thomas kalb, ph.d. north dakota state university … by thomas kalb, extension horticulturist north...

Written by Thomas Kalb, Extension HorticulturistNorth Dakota State University Extension Service

Contact information:Thomas Kalb, Ph.D.North Dakota State University2718 Gateway Avenue, Suite 304Bismarck, ND [email protected]

For more information on the North Dakota Home Garden Variety Trials Program, go towww.ag.ndsu.edu/homegardenvarietytrials/

This is an academic report published for educational purposes only.

December 2017

NDSU does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of age, color, genderexpression/identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, participation in lawfuloff-campus activity, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, public assistance status, race, reli-gion, sex, sexual orientation, spousal relationship to current employee, or veteran status, asapplicable. Direct inquiries to Vice Provost for Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Old Main 201, NDSUMain Campus, 701.231.7708, [email protected].

Table of ContentsIntroduction 1

Summary of Results 5

Trial Reports 13

VegetablesBean, Green (‘Bush Blue Lake 274’ and ‘Inspiration’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Bean, Green Slim-Pod (‘Crockett’ and ‘Pike’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Bean, Purple (‘Purple Queen Improved’ and ‘Royal Burgundy’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Bean, Yellow (‘Carson’ and ‘Gold Rush’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Bean, Green Pole (‘Kentucky Blue’ and ‘Monte Cristo’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Bean, Vegetable Soybean (‘Envy’ and ‘Tohya’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Beet, Gold (‘Boldor’ and ‘Touchstone Gold’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Beet, Red (‘Merlin’ and ‘Red Ace’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Carrot, Chantenay (‘Hercules’ and ‘Royal Chantenay’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Carrot, Early Nantes (‘Goldfinger’ and ‘Mokum’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Carrot, Mainseason Nantes (‘Bolero’ and ‘Kuroda’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Carrot, Yellow (‘Chablis Yellow’ and ‘Solar Yellow’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Corn, Bicolor (‘Ambrosia’ and ‘Peaches & Cream’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41Corn, Bicolor Super Sweet (‘Anthem XR’ and ‘Xtra-Tender 274A’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Corn, Yellow (‘Bodacious RM’ and ‘Inferno’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Corn, Early Ornamental (‘Fiesta’ and ‘Painted Mountain’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Corn, Full-Season Ornamental (‘Autumn Explosion’ and ‘Glass Gem’) . . . . . . . . . . . . .48Corn, Strawberry (‘Cherry Berry’ and ‘Strawberry’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Cucumber, Burpless (‘Summer Dance’ and ‘Sweet Slice’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Cucumber, Pickling (‘Homemade Pickles’ and ‘Regal’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Cucumber, Slicing (‘General Lee’ and ‘Stonewall’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Cucumber, Snack (‘Mercury’ and ‘Muncher’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Cucumber, White (‘Martini’ and ‘Silver Slicer’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Greens, Mizuna (Fall) (‘Miz America’ and ‘Red Kingdom’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60Greens, Tatsoi (Fall) (‘Koji’ and ‘Tatsoi’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64Lettuce, Butterhead (‘Adriana’ and ‘Buttercrunch’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Lettuce, Leaf (‘Bergam’s Green’ and ‘Tropicana’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Lettuce, Romaine (‘Coastal Star’ and ‘Fusion’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72Lettuce, Summer Crisp (‘Muir’ and ‘Nevada’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

North DakotaHome Garden Variety TrialsRESULRESULRESULRESULRESULTTTTTS FS FS FS FS FOR 20OR 20OR 20OR 20OR 201111177777

NORTH DAKOTA HOME GARDEN VARIETY TRIALS – 2017 i

Vegetables (continued)

Melon, Cantaloupe (‘Aphrodite’ and ‘Athena’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77Melon, Large Cantaloupe (‘El Gordo’ and ‘Solstice’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Melon, Galia (‘Arava’ and ‘Diplomat’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Okra (‘Candle Fire’ and ‘Carmine Splendor’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82Pea, Shell (‘Lincoln’ and ‘Sienna’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Pea, Snap (‘Sugar Magnolia’ and ‘Super Sugar Snap’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Pumpkin, Small (‘Early Scream’ and ‘Neon’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90Pumpkin, Medium (‘Early King’ and ‘Howden’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Pumpkin, Large (‘Early Giant’ and ‘Howden Biggie’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94Radish, Purple (Fall) (‘Amethyst’ and ‘Bacchus’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96Radish, Red (Fall) (‘Rover’ and ‘Roxanne’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100Spinach, Savoy-Leaf (Fall) (‘Emperor’ and ‘Reflect’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Spinach, Smooth-Leaf (Spring) (‘Olympia’ and ‘Space’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106Spinach, Smooth-Leaf (Fall) (‘Gazelle’ and ‘Red Kitten’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108Squash, Straightneck (‘Fortune’ and ‘Multipik’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112Squash, Dark Green Zucchini (‘Dunja’ and ‘Raven’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113Squash, Green Zucchini (‘Payload’ and ‘Spineless Perfection’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114Swiss Chard, White (‘Barese’ and ‘Silverado’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Watermelon, Red Icebox (‘Jade Star’ and ‘Sugar Baby’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Watermelon, Red (‘Sangria’ and ‘Sweet Dakota Rose’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119Watermelon, Yellow (‘Gold in Gold’ and ‘Lemon Krush’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

HerbsBasil, Italian (‘Eleonora’ and ‘Genovese’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121Basil, Thai (‘Cardinal’ and ‘Siam Queen’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123Coriander (‘Calypso’ and ‘Cruiser’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

FlowersCosmos, Novelty (‘Cupcakes’ and ‘Double Click’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126Sunflower, Gold Cutting (‘ProCut Gold’ and ‘Vincent’s Fresh’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128Zinnia, Scarlet (‘Benary’s Giant’ and ‘Giant Dahlia’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

AppendixesWelcome Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134Example of Evaluation Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135Seed Sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138Impact Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141Recommended Vegetable Cultivars for North Dakota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Table of Contents (continued)

ii NDSU EXTENSION

The First Step to Success

The first step in growing a successfulgarden is to select a superior variety.

