Spring 2008

Enjoy the benefits of vegetable gardening as a source of both good wholesome food and personal satisfaction. Food picked fresh from the garden tastes better and has more vitamins than food purchased from stores. When you grow your own, you can control the chemicals that are in and on your food. Most vegetables require at least 6 hours of sunlight a day and at least an inch of water a week. If it does not rain enough, you must provide the water.

Herbs listed with the vegetables are sold in packs.
The herbs listed in the Herb section are grown in single pots.

Patio Vegetable Collection

Lack of time and space can be remedied by planting in containers. A barrel, tub or pot outside your back door, on a balcony or porch can provide plenty of fresh produce.

These vegetables are compact or dwarf varieties that were bred to grow well and produce in pots.  Use container that are 12-inch or larger.

Berri Basket– verbearing - large, deep red, full flavored fruit until frost – matures 30 days after flowering - compact, bushy plant - space 1 foot apart
Cucumber Patio Pickle – 45 days – 4” med. green fruit – compact vine
Eggplant Mohican - upright - masses of medium white eggplants
Pepper Apache - attractive dwarf chili pepper - fruits all summer - 2-3”peppers that start green and turn to bright red
Pepper Cheyenne – compact chili that fruits all summer – masses of medium-sized (4-5”) orange peppers – 18”
Pepper Mohawk - true bell pepper - very early, high yield of 4-5” fruits
Pepper Redskin - 4-5” peppers ripen to red - very early - high yields -compact and upright
Pumpkin Windsor – 90 days - mini pumpkins grown along stem – 18”
Squash Balmoral – 70 days - unique white butternut squash – upright 18” bush
Tomato Totem - early, crimson (2-3”) tomatoes - high yield - no staking or pinching – 18-36”
Tomato Tumbling Tom – high yields of sweet, delicious, red (1-2”) tomatoes – cascading, branching plant, perfect for hanging baskets
Tumbler - D, 49 days - extra early - up to 6 lbs of very sweet, tasty 1-2” cherry-type fruit –cascading, good for hanging baskets
Zucchini Buckingham – 70 days - yellow zucchini with good yields – pick when 6-7” long – 18”

