What is your favorite vegetable variety?

[AMKuska]

I was wondering what everyone has tried and liked. I'm looking through my seed catalog and feeling a little overwhelmed by all the choices. I think I made a pretty good selection, since it specifically mentioned whether a fruit/veggie did well in short seasons and cooler climates.

I'm particularly excited to try "King of the North" a pepper variety, and a black skinned watermelon specifically developed for short seasons.

Last year I just had burpee seed packets and @baymule 's long beans (although I think I planted them too late in the season, they never produced. )

 

[digitS']

You know what I think I'd do, @AMKuska ? I think I'd try to figure out what the most popular veggie varieties are grown in the UK.

Thompson and Morgan has a UK catalog online. Quick Google searchs might show you who sells some of those, whereabouts.

The soil can't be quite right ... Hokkaido, in Japan? Japan's Sakata Seed has great varieties but it's a wholesale outfit. Stokes Seed and others sell Sakata seed and, maybe, since Stokes is in Ontario, those won't be for Okinawa ... actually, I think many might be for California. Anyway, you know your climate probably resembles northern Japan or the UK more than California or most of the rest of the US.

Oh, and you have the Ed Hume Seed in your corner of the Evergreen State: LINK . New Dimension Seed is just a little ways south in Oregon: LINK Territorial Seed is just a little further and near the coast: LINK. I think that they have a real focus on their location but they've got lots so pay attention to the early varieties. Osborne Seed is in Mt Vernon, just a little ways north of you. They focus more on commercial growers, but ..... look for the words "Westside!" They know full well that some veggies don't do so well on the wetside: LINK

Now personally - I like those delicious Italian sweet peppers better than bells .

Steve

 

[seedcorn]

Tell me about sweet Italian peppers

 

[so lucky]

I really like the red Marconi pepper. Planning on growing several this year, after saving seed from last year. Big, sweet, thick walled.

 

[digitS']

There are several, @seedcorn ! There's a catalog telling us that Giant Marconi isn't a Marconi. I don't know what it is but I like both. I've had Carmen doing well for me for several years. A whole raft of peppers with Caribbean names are supposed to be Italian sweet ~ Aruba, Biscayne, Key Largo, etc.

Cubanelle and Corno di Toro were kinda thin walled in my garden but incredibly prolific! I may go to the source and try Corno di Toro from Seeds of Italy this year!

I don't know, it may be that pepper plants have a more difficult time with the 4 lobed bells. Maybe the single and double lobed varieties have an easier time of it and everything, including flavor comes out better for me.

Steve

 

[so lucky]

Seedcorn, I don't think we had a particularly good start to summer last year, and peppers need nice hot weather. I know lots of people put their peppers out too early, and the plants really struggle in the cool weather, and never really recover to thrive. Also, as Bay suggests, if you can start them inside and get some good growth on them, you may get enough of a head start to get a good yield.
It's frustrating when you know what you are doing, and it works for almost everything else. Makes that elusive sweet pepper even more desirable, doesn't it?

edit to say I think it was Catjac, not Baymule who said she starts her peppers inside, and early. Sorry; there's just so many knowledgeable people on here, my mind boggles! (excuses, excuses)

 

[AMKuska]

Steve, thanks for the tip! I will try an Italian sweet pepper and let you know what I think!

 

[majorcatfish]

as a experiment tried sweet cayenne from totally tomato, was very happy with them, once they turn red they taste just like a ripe red bell pepper.
they were meaty, dried nicely they produced heavily in the beginning and petered off later in the season. definitely a do over might even cut out growing red bells.

and another experiment was lemon cucumbers from johnnys once they large enough would scoop out the seed ball and dw would fill the halfs with tuna fish and dill
oh they are very very prolific all season...

 

[catjac1975]

Last summer was a cool late start for most of us. I had great peppers and eggplant. Eggplant especially are not usually so prolific for me. My tomatoes were quite late.

 

[seedcorn]

@majorcatfish never heard of sweet cayenne peppers