Favorite Varieties

Can you have the same breakfast every day for a year? Or order the same dish at your favorite restaurant every time you go? Some people are extremely happy doing that; if it works for them, cool. It so doesn't work for me.

That's probably related to why I like to try new varieties of food in my garden, too. When I had a lot of space, I'd often choose 1 or 2 tried and true and 1-3 promising and potentially better. With all the varieties of some items, this was a huge part of the fun.

One of the hardest parts was getting good information about the varieties - high acid or low acid? Thick or thin skin? High sugar, low sugar? And many more.

I'd love to have a place where we could share information about the varieties we've tried - the good, bad, and indifferent. I realize that what you may love, I may not, but the reasons you love it may be enough to tell me I will not, saving me time and allowing me to concentrate on what I love.

Tomatoes
Loved, loved, loved:
Odoriko - thin skinned Japanese hybrid, lovely mid to large fruits, consistent sizing, firm but juicy texture flavor extremely balanced - nothing too sharp, too sweet, just perfect tomato taste. Yield was high.
Black Prince - I haven't grown them in ten years, so maybe I'm not remembering them correctly, but oh were these delicious. Somewhat ugly, I remember my grandmother unwilling to try them initially, but after she did, she would always ask if I brought any when I'd stop by for a visit. They are green, chestnut, red and black at the same time, if that's possible. They were slightly egg-shaped, medium to small sized, very juicy, with a great texture and flavor. More pronounced tomato flavor than Odoriko, they were also very balanced. Yield was moderate to high.

Good, but:
Brandywine - flavor good, yields so-so (variable year to year), had more difficulty with diseases than with some other heirlooms. Note: these were, I believe, the original Brandywines, as I was growing them very early in the heirloom movement. I certainly did not recall more than one variety available, unlike now, when there are ten or fifteen.

Enh:
Cherokee Purple -I really only remember two things: poor yield and undistinguished taste, but I can't remember what was wrong with the taste. I just knew I wasn't going to waste my time again

Carmello - I also remember little about this except how disappointed I was. I kept reading about how it was one of Europe's top tomatoes. It's one of the few plants where I actually would avoid picking it because I knew I would simply have to find a home for them.

Costoluto Genovese - This may have been a great tomato; I didn't read the description well before I ordered it. The skin is very firm, making it a good choice for broiling or grilling. I don't use tomatoes that way and it didn't work for me as a salad or eating out of hand tomato. It seemed more like a pepper - in that you could stuff it. It also would probably work well for sauces, something I didn't make at that time.

Odoriko sounds very promising...I may take a crack at some of those this summer.

My approach to tomato growing is rather disorganized: I buy little plants at Oak Park's annual sale, lose the little descriptive tags throughout the summer, and then just randomly pull fruit during harvest time. This year, I'll try to pay more attention.

As far as tomatoes go, I've had a lot of luck with the orange-striped varieties: both Marvel Stripe and Pineaple Tomatoes have been terrific. For cherry tomatoes, I'm a big fan of Sunsugar: they're bright orange, bear heavily and are thin-skinned and sweet.

I also love the new Neon Lights Swiss Chard, as well as the Yellow variety that you can put in pots as an ornamental.

Somewhere, somebody had a red bunching onion that I can't find seeds for anymore - but I loved it.

I was thinking of trying the yellow chard this year. My mom didn't like the City Lights - but I don't remember why. I think it was taste related, not growing related, but I don't recall.

I wonder if one of the seed saver exchanges could help with your onion quest...

David Hammond wrote:Odoriko sounds very promising...I may take a crack at some of those this summer.

My approach to tomato growing is rather disorganized: I buy little plants at Oak Park's annual sale, lose the little descriptive tags throughout the summer, and then just randomly pull fruit during harvest time. This year, I'll try to pay more attention.

I've taken that same approach in recent years since I seem to always be too disorganized to start seeds now that I'm in a condo and all my equipment is in storage. I forgot to get it, I think about it too late, blah, blah. Then I end up with three of four different tomatoes and hope for the best. I lose the tags....hmmm, sounding just like your story, David.

This year, I'm determined to pay more attention as I used to.