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Artichoke (Globe artichoke) - Easy to grow. The “globe” is the flower bud and contains the edible parts: the fleshy bases of the outer bracts, the inner bracts, the receptacle and portions of the floral stem.
Imperial Star – 85 days. 
Arugula (Roquette) - Mustard-like leaf with peppery flavor. Zesty accent in any salad. Cook mature leaves. Spring and fall crops. Remove flowers to keep plants from going to seed. 
Astro - 38 days
Basil - Easy to grow. Basil sold in the veggie area is sold in packs. There are more varieties of basil listed in our herb section.
   Dwarf Bush
   Genovese
   Italian Large Leaf
   Spicy Globe
   Valentino
Beans, Dry -
   Cannellini (White Kidney) - 100 days - classic Italian white bean - upright, vigorous, productive
   Garbanzo (Chick Pea) - 65 days - tan bean with nut-like flavor - unusual erect, bushy plants - use as shell bean or allow to dry 
   Red Kidney - 100 days - rich flavor - used in Spanish and Mexican dishes
 Beans, Fresh –
   Envy (Edamame) - 75 days - bush soybean - early - great fresh or dried
   Kentucky Wonder - 65 days - pole - 8” pods - heavy yields - freezes well
   Tender Crop - 53 days - bush - 5-6” pods - disease resistant -freezes well
Beets - Easy to grow. Edible greens for salads. Likes cool weather.
   Bulls Blood – 58 days – 35 days for baby leaf – heirloom candy striped roots and deep red leaves
   Detroit Dark Red - 60 days - 3” with sweet deep red skin and flesh
Broccoli - Tasty and loaded with vitamins. Likes to mature in cool weather. Early summer or fall crop.
   Coranado Crown - large blue-green florets - heat tolerant – side shoots
   Early Dividend - 46 days - early to mature - great head size, color & flavor
   Packman - 45 days - hybrid - large buds - 8” head
   Premium Crop - 65 days - hybrid - tight blue-green large head - long lasting
   Raab - 40 days - matures early - 6” leafy stems with many small heads
Brussel Sprouts - Cold-hardy vegetable. Nutty flavor and a better source of Vitamin C than oranges. Flavor improves after a light frost.
   Jade Cross “E” - 90 days - hybrid - large, closely packed - high yields
Cabbage - Hardy, tolerates frost and grows fastest in cool weather.
   Flat Top – 85 days – hybrid - very large - mid to late season 
   Market Prize – 50 days – early – 4 lb head, 6” across - stands well without bursting - Yellows disease resistant
   Ruby Perfection - 85 days - hybrid - slow to burst - 3½ lb red head
   Savoy Ace - 80 days - thin, crinkled leaves - tender texture
Cauliflower - Early summer or fall crop. Nutty-sweet and tender unlike its sad, strong-flavored super market counterpart.
   Cheddar - F1 - 58 days - early orange head - great taste
   Self Blanche - 72 days - 3-4 lb head is 7” across - wrapper leaves curl over heads and blanch automatically
   Snow Crown - 50 days - hybrid - round white 2 lb heads - extra early
Celeriac (Root Celery) - Harvest when root reaches 2” in diameter.
   Large Smooth Prague - 120 days - knobby root forms at soil level.
Celery - Bushy, mounded. Some varieties need special attention but are worth the effort.
   Golden Self Blanching - 82 days - 20”
Chard - Mild, sweet and easy to grow. Replaces spinach during the hot months. Pick late spring to winter. Drought tolerant. Virtually pest free.
   Bright Lights - 60 days - wide range of stem colors
   Rhubarb - 55 days - crimson stalks with glossy green, crinkled leaves
   Swiss - 55 days - green crinkled leaves, white veins, broad white stems
Chicory - Leaves and stalks harvested in spring add zest to salads.
   Cicoria Catalogna (Radichetta) - 65 days - dark green leaves
Chives - See Onions in Vegetable Section and Herb Section
Cilantro - See Coriander in Vegetable Section & in Herb Section
Collards - Juicy leaves have mild cabbage-like flavor. Non-heading.
   Georgia Green - 60 days
Coriander (Cilantro) - Use seeds (Coriander) as a flavoring in sausages, stews, curry and pastries. Leaves (Cilantro) are used in Oriental, Mexican and Mediterranean dishes. Also listed in Herb Section.
   Santo - 45 days - fast growing - slow bolting
Corn - Garden fresh flavor is infinitely superior to store-bought.
   Butter & Sugar - 65 days - hybrid – bicolor
   Honey Select - 79 days - hybrid – triple sweet yellow
   Popcorn - Grown just like sweet corn. Pick ears after husks begin drying. Husk ears and spread in dry, airy spot for a couple of weeks. Test pop a few kernels periodically to determine when the kernels are dry enough to twist from the cobs.
     Robust Yellow - 85-100 days - hybrid – large ears and high yields - excellent popper with large yellow kernels
Cucumber - Cool, mild, refreshing. Harvest fruits small or large.
   Burpee Hybrid - 58 days - 8” - dark green with white spines
   Burpless Bush - 70 days - hybrid - 9-10” - compact and productive
   Bush Crop - 55 days - 6-8”- flavorful, good for small beds
   Bush Pickle (Kirby) - 48 days - hybrid - 4-5”- good in pots or small spaces
   Patio Pickle – 45 days – 4” med. green fruit – compact vine – see Patio Veggie Collection
Eggplant - Upright plants with pretty, violet blossoms and shiny fruits in many hues.
   Bambino - 45 days - hybrid - 1” - dark purple miniatures
   Black Beauty - 72 days - large black teardrop fruit - bushy 2 ft plant
   Classic - 75 days - hybrid - deep purple-black - best known variety
   Dusky - 60 days - hybrid - dark purple - pear shaped - early
   Fairy Tale - F1, 65 days - 2-4” purple & white striped fruit - few seeds
   Ghostbusters - 72 days - hybrid - white skinned
   Ichiban Improved - 54 days - shiny, cylindrical eggplant - blackish purple color Japanese type
   Little Fingers - 68 days - slim - dark purple - prolific - free-setting
   Mohican - medium white eggplants - upright, good in containers – See Patio Veggie Collection
Endive - Curled lacy leaves. Used for salads.
   Green Curled - 95 days - finely cut, curled, fringed leaves
Escarole - Use in salads like you would use Endive.
   Broad-Leaf Batavian - 85 days - upright, smooth, broad leaves
Garlic - Easy to grow. Also considered an herb.
   California Giant - large, white cloves
Kale - Very cold hardy, flavor  improves after first frost.
   Redbor – 60 days – deepest red-purple, frilly leaves - redness and curling enhanced by cold
   Winterbor – 60 days – well curled - blue green leaves- good yields -good cold hardiness –
Kohlrabi -Bulbous, above-ground stem are delicious raw. Flavor and texture of water chestnuts.
   Purple Vienna - 55 days - red-purple flat globe - white flesh roots
   White Vienna - 55 days - flat globe roots - white flesh - slow to bolt
Leeks - Sweet, mild gourmet onion. Excellent for soups and salads.
Lettuce - Performs best in cooler weather.
   Boston - 70 days - butter-head type
   Buttercrunch - 70 days - head - 4½” rosette crisp and juicy
   Galatic – 48 days - red leaf - vigorous - keeps flavor in warm weather
   Great Lakes - 85 days - head - better in hot weather than icebergs
   Mesclun Mild Mix –
   Red Romaine - 57 days - outstanding bright red color - loose head
   Red Sails - 45 days - loose-head - bronze-red crinkled leaves
   Romaine - 75 days - head - long, upright, broad leaves - easy to wash
   Salad Bowl - 45 days - big tender green loose-leaf rosettes - heat tolerant
   Simpson Elite - 45 days - hybrid - loose-leaf - crinkled, curled edges
Melon - Sweetest of all fast-growing fruits.
   Cantaloupe Ambrosia - 88 days
   Honey Dew Earli-Dew - 86 days
   Watermelon Crimson Sweet – 85 days - 15-25 lbs
   Watermelon Sugar Baby – 73 days icebox size fruit
Okra - Do not plant too early. Prefers warm temperatures and soil.
   Cajun Delight – 55 days - harvest immature pods early

