Extension Service Garden Hints

OSU recommended vegetable varieties for 2004

CORVALLIS - Home gardens produce the best yields when planted with vegetable varieties adapted to local growing conditions. Hundreds of vegetable varieties are grown and evaluated each year at the Oregon State University vegetable research farm and other facilities around the state, some in conjunction with breeding programs. Only a small percentage of the varieties make the "recommended" list below.

Details of the OSU vegetable variety trials are available in a report available on the web at http://eesc.oregonstate.edu. Select "Publications and Videos," then "Agriculture," then "Vegetables." Then select EM 8777, "Vegetable Variety Trials." Reference master copies of the report are in all the county offices of the OSU Extension Service. Information is added to the report yearly.

Not all varieties will do well in all regions of the state. The regions are:

I: Oregon Coast: cool but long season of 190 to 250 days.
II: Western Valleys: 150-250 day season; warm days, cool nights; length of season may very considerably from year to year.
III: High Elevations: short growing season of 90 to 120 days; frost possible in any month.
IV: Columbia and Snake River Valleys: 120- to 200-day season; hot days, warm nights, length of season fairly well defined.

The following is a summary of the recommended varieties for all regions of the state, unless otherwise indicated:

Artichoke
(not regions III, IV) Green Globe, Imperial Star.

Asparagus
Mary Washington, Jersey Knight, Jersey Giant, UC 157, Purple Passion.

Beans
(green bush) Tendercrop, Venture, Slenderette, Oregon 91G, Oregon Trail, Provider. East of the Cascades use: Slenderette, Jade, OR 54.
(flat Italian) Roma II.
(French filet) Nickel.
(green pole) Blue Lake, Kentucky Wonder, Romano, Cascade Giant, Kentucky Blue, Oregon Giant.
(wax bush) Goldenrod, Goldrush, Indy Gold, Slenderwax.
(lima, bush, large seeded) Fordhook 242 (or any Fordhook).
(lima, bush, small seeded) Thorogreen, Baby Fordhook, Jackson Wonder.
(dry) Pinto, Red Kidney, White Kidney (Cannellini), Cranberry.
(edible Soybeans or Edamame) Envy, Early Hakucho, Butterbean, Sayamusume, Misono Green.

Beets
Ruby Queen, Red Ace, Warrior, Kestrel, Early Wonder, Pacemaker III, Detroit Dark Red.
(cylindrical) Cylindra, Forono.
(golden) Golden.
(novelty, white) Albina Verduna.
(greens) Early Wonder Tall Top, Bull's Blood, Big Top.

Broccoli
Premium Crop, Packman, Arcadia, Early Dividend, Regal, Windsor, Emerald Pride.
(purple) Rosalind.
(Romanesco type) Romanesco, Minaret.

Brussels Sprouts
Jade Cross "E", Oliver, Tasty Nuggets, Prince Marvel.

Cabbage
(early) Dynamo, Parel, Primax, Arrowhead, Capricorn, Farao.
(main season) Golden Acre, Bravo, Discovery, Charmant.
(late fall, winter) Danish Ballhead, Storage Hybrid #4, Blue Thunder.
(red) Ruby Perfection, Regal Red, Red Acre.
(savoy) Melissa, Savoy Express, Savoy Ace.

Chinese Cabbage
Michihili, Monument, China Express, China Flash.
(Pak choi) Mei Qing Choy, Joi Choi.

Carrots
Red Cored Chantenay, Royal Chantenay, Scarlet Nantes, Mokum, Bolero, Apache, Danvers, Ithaca, Sugarsnax 54, Nelson, Napa, Kuroda, Nantindo, Caropak.
(baby carrots) Minicore, Babette, Parmex, Thumbelina.

Cauliflower
Snowball "Y" Improved, Snow Crown, Candid Charm, White Rock, Apex, Callisto, Imperial 10-6, Amazing.
(Purple) Violet Queen, Graffiti.
(green) Alverda.

Chard
Fordhook Giant, Rhubarb, Bright Lights, Bright Yellow, Silverado.

Chicory
(green) Crystal Hat (tall, slender heads).
(red, also known as Radicchio) Chiogga Red Preco, Milan, Treviso Red Preco (tall, slender heads).
(non-heading, asparagus type) Catalogna.

Celery
Utah 52-70R, Ventura.

Collards
Vates, Champion, Flash.

