Favourite Veg Varieties

[sewer rat]

Hi to you all
The reason I am starting this new thread is that Lesley Jay suggested elsewhere in the forum that it would be a good idea if we had somewhere we could list / discuss favourite varieties and I fully agree ( being a relative newbie about to embark on my first full season). It can only benefit us to know what other growers experiences of different varieties are - what's hot and what's not?
To get the ball rolling I can only give you a very limited offering.

Cucumber - Topsy F1 ; Grew this in a neighbours unused greenhouse (unheated) and cannot recommend it highly enough. Lots of beautiful straight fruits with a divine taste. Will deffo being growing it next year in my own greenhouse.

Tomato - Nectar, Temptation, Shirley ; Grew these three varieties in same greenhouse. Nectar and Temptation performed really well but Shirley I found disappointing - very few fruits in comparison to the other two and huge variation in size.

Runner Bean - Scarlet Emperor - what remains to be said about this classic - lovely taste, reliable cropper.

French Bean - Tendersweet - disappointed with this. Grew well enough but poor crop and beans were all twisted.

That's it from me. Look forward to hearing from the rest of you.

Cheers
Rat

[Lesley Jay]

Here are mine recommendations.

Green Valley cabbage. This is a lovely tasting white cabbage. It doesn't grow too big and has a small core.

Minicole cabbage. Another white cabbage. Good flavour and stands in the ground for 3 months without bolting.

Imperial Green Longpod and also Masterpiece Green Longpod broad beans. I didn't like broad beans until I tasted these. Good long pod.

Flyaway carrots. Got a great crop.

Ferline tomatoes. The best tomatoes I have ever grown. I grew them outdoors in the cold and wet north west. Got a great crop and I am still picking them and it is November 9th! Blight resistant aswell.

Blue Lake climbing french beans. Boy these taste good.

Defender and Gold Rush corgettes. Great harvest lovely flavour.

Disappointments were Black Beauty aubergine - I only got 2 and Avalon butternut squash which is supposed to have been bred especially for the British climate. I got 1 last year and 2 this year.

Over to you.

[Geordie]

My favourites

Here are the varieties i grow year in & year out...these are supplemented with new varieties if i think it may be an improvement or welcome addition. I try to choose new varieties that will extend the season for a particular type of vegetable.
Vegetables not listed here tend to change each year to try something new eg peppers...a great plant to experiment with...this year am growing 'elephants trunk'!!

Onion - Kelsae....grown for sheer size & flavour

Leek - My own type of pot leek & Tornado for very long blanch

French Bean - Trail of Tears....said to have been passed down from Cherokee Indians...fantastic flavour!

Tomato - I grow a Russian or Ukranian variety for outdoors...this year am trying Latah, Big Zac for huge toms inside, Bambi as a cherry tomato

Melon - Minnesota Midget...not much bigger than a tennis ball but very sweet.

Pea - Alderman...special climbing starain from 'Victoriana'....pricey but worth every penny

Cabbage - Tundra (savoy) stays in ground from Nov to May, Primo (ballhead)...solid & reliable, Durham early (spring)...well you have to support the local breeds!

Last year i grew (Greenhouse x2) - Aubergine, Cucumber, Tomato, Pepper, Chilli, Melon
(Pots) - Leeks, Onions, Carrots, Herbs, Lettuce
(Allotment) - Asparagus, Beetroot, Broad Bean, Broccoli, Sprouts, Garlic, Cabbage, Carrot, Calabrese, Cauli, Celery, Courgette, French Bean, Runner Bean, Leek, Lettuce, Onion, Shallots, Parsnip, Peas, Spuds, Radish, Spinach, Spring Onion, Strawberries, Sweetcorn, Swede & Turnip.

It is not a massive plot but good use of space and a little ingenuity go a long way. The only problem i get is seed quantities for some vegetables. For instance because i like to grow 3 or 4 types of tomatoe i dont need very many seeds of one variety, so i always have a surplus. If anybody would be interested in swopping 'excess' seed lists it may be a way of trying new varieties without having to purchase a whole packet of seed.

[andrewo]

Favourite veg and fruit

I had to think about this one as I try and change certain varieties each year but here a few of my stalwarts that I love:

POTATOES
Cara - they go like the clappers in the ground and do well in a bins (one of the few varities that have over the years). And the taste? Just makes you melt.
Pink Fur - they get a bad rap from many allotment growers I've known over there years but these (Anya is a close second) are really good nutty potato, fantasic boiled and wonderful baked.

BEANS
Blauhilde - a climbing variety of french bean, pencil pod, black but turns green when cooked (close to the tast of Purple Queen) but a heavy cropper.
Sultana - another climbing variety and good taste

ONION
Shallot - Jermor, this is the first year I've had a bad crop but the last several years these have been storming.

TOMATO
Golden Sunrise - yellow, good cropper outdoors.
Garden Perle - great in hanging baskets, sweet.

CUCUMBER
Marketmore - they're still outside and they're still cropping!!!!!

FRUIT
Rhubarb - any variety. It's get a bad rap but you should taste the schnapps it makes. I know it's a vegetable.
Brown Turkey Fig.

HERBS
Rosemary, thyme, garlic chives, any herb, including roses, the taste is beautiful (I've even taken to eating nasturtiums this year!)

There's so many seeds I could recommend but I just love growing something new each year.

Andrewo

[Lesley Jay]

Geordie, I agree with you about the quantity of spare seeds that we accummulate. It really irritates me when you have to buy packets of seeds containing hundreds when you only need a few dozen. One place we have found where you only buy what you need is www.seeds-by-size.co.uk They have a big selection and you don't pay for fancy packaging. I don't get all my seeds from there but I do buy some.

[Jaxom]

One place we have found where you only buy what you need is www.seeds-by-size.co.uk They have a big selection and you don't pay for fancy packaging. I don't get all my seeds from there but I do buy some.

LJ. I have just checked out the site you mentioned and the vast quantities of vegetables available from seed was staggering. I have been getting the catalogues from the big suppliers over the last few weeks and enjoying working out what i wish to buy for next year; but they don't come close to carrying the selection that "seeds by size" have on offer. I must admit that I only checked out three sections, Carrot, Tomato and Cucumber, but just these three Vegetable types were vastly larger in choice than the other companies. Many thanks for the tip.
Jax

[Lesley Jay]

As I said about seeds by size you don't get fancy packaging just a small brown packet. There is no information on the packet about sowing dates etc. but for new people these can be found in books or just ask here on the site if any newcomers need info.