February 2009

New Vegetable Varieties for 2009

Mustard Greens 'Ruby Streaks'
Information
and

Images courtesy
The National Garden Bureau



Gardeners love new varieties. They add excitement to your garden while “growing” your gardening experience. It’s fun to have something new.

Look for these new flowers and vegetables online at e-commerce seed sales websites, in mail order seed catalogs, as seed packets in retail stores, or as bedding plants at garden centers.


Basil 'Boxwood'

Basil 'Boxwood'
Ocimum basilicum

Compact, small-leafed herbs look like boxwoods and are more uniform than other dwarf basils. Very bushy, and very productive. Great for pesto and other culinary uses, as well as ornamental. 12-16 inches tall.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Ball Horticultural Company



Beet 'Chioggia Guardsmark®'
Beet 'Chioggia Guardsmark®'
Beta vulgaris

Unique interior root colors of red and white rings with attractive short, medium green tops. The novel interior color and sweetness with a peppery aftertaste is most appealing. Harvest in 60 days.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Alf Christianson Seed Company



Beet F1 'Solo™'
Beet F1 'Solo™'
Beta vulgaris

Requires less thinning. The roots early maturing, superior uniformity and top yields are combined with erect, deep green and highly disease resistant tops. Harvest sweet, dark red round roots in 50 days.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Alf Christianson Seed Company




Broccoli F1 'Belstar'
Broccoli F1 'Belstar'
Brassica oleracea

Newly re-introduced as certified organic seed! Summer, fall and spring broccoli produces good side shoots for second cuttings. Large 6- to 8-inch domed blue-green heads. Harvest 66 days from transplant.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Bejo Seeds, Inc.



Cauliflower F1 'Graffiti'
Cauliflower F1 'Graffiti'
Brassica oleracea

Unique color and high nutrient value. The large framed deep purple 6- to 8-inch dome shaped heads need sunlight to obtain full purple color. Eat raw or steamed to retain full color. Harvest in 85 days.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Syngenta Seeds Inc. - Rogers



Eggplant F1 'Gretel'
Eggplant F1 'Gretel'
Solanum melongena

Earliest white eggplant. Fruit is set in clusters. Petite plants 3 feet tall add an attractive edible to a large container or flowerbed. Harvest when small, about 3-4 inches in length 55 days from transplant.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Seminis Vegetable Seeds



Melon F1 'Atlantis'
Melon F1 'Atlantis'
Cucumis melo

New eastern melon with a round oval shape. Vigorous plant produces 6- to 8-pound fruit with excellent flavor and aroma. Excellent interior qualities include firmness and high sugar content. Harvest in 70-85 days.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Sakata Seed America Inc.



Melon F1 'Lambkin'
Melon F1 'Lambkin'
Cucumis melo

Delicious oval shaped melon weighs between 2 and 4 pounds. A thin rind surrounds sweet, aromatic, white, juicy flesh. The yellow skin with green mottling is unique. Early maturing at 65 to 75 days.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Known-You Seed Co. Ltd.




Melon F1 'Sancho'
Melon F1 'Sancho'
Cucumis melo

This specialty melon is for gardeners looking for something beyond the basics. The 6- to 9-pound melons feature golden green skin and creamy white flesh. Harvest in 90 days when rind is a golden color.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Syngenta Seeds Inc. - Rogers



Mustard Greens 'Ruby Streaks'
Mustard Greens 'Ruby Streaks'
Brassica juncea

Beautiful red leaves. Delicious with sweet yet mildly pungent flavor. Wonderful for eating fresh in salads, steamed or stir-fried. Great for baby greens. Ideal edible ornamental for pots and gardens. Harvest 20-40 days.

Distribution Type: Retail

Company: Botanical Interests



Ornamental Corn 'Oaxacan Green'
Ornamental Corn 'Oaxacan Green'
Zea mays

This dent corn with beautiful emerald green kernels is terrific for ornamental use or ground as corn meal. The ears range in size from 6-10 inches. Corn grows on sturdy, 7-foot plants. Harvest in 95 days.

Distribution Type: Retail

Company: Johnny's Selected Seeds



Pepper F1 'Habanero Red'
Pepper F1 'Habanero Red'
Capsicum spp.

This is a very hot habanero. At 445,000 Scoville heat units, it is nearly twice as hot as most commercial habaneros. It has a compact 30-inch plant with 1x2-inch wrinkled lime-green to red fruits. Harvest in 90 days.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Seeds By Design





Pepper F1 'Jalafuego'
Pepper F1 'Jalafuego'
Capsicum annuum

Vigorous plant with excellent yields of extra large, smooth, and very dark green fruit. This very hot jalapeño is extra long. Disease tolerance to bacterial spot and potato virus Y. Harvest in 65-72 days.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Sakata Seed America Inc.