I had some of the same problems last year: I grew an orange striped tomato, that I thought was just rotting on the vine, but no, I was ignoring the ripe ones thinking they weren't ready yet.

This year -- popsicle sticks. My seedlings under a CFT lamp are all doing well, except for the red bell peppers which have yet to emerge after about 12 days. Perhaps it's time for more seeds. And a poster above was right: I was too early on the cukes. They're going to get way too big for the containers way too fast.

Super Chile--see here. Bulletproof in the garden, no diseases, makes a huge crop every year. The product is not too hot, not too mild, it dries perfectly, grinds perfectly. Best all-round chile I've *ever* grown.

Geo

Holy Cow....this is an amazing University resource site.

I was looking up info on an Asian brassica I purchased. The seeds have no Latin name and say "Pak Choy - Choy Sum - Yellow Flowering Pak Choi"

OK. I knew there were several varieties, that some were quick, some longer, etc.

But, then I landed on the above site. There were 58 varieties listed! Yeesh. It didn't really help me determine what I have or how I should harvest it (I think I'll just cut 'em off and eat 'em this weekend), but it certainly boggled my mind.

It allows you to rate varieties you've grown; it helps you choose what's suitable for your area, too.

The yellow blossoms are no clue to variety of pak choi as most if not all varieties have yellow flowers. Most pak choi varieties develop strong flavors as they bolt, hence the preference for slow-bolting varieties.

ekreider wrote:The yellow blossoms are no clue to variety of pak choi as most if not all varieties have yellow flowers.

Yep. That's why I was trying to find more info to see what I have....to no avail. You gotta love the person that named this "yellow flowering," though. It's like called any package of beef "red meat." Tell me something that means something!

I planted it at least 35-40 days ago. It's supposed to be 50 days. It just started really coming on in the last week, but the stalks are still quite thin, yet the flowers on top are completely blooming. Not sure how long I should let it go. I could just chop off the tops and see if it sprouts side stems...

Sorry for derailing the original thread about favorite varieties

Speaking of favorite varieties, I bought a lovely lettuce mix this spring that I am so happy with. It was from Bountiful gardens and includes some of every lettuce they have. I thought that sounded fun. But, it's much more fun in reality!

I have so many different types of lettuce, and many that I've never grown or seen before. They are beautiful, really, with oak leaves, spotted leaves, deep greens, reds, light greens, uprights, etc.

If you haven't ever tried lettuce but you'll eat many varieties, this is a fun way to start experimenting. The hard part will be if I find one I love and can't figure out what it is...

I was trying to figure out what some of my cute lettuces might be and stumbled on this extensive lettuce primer. This grower has provided notes about the lettuces that have worked well, not worked well, the flavor, etc. If you are into lettuce, it's worth perusing.

Last week I visited an urban farm in Milwaukee was told that when their spinach bolts, its flavor does not change.

My experience with other leafy greens is that bolting triggers a sharp, bitter taste.

Does bolting affect the taste of different greens differently?

Spinach is unusual in that flavor normally does not change when bolting starts. However, the new leaves have a different shape with much less leaf to rib ratio. Spinach leaves become somewhat tougher as they grow older independently of bolting or not.

Greens of the chicory or mustard families tend to become bitter and/or stronger with bolting or hot weather. Since bolting and hot weather tend to happen about the same time in Chicago, disentangling the effects is difficult.

Green Ice leaf, Red Sails leaf and Jericho romaine are more heat tolerant and do not become bitter as fast. These cultivars are good for late lettuce plantings.

I've not grown many things that bolt, a few herbs or radishes.

This year I've got a couple in the mustard family. Approximately how hot before they bolt? Anything to look for to tell that they are about ready to go?

ekreider,

appreciate your response...many thanks

First tipoff on bolting is the small flower buds rather than leaf buds at the tip of the stem. Degree of maturity is at least as important as heat for bolting in many plants related to mustard.

I have never had a bolting problem with mustard greens, which become too strong and tough for us well before they bolt. The three warm days we had recently ramped up the flavor of some pretty small mustard greens, which are still tender enough to do double duty in a sandwich. A lot more flavor than lettuce with no need for prepared mustard.