Onions
Onion Plants - Cold weather crop. Separate seedlings and transplant into the ground approximately 6” apart.
   Red Burgermaster - 112 days - hybrid – large - red globes - sweet
   White Sweet Spanish - 115 days – mild – large - good for north
   Yellow Sweet Spanish – 115 days – large - globe – shaped - mild
Bunching  Onions (Scallions) - Tender young shoots of bulb onions.
   Green Bunching - 40 days - green-white - no bulb - plant - 2-3” apart
Chives - Delicate, onion flavor for soups, potatoes and salads.
Leeks - Sweet, mild gourmet onion. Excellent for soups and salads.
Onion Sets (small dry onions) - Sold in packages. Green onions early or  full-size onions in 85 days. One pound plants a 50’ row. Easy to grow.
   Red - mild flavor
   White (Ebenezer) - stores well
   Yellow (Stuttgarter) - most common - stores well
 Peanuts
   Jumbo Virginia - 100 days - large peanuts - loose well drained soil - do not over water - harvest just before frost by digging up the entire plant and hanging the plant with the peanuts attached to the roots in a dry airy location until the peanuts are dried
Peas - Plant as soon as the soil can be worked in spring.
   Sugar Snap - 70 days - edible pod - tolerates heat
Potatoes - Plant as soon as soil can be worked in the spring. Plant a  small piece of a seed potato with at least one growing eye. Do not use supermarket potatoes. They may be treated to delay sprouting and inhibit growth. 
   Kennebec - mid season - white skinned - good keepers – excellent yield - highly resistant to blight and tobacco mosaic
   Red Norland - early - round with shallow eyes - thin red skin and white flesh - heavy yields – moderate resistance to scab
   Russet - white - excellent for baking
   Yukon Gold - early - yellow flesh - strong yields
Pumpkin - Delicious pies, roasted seeds and jack-o-lanterns. (Pots Only)
   Baby Bear - 105 days - 1½ lbs - jack-o-lanterns or pies
   Howden – carving type - average 20-25 lbs
   Jack Be Little - 95 days - mini dark orange - 2x3”
   Windsor – 90 days - mini pumpkins grow along center stem – good for container gardening – 18” - see Patio Veggie Collection
Radicchio (Italian Chicory) - Chicory that develops small, tight heads of red to magenta leaves with white veins. Golf ball to soft ball size.
   Alto – 63 days – good heat tolerance
Rhubarb - Perfect for creating great pies.
   McDonald – heavy yields of red stalks - one of the best rhubarbs for heat resistance to the stress of our local summer heat
Spinach - Cold weather favors best growth. Use in salads or cooked.
   Bloomsdale Long Standing - 48 days - thick-textured, crinkled, glossy
   Malabar Red Stem - 50 days - early – warm season spinach on ornamental, red 6 foot vines
   Melody - 43 days - hybrid - high yields of deep green, savoyed leaves
Squash - Easy to grow. Vigorous. Squash blossoms are also edible.
   Acorn Table Ace – 70 days - winter - black-green 4-6”, semi-bush
   Autumn Cup - 95 days – winter - buttercup type - compact vines
   Balmoral – 70 days - unique white butternut squash – upright 18” bush, grows well in pots –
   Early Butternut – 82 days - winter - tan fruits - compact vines
   Spaghetti Pasta F1 – 85 days - winter - yellow - spaghetti-like pulp
   Prolific Yellow Straightneck – 52 days - summer - early straight neck
   Zucchini Ambassador – 51 days - summer - long thin green
   Zucchini Buckingham – 70 days - yellow zucchini - good yields –pick when 6-7” long – 18”,
Strawberry - 
   Berri Basket - everbearing - large, deep red, full flavored fruit until frost - good for containers- space 1 foot apart - see Patio Veggie Collection