Pumpkin F1 'Dakota'
Pumpkin F1 'Dakota'
Cucurbita maxima

High yielding small sugar pie type. The fruit is very uniform in size with a dark orange color and a smooth rind. It has a solid dark green handle. Harvest 7- to 8-pound fruit in 95 days. Vines spread 12 feet.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Sakata Seed America Inc.



Pumpkin F1 'Gooligan'
Pumpkin F1 'Gooligan'
Cucurbita pepo

Miniature 2x3-inch white fruits 1/4- to 1-pound in size are most appealing as a fall decoration, and are tasty baked or roasted. Vigorous vines set high numbers of the unique fruit. Harvest in 95 days.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Seeds By Design



Spinach F1 'El Grinta'
Spinach F1 'El Grinta'
Spinacia oleracea

Slow bolting spinach with good yield, dark green color, and a thick leaf. Best for baby or juvenile spinach. Harvest in 25 days warm and 39 days cool. High resistance to race 10 Downey mildew.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Syngenta Seeds Inc. - Rogers




Squash, Summer F1 'Anton'
Squash, Summer F1 'Anton'
Curcubita pepo

Yields are higher and shelf life longer than other zucchinis. Extremely dark, intense colored 7- to 9-inch fruits. Fruits are perfectly cylindrical. Powdery mildew resistant plants are compact, open, and nearly spineless.

Distribution Type: Wholesale



Squash, Summer F1 'Midnight'
Squash, Summer F1 'Midnight'
Curcubita pepo

Very compact, bushy plants ideal for growing in containers. Stems and leaves are spine free allowing easy harvesting of the delicious dark green, cylindrical summer squash. 75 days to first harvest.

Distribution Type: Retail

Company: Thompson & Morgan Seedsmen, Inc.



Squash, Winter F1 'Honey Bear'
Squash, Winter F1 'Honey Bear'
Cucurbita pepo

Personal sized, sweet acorn squash weighing 1 pound or less bred to be baked and served in the half shell. Bushy, compact plant 2-3 feet tall produces 3-5 dark green fruit. Harvest in about 100 days.

Distribution Type: Retail

Company: Johnny's Selected Seeds



Tomato 'Basket Boy Yellow'
Tomato 'Basket Boy Yellow'
Lycopersicon esculentum

Yellow cherry size tomatoes for container gardens including hanging baskets. Harvest sweet 2-inch, 3-ounce, yellow tomatoes in 65 days. Disease Tolerances to Verticillium Wilt (V1) and Fusarium Wilt F1 and F2.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Grimes Horticulture




Tomato F1 'First Light'
Tomato F1 'First Light'
Lycopersicon esculentum

One of the best tasting tomatoes. Harvest in about 76 days, when the bottom 1/3 to 2/3 has turned red but still has green shoulders. Excellent flavored 5- to 7-ounce fruits have crisp texture, and are good yielding.

Distribution Type: Retail

Company: Johnny's Selected Seeds




Tomato F1 'Lola'
Tomato F1 'Lola'
Lycopersicon esculentum

Indeterminate tomato 6-12 feet tall requires staking. Fruits are red, flat globe shape, firm, uniform, extra large 7-8.5 ounces. Disease tolerance to Fusarium 1,2, Verticillium, and Tabacco Mosaic virus. Harvest in 80 days.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Genesis Seeds




Tomato F1 'Sweet Mojo'
Tomato F1 'Sweet Mojo'
Lycopersicon esculentum

Exceptionally early maturing fruit set from top to bottom. The outstanding yield potential has each long cluster averaging 21 uniform, red, firm, and sweet grape shaped fruits. Staking required. Harvest in 60 days.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Alf Christianson Seed Company




Tomato F1 'Tomatoberry'
Tomato F1 'Tomatoberry'
Lycopersicon esculentum

Unique strawberry-shaped fruits have a firm texture, super-sweet taste and aroma. Each one-bite fruit is shiny deep red. Harvest delicious 1-inch tomatoes in 80 days. Staking required. High yielding.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Ball Horticultural Company



Watermelon F1 'Baby Doll'
Watermelon F1 'Baby Doll'
Citrullus lanatus

'Baby Doll' is a tasty yellow-fleshed diploid hybrid melon. The round 6- to 10-pound fruits are a perfect size for the icebox. The rind is green with small dark stripes. Harvest in 70 days.

Distribution Type: Wholesale

Company: Seeds By Design



Watermelon 'Yellow Crunch'

Watermelon 'Yellow Crunch'
Citrullus lanatus

Ultra-sweet, crisp, and very juicy, the lemon flesh of these 10- to 20-pound melons is so refreshing on a hot summer's day! The striped melons are easy to grow and dependably delicious. Harvest 82 days from sowing.

Distribution Type: Retail

Company: Park Seed Co.

The South Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association has many experts who can assist you with choosing the right plant for the right spot. A list of these individuals who reside nearest to you can be found in the membership section on this web site. You may also view past articles here.