared and only this year have they gone back to IDing Bucks County Red as the RB hybrid.

Brandy Boy? Nope, not for me, and not even for those who tried it and also grow several hybrids each season.

As I said, why grow it when there's no Brandywine taste?

Just my opinion.

Carolyn, who wonders when you asked me about a PL hybrid when I've known about Brandy boy since last summer. (smile)

Well, this was the conclusion that I'd about come to anyway.It just surprised me,as I wasn't expecting Brandy Boy.

Knowing Burpee's stance on OP seeds just made me wonder.It's a shame they keep messing with something that ain't broke.I'd heard the Buck's County Red/Red Brandy stories,but it slipped my mind when I was reading the blurb for the Brandyboy.

We takled about PL hybrids in an email earlier this year when I was trying to help a gardener in the UK sort out some tomato terms,They had never encountered a PL tomato and I was wondering then if that was unusual.I assumed that the approved seedlist in the UK may have more hybrids on it and that is why they had never heard of one.You graciously answered my questions and it seems that gardeners in the UK are familiar with PL varieties...just not the person who I was corresponding with.

Yup,

I went back and looked at my response to you and I did say I didn't know of any PL hybrids that were available commercially, but I sure wasn't thinking of Brandy Boy at the time. LOL

I was thinking more along the line of standard hybrid hybrids and not an OP that was converted.

So I stand corrected on that.

And I wish Burpee and others would stop fooling around with the standard heirlooms. Not that I have any strong feelings about it, or anything. LOL

Carolyn

So is Mr. Ball and/or his company donating seeds (annually) to third-world countries? Otherwise, I'm wondering how famine-stricken people are supposed to purchase seeds each year? Interesting reading...

I have no idea if Burpee's is donating seeds to third world countries.

Right now, as I'm sure you know, Burpee's is still in bankruptcy, so I doubt they're doing much donating of anythng. (smile).

George used to have an article about his preference for hybrids and his rationale at the Burpee online seed site. I don't know if it's still there.

Yes, I do know him.It goes back to his attempted entrance into the heirloom field with a separate catlog several years ago.

The Ball Seed corporation, headquartered in Chicago is run by his sister and is best known for their hybrid flowers, not veggies. It's wholesale only.

He's convinced that the assumed greater yield of hybrids is the answer. I respond that few hybrids actually do show what is called hybrid vigor. It is seen with veggies that show what's called inbreeding depression, such as corn, but not a lot of veggies do show inbreeding depression.

Carolyn

Awwww, 'twas was merely a tongue-in-cheek (verging on the rhetorical) question ;o)

go vols,

I guess I don't know you well enough to know what's for real and what's tongue in cheek when you make a comment. LOL

Nevertheless, your comment has validity and that's why I answered it as best I could. (smile)

Carolyn

Well, I was grinning, too. It's sad what has happened to Burpee, and I wouldn't expect them to be doing much philanthropic work these days.

But for a seedsman to claim that only hybrids can solve world hunger is akin to the chairman of Mercedes Benz claiming that his product is the only viable means of transportation.

It's a pleasure to read your posts, Carolyn - I always learn something new :)

...But for a seedsman to claim that only hybrids can solve world hunger is akin to the chairman of Mercedes Benz claiming that his product is the only viable means of transportation.

Hah! love it! That should be the quote of the day!