Arugula tends to become pretty strong before it bolts; the white flowers are rather pretty.

In 2007 I grew some generic pak choi from Lake Valley Seeds. We had a blast of hot weather, and these bolted when they were about four inches tall. Strongest flavor in pak choi I have ever had, more like mustard greens. Consider this version as one to avoid because I have grown some other kinds with no problems under similar conditions.

I thought I posted this Cornell University site somewhere....but here is where it should be, in the thread about varieties. Because, man-o-man, they have done a good job of listing the varieties available. Best part? You can create an account and rate your tomatoes, spinach, chard and tyfon.

Although I lean away from factory-farmed seeds when I'm growing my own, Burpee's "Biker Billy Hybrid" Jalapeno are excellent: large fruits, prolific, and hotter than average for a jala.

I should really keep a seed diary though -- last year I had a yellow-orange tomato that (once I realized that they weren't going to turn red, and that's why they were rotting before they got red) had amazing flavor, both sweet and acid.

Joel, after I posted the link to Cornell (above), I joined the site. It sort of functions as your own diary! I went ahead and posted reviews of several tomatoes and plan on adding more to it. It keeps track of everything you've rated, which is great. Not sure if you can sort them in any way, but at least you have a list. And, for me, that's much better than some scrap paper I'm likely to put it on....and then lose.

Second Edit: I will definitely grow these Honey Bunch Grape tomatoes again. I don't know that I'll grow them every year, but may alternate them with a few other grape tomatoes that I like. The flavor improved tremendously over the summer; I don't know if I picked them too quickly at first, but that's my thought. Mr Views commented today, as he was popping them into his mouth like candy, that they didn't taste anything like the ones we first picked. They are very hard to tell when ripe because of the large endcap. It covers enough of the top of the tomato that you can't see if it's unripe underneath. The ones that are all red under the cap when picked are much sweeter and better tasting. And, that crunchiness that I first complained about? I love it! These never get soft and mushy and are like a burst of crisp sweet juiciness in your mouth. Mmmmmm.

First Edit: As the summer has progressed, these have grown on me. I love that they do not get soggy or squishy. They stay crisp. The taste seems to have improved or else I'm just getting used to it and love them. Veloute was visiting last weekend and kept popping them into her mouth, appreciating them quite a bit. So, while they aren't on the top of my list, I would grow them again.

Original Post: I can add a variety that I do not like much: Honey Bunch Grape tomatoes. They were OK, but not much better than supermarket grape tomatoes. I also had a love/hate relationship with their skin and texture. They are almost crisp they are so firm. I swear you could keep them two months and they wouldn't get soft.

This definitely goes on my not grow again list.

I like to give a shout out to heirloom Lemon cucumbers:

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2008/08/the-lemon-cucum.html

Due to space and sun limitations I have to grow everything in pots on a deck. Despite our cool summer, three plants in a 14" pot grew like gangbusters and are are still producing prolifically. I'm not a cucumber fan but my wife said they were delicious with less bitterness and more sweetness than regular cucumbers.

I also grew heirloom Armenian cucumbers which are not really a cucumber:

http://penfoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/06/armenian-cucumbers.html

These were also pronounced delicious but did not bear well. With the cooler summer, I'm not sure if it's the weather or pot issue.

I will definitely again grow both okras that I tried. Little Lucy and Cajun Delight. Little Lucy is such a pretty plant and the pods are purple. They have stayed compact in my EBs and are producing well, given the weather. Cajun Delight has grown well, but boy does it STOP producing when it gets cool. Since I'm on a fifth floor deck at the top of our building, it's much warmer and sunnier than if I were in a yard, I imagine. But, even up here when it cools off, it stops growing. Cajun is less bushy than Lucy and started producing at least a week earlier, but both were close to the same time. Surprising, Cajun is only supposed to be 3 ft tall; it started producing at about 2 feet tall and then starting growing. I'd guess that it's easily 4.5 to 5 feet tall right now and still growing.

Taste on both is just fine and both are not tough when they get to 4 - 5 inches. I think the Cajun is a bit tougher when it gets past 5 inches than Lucy, but not sure as I didn't let many get more than 4 inches and picked most at 3.