Gardeners who sow superior varietiescan grow plants that yield abundantly, resistdiseases, and produce quality food.Gardeners who sow inferior varieties areheaded for frustrations. No matter howhard they work in the garden they mayhave disappointing results.

The benefits of selecting superiorvarieties for gardens are great. TheNational Gardening Association (NGA)estimates approximately one-third ofhouseholds in North Dakota grow avegetable garden.1 This indicates there areapproximately 93,000 households in NorthDakota with vegetable gardens.

There are significant economic benefitsto gardening. A recent survey ofcommunity gardeners in Bismarck showedeach household saved an average of $105on produce expenses per year.2Extrapolated statewide, these findingssuggest that gardeners in North Dakotasave millions of dollars each year bygrowing some of their own vegetables.

There is an important public healthdimension to gardening. Vegetables andfruits are nature’s richest source ofmicronutrients, minerals and dietary fiber.A diet rich in vegetables and fruits isassociated with a decreased risk of obesityand certain chronic diseases includingcardiovascular disease, diabetes and somecancers. Nevertheless, only 25% of adults

and 8% of children in North Dakota eatenough vegetables for a healthy diet.3

We need to eat more vegetables—growing a productive garden can help withthis.

Compared to other crops, relativelylittle vegetable research is conducted atresearch stations in North Dakota. Theseplots provide some insight into thecharacteristics of varieties, but they do nottest varieties under actual home gardeningconditions. The environment at a fieldresearch station is dramatically differentthan at a home garden:

• The soils at field research stations aresimilar to soils at a farm: relativelyfertile and undisturbed. Soils in abackyard garden are intensivelymanaged and have been highlydisturbed from home constructionand land grading activities.

• Trials at stations utilize tractors, large-scale irrigation equipment andherbicides. Backyard gardeners useshovels, hoes (maybe a roto-tiller),garden hoses and watering cans.

• Trials conducted at stations are out infull sun. Many home gardens haveshade for at least part of the day.

The Bottom Line

To identify superior varieties forgardeners, it makes sense to determinewhich varieties perform best in gardensunder the management of gardeners.

Goals

This program has three major goals:

1. Gardeners will be introduced to newvarieties. This will lead to moreproductive gardens and healthierdiets.

1 National Gardening Association. 2008. Personalcommunication with Bruce Butterfield, MarketResearch Director.

2 North Dakota State University Extension Service.2016. Personal communication with KelseySheldon, Burleigh County Program Assistant.

3 Centers for Disease Control. 2012. North Dakota:State Nutrition, Physical Activity, and ObesityProfile.

Introduction

Gardeners inNorth Dakotaenjoy healthierdiets and savemillions ofdollars on foodexpenses.

NORTH DAKOTA HOME GARDEN VARIETY TRIALS – 2017 1

2. Gardeners will identify superiorvarieties of vegetables, herbs andflowers.

3. Youth will develop skills in science,eat a healthier diet, and enjoyincreased levels of physical activity.

Selecting Varieties

Seed catalogs are carefully studied toidentify varieties that are widely availableand appear promising for North Dakota.In many situations, a promising new varietyis compared with a variety that is widelygrown in the state.

Preparation of Seed Packets

Seeds are ordered in bulk from seedcompanies. Seeds are subsequently packedinto coin envelopes. Labels containinginstructions (variety name, vegetable/herb/flower type, time to plant, andrecommended spacing for sowing andthinning) are affixed onto packages. Mostseeds are untreated; exceptions being sweetcorn and a few cucurbit varieties. Nogenetically modified organism (GMO)varieties are used.

Distribution of Seeds

This program is promoted by NorthDakota State University (NDSU)Extension Service faculty and staff acrossthe state. Information is available at thewebsite www.ag.ndsu.edu/homegardenvarietytrials/. Interestedhouseholds are allowed to participate in upto seven trials. The fees are $1 per trial. Afee of $4.00 is charged for handling andpostage.

Each gardener signs a pledge beforereceiving seeds, promising to grow andevaluate the varieties fairly.

Besides seeds, growers receive rowlabels to mark rows, and a string to helpthem lay out the 10-foot-long plots.Gardeners receive simple, yet detailedinstructions on laying out their plots(Appendix 1). We encourage a 10-foot

plot length to be minimal at getting qualitydata but container gardening is allowed.

Gardeners are responsible formanaging their crops. This includesfertilizing, watering, mulching, and usingpesticides. They are encouraged to use theirown practices so the varieties are testedunder actual home garden conditions.

Weather in 2017: Drought!

A severe drought reduced germination,plant growth and yields in gardens acrossour state (Fig. 1