Why just one variety?

[coreopsis]

It stroke me at the virtual veg show-why most of people grow just 1 variety of veg?Beetroot-boltardy,garlic-elephant-to name a couple.Is it because they are so idiot proof or good,rewarding,trendy?
How do you pick the varieties of veg you want to grow?Based on recommendation,bestselling?Do you ever change the variety of veg you grow(maybe find something better)or not(better the devil you know)?
Excuse my curiosity but I'm still searching for the bestest veg varieties and obviously I look at what the others do

[Two_Sheds]

I usually grow at least one variety of each veg: my favourite reliable, plus one other.

[Brengirl]

I never have any success any year particulary with beetroot. I cannot understand it.

[vicky]

I think for the virtual show we all just picked out the biggest of what we had grown - eg for the garlic that's going to be the elephant garlic etc. So you could use it to gauge what is going to be the biggest of the veg types - or at least the best looking of the varieties grown.

[sarraceniac]

I usually grow my tried and tested with occasionaly trying something new. Sometimes I come a cropper. My grandkids won't eat beetroot so last year I thought I would put in a few white ones for them like I did with carrots. Then promptly forgot them and ended up serving them as white turnip (the beets, not the children). Wondered why people were saying they had never tasted sweeter turnip until they had all gone and I remembered. In future I must label more carefully.

[coreopsis]

I never have any success any year particulary with beetroot. I cannot understand it.

Join the club-must be rubbish soil here for them as they failed about 3 years in the row.Next year I'll try again but with Moneta and Ruby Queen(not boltardy)

[Alison]

For a lot of the categories on the show you had to present a single type of something but I'm guessing that many people had actually grown far more varieties. Personally I like to try different things, have my favourites I grow but will try new things every year too and sometimes upgrade the favourite on that basis.

[rustylady]

I always try to grow one tried and trusted variety of each category, plus at least one new one. I guess the best results get posted on the Veg Show, so maybe they really are the most reliable varieties???

[Snadger]

There's a thread somewhere called 'Five star varieties' I think? that Piglet started last year.................or did I imagine that?

[lynda66]

i've just grown the varieties that had the cheapest seeds lol ... parsnips 5p a packet in wilkies sale ... or what i got from seed parcel, or something that looked pretty .... if they taste good, even better lol

[zazen999]

There's a thread somewhere called 'Five star varieties' I think? that Piglet started last year.................or did I imagine that?

2 years ago

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ties_8666.html

[vegnut]

I'll pretty much go with everyone else here. I always grow the varieties that are reliable here and taste good, then i will always grow some new varieties or new types of veg to see if they are any good or not. This year was asparagus pea YEUCK, never again!!!
I also tried beetroot chioggia and that was very tasty and sweet, it also grew quicker than boltardy. Anyhow, you get the picture.

[solway cropper]

Same here, I grow what works well but like to try something new. This year it was kohl rabi....waste of space. Next year it's going to be salsify. One thing i do experiment a lot with is toms. There's just so many varieties to choose from and they do taste and look different, unlike swedes which all seem the same to me.

[HeyWayne]

I have no idea - but for me, I'm trying to grow things that I can save the seeds of and grow again the following season where possible.

I'm willing to try anything me.

[Hans Mum]

i tend to grow what works on my soil but like to try something new each year, next year I'm trying sweet pots in the poly tunnel