Corn
Yellow Kernels
Standard sweet (early): Sundance, Early Sunglow.
(main season): Jubilee (also called Golden Jubilee).
Supersweet (early): Butterfruit.
(main season): Supersweet Jubilee.
Sugary enhanced (very early): Sugar Buns.
(early): Precocious, Kandy Kwik.
Triple Sweet types (sh2su hybrids) Sugar Ace.
(main season): Incredible, Kandy King, Kandy Korn, Legend, Bodacious.
White Kernels (must be isolated from yellow or bicolor types to get all white kernels)
Supersweet (early): White Satin.
Supersweet (main season): How Sweet It Is.
Sugary enhanced (main season): Silverado, Argent, Frosty, Sugar Snow II, Brilliance.
Bicolor Kernels
Supersweet (main season): Honey and Pearl, Phenomenal, Candy Corner.
Sugary enhanced (early): Trinity, Fleet, Native Gem.
(main season): Temptation, Brocade, Fantasia, Delectable, Double Gem, Double Choice.
Triple Sweet types (sh2su hybrids): Sweet Rhythm, Serendipity, Sweet Chorus, Sweet Symphony.
Ornamental (must be isolated from other corn): Wampum, Chinook.

Note: Kernel quality of all the above corn varieties may be dramatically altered under certain pollination conditions. Supersweets must be isolated from other types.

Cucumbers
(pickling) SMR 58, Pioneer, Bush Pickle, County Fair.
(slicing) Burpee Hybrid, Marketmore 86 & 97, Poinsett, Raider, Dasher II, Slicemaster, Tasty Green, Greensleeves, Orient Express, Suyo Cross, Amira, Genuine, Slicemore, Ultrapik.
(novelty) Armenian, Lemon.

Eggplant
(not regions I, III) Dusky, Epic, Bambino (round), Early Black, Cloud Nine, Black Bell, Calliope.
(elongated) Megal, Bride, Orient Express.

Endive
Green Curled, Batavian, Salad King, Neos.

Kale
Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch, Improved Vates, Siberian, Winterbor, Winter Red, Nero di Toscana, Blue Ridge.

Kohlrabi
Early White Vienna, Early Purple Vienna, Kongo, Kolibri, Eder.

Leeks
American Flag, King Richard, Kilima, Rikor.

Lettuce
(heading, main season) Summertime, Ithaca.
(heading, fall crop) Salinas.
(red leaf) Prizehead, Red Sails, Redina, New Red Fire.
(green leaf) Salad Bowl, Grand Rapids, Slobolt, Green Vision.
(oak leaf) Oaky Red Splash.
(romaine) Paris Island, Valmaine, Green Towers, Outredgeous, Devils Tongue.
(bibb type) Little Gem, Summer Bibb, Ovation, Optima, Buttercrunch.
(butterhead) Tania, Esmeralda, Marvel of Four Seasons.
(batavian) Nevada, Sierra.

Melons
(not regions I, III)
(Cantaloupe/muskmelon) Ambrosia, Harper Hybrid, Gold Star, Classic, Pulsar, Superstar, Earlisweet, Eclipse, Primo, Earliqueen, Saticoy, Fastbreak.
(Honeydew) Earlidew, Honey Orange, Morning Ice.
(Galia types) Gallicum, Galia, Passport.
(Crenshaw types) Early Hybrid Crenshaw.

Mustard Greens
Fordhook Fancy, Green Wave.
(long standing) Osaka Purple, Giant Red.

Onions
(yellow) Copra, Prince, First Edition, Millennium, Frontier, New York Early.
(red) Redwing.
(white) White Sweet Spanish, Blanco Duro, Superstar.
(overwintering) Buffalo, Walla Walla Sweet.
(green bunching) Ishikura, Tokyo Long White, He-shi-ko.

Parsley
Triple Moss Curled, Banquet, Dark Green Italian Plain.

Parsnips
Harris Model, All America, Hollow Crown, Gladiator, Andover, Cobham Improved Marrow.

Peas
(shelling) Novella II, Oregon Trail, Oregon Pioneer, Green Arrow, Maxigolt.
(oriental edible pod) Oregon Sugar Pod II, Oregon Giant.
(snap pea, bush) Sugar Daddy, Super Snappy, Cascadia, Sugar Sprint.
(snap pea, pole) Sugar Snap (virus susceptible; plant early).

