Tried,trusted and recommended varieties of vegetables

[Elfeda]

A new plot holder when out and bought a shed load of expensive packs of seeds not realising the Wyevale 50p Sale, idle and Wiko see them as cheap as chips, plus the £1 shop multi packs.

In allotment way, it is always good to stick to one are two varieties each year, and see what works better. there are free/cheap seeds at clearences, seedy sunday's and swaps.

again it is always personal choice though

[sparrow100]

My F2 Crimson Crush from saved seeds from the free plants I received last year produced more fruit that matched exactly what I had last year and I have saved F3 seeds this year to use next year.

So tell me again why I need to buy blight resistant Tomatoes?

Am not suggesting you do - just that I do. I think we've had this discussion before... While I applaud your experiment, I simply don't want to take the risk on my plot because so very few people remove blighted plants on my site. I grow 2 of the 6 seeds and create new plants from sideshoots.

I save enough of my own seeds to have self-sustaining stocks of often pricey varieties, if I like them, so it's usually a one-off investment.

On which note Pooleman, I can heartily recommend Cherokee Trail of Tears climbing beans, which are lovely both as a fresh green French bean and as dried black beans for stews etc. And when it is back up and running there should be some cracking varieties in the VSP, or next year's seed circles.

If you're going to buy a number of packs I'd have a good look through seed company sites and pick one. Personally I get most of mine through RealSeeds, Thomas Etty and Baker Creek but there are loads out there and everyone has their own favourites.

I'd love to hear what you decide on.

[Jungle Jane]

Something you can do if you want is look at the lists of varieties that have won an award of garden merit from the rhs on this link;
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/a...and-vegetables

Then you can google each variety & choose something interesting,I haven't tried all varieties of everything but every year alongside new varieties I grow ovation sweetcorn,red duke of York potatoes,celebration runner beans & carman cucumber,cucino cucumber is new this year & I'l be growing them again too. If you grow a yellow tomato & a red or black tomato & do a taste test it's nice to see the difference & compare flavours & see what you like. There's a tomato variety thread here for reviews on taste etc;
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...5-a_86401.html

[spamvindaloo]

Tomatoes - Predictable perhaps but Sungold F1, there's a reason it's so popular

Potatoes (First Early) - Lady Christl and International Kidney (aka Jersey Royal) were very nice. Second Early Anya were okay. Vivaldi which is variously described as salad, second early or maincrop was an absolutely delicious masher and I'll be growing more of these next year.

The most common grown veg varieties are available all over including the cheaper shops like Lidl, Wilko and Aldi plus premier seeds (eBay). Varieties like Boltardy Beetroot, Tender and True Parsnip, Musselburgh Leek Nantes Carrot etc can be bought just about anywhere

[Mr Bones]

I'd recommend Cylindra beetroot, it grows up out the soil avoiding some of the slug damage you might encounter on a new plot. Transplants fare well when thinning and it stays tender into old age.
Cabbage, I like Golden Acre. Fast growing, light and crispy it makes a lovely summer veg for salads or stir-fries, for later cabbage I grow Attraction and red drum head.
Maybe try sowing Red Russian and Cavolo Nero Kale. I find they do better for me if sown later in summer to avoid the worst of the flea beetle.

[Noosner]

Personal I would probably grow at least 2 varieties of each crop that way you can see which ones grow best for your needs and in your location, climate. I still do this, each year I swap out the variety I'm not 100% happy with and try a new one. If you remember any of the varieties you used to grow. grow them again, there's a fairly high chance they'll sill be a very good choice.

My tried and tested
Lomond swede
Small sugar pumpkin
Black Russian tomato
Red drum head cabbage
Vegetable spaghetti squash
Chilli Thai dragon

I think this is a great suggestion by Small Pumpkin.

I'd recommend Crown Prince winter squash, Charlotte Potatoes as Lumpy said and Reine de Glace lettuce (from Real Seeds).

[Penellype]

There are some varieties that I find stand the test against trials of other varieties of the same thing, and I find myself coming back to them again and again because they simply taste best and grow best in my garden. For me these are:

Cabbage Hispi F1
Carrot Nantes Frubund Fastcrop
Kohlrabi Azure Star
Onion Sturon (sets)
Pea Hurst Greenshaft
Pepper Snackbite Orange (also sold as Yummy) (Sometimes labelled F1)
Potato Desiree
Runner Bean Stardust (almost certainly F1 - Marshall's don't seem to state this on any of their seeds)
Tomato Shirley F1
Tomato Sungold F1

To these I would add some varieties that I have grown only once but I'm impressed with so far:

Brokali Endeavour (probably F1 - Marshalls again)
Cucumber Cucino F1
Tomato Ferline F1

I don't think it is a coincidence that most of these varieties are F1s!