Peppers
(sweet bell, green to red) Parks Early Thickset, Camelot, Fat 'N Sassy, Ace, Bellboy, Jupiter, Yankee Bell, North Star, Parks Whopper Improved, Vidi, Elisa, Lady Bell, King Arthur, Lantern, Conquest.
(sweet bell, green to yellow) Golden Bell, Golden Summer, Labrador.
(sweet bell, green to orange) Ariane.
(sweet bell, green to purple) Lilac Bell, Purple Beauty.
(sweet bell, green to lavender to red) Islander.
(sweet bell, ivory to red) Snow White.
(specialty sweet types) Sweet Banana, Banana Supreme, Bananarama, Gypsy, Biscayne, Flamingo, Buldog Hungarian Spice, Red Bull's Horn, Pizza, Lipstick, Apple, Papprika Supreme.
(sweet cherry) Euro Jumbo Sweet Cherry.
(novelty, ornamental) Marbles, Riot, Ivory, Varengata.
(hot) Serrano, Super Cayenne II, Tam Jalapeno, Anaheim TMR 23, Fajita Bell, Cherry Bomb, Caribean Red Habanero, Andy.

Potatoes
(red) Red Pontiac, Norland, Red La Soda, Cranberry Red.
(white) Norgold Russet, Russet Burbank, Superior.
(yellow) Yellow Finn, Yukon Gold, Bintje, Desiree.
(purple) All Blue.

Pumpkins
(large) Jack O'Lantern, Howden, Autumn Gold, Lumina (white), Magic Lantern, Rouge Vif d'Etampes (Cinderella), Rock Star.
(small) Small Sugar, Small Sugar Pie.
(compact vines) Spookie, Tom Fox, Oz.
(novelty and exhibition) Big Max, Dill's Atlantic Giant, Prizewinner.
(hulless seeded types) Baby Bear, Snack Jack, Trickster, Kakai.
(mini ornamental types) Jack Be Little, Wee-Be-Little, Lil Pump-ke-mon.

Radish
(red) Fuego, Comet, French Breakfast, Cherry Belle, Champion.
(white) Burpee White, White Icicle.
(large Japanese type) Sakurajima Mammoth.

Radicchio
see Chicory.

Rhubarb
Crimson Red, Cherry Red, Valentine, Victoria.

Rutabaga
American Purple Top, Laurentian.

Spinach
(smooth leaf) Bloomsdale Long Standing, Melody, Olympia, Skookum, Nordic IV, Springer.
(savoy) Spinner, Correnta, Unipack 151.

Squash
(Summer-yellow) Early Prolific Straightneck, Multipik, Supersett, Fancycrook, Sunray.
(green zucchini) Ambassador, Seneca, Elite, Tigress, Aristocrat, Raven.
(yellow zucchini) Goldbar, Gold Rush.
(scallop) Sunburst.
(other summer) Tromboncino (C. moschata).
(Winter, misc.) Golden Delicious, Banana, Spaghetti, Blue Hubbard.
(Buttercup/Kabocha) Sweet Meat, Sweet Mama, Ambercup, Buttercup Burgess Strain, Gold Nugget.
(Delicata) Sugar Loaf, Honey Boat.
(Acorn) Bush Table Queen, Mesa Queen, Table Ace, Table Gold (orange), Cream of the Crop (white).
(Butternut) Early Butternut, Nicklow's Delight, Ultra.

Sweet Potato
(not regions I, II, III) Jewell, Centennial.

Tomato
(very early) Oregon Eleven.
(early) Early Girl, Oregon Spring, Santiam, Oregon Pride, Oregon Star, Siletz, Legend.
(medium) Willamette, Pik Red, Celebrity, Sunleaper, Mountain Spring, Medford, First Lady II, Big Beef.
(late) Big Boy, Better Boy, Fantastic, Bush Big Boy, BHN 444.
(cherry type) Oregon Cherry, Gold Nugget, Sweet Million, Cherry Grande, Sun Gold, Early Cherry, Thai Pink, Juliet, Sunsugar, Large German Cherry, Sweet Baby Girl.
(yellow) Golden Boy, Jubilee.
(paste) Oroma, Saucy, Halley 3155, Viva Italia, Super Marzano, Macero II.

Turnip
(root) Purple Top White Globe, Royal Crown, Tokyo Cross.
(greens) Shogoin.

Watermelon
(red types) (not regions I, III) Crimson Sweet, Charleston Gray, Garden Baby, Sweet Favorite, Sweet Diane.
(yellow types) Yellow Doll.
(red seedless types) Millennium, Summer Sweet 3521Y, Summer Sweet 5544.
(ice box) Sugar Baby, Tiger Baby.

By: Carol Savonen
Source: Deborah Kean, Jack Stang, Jim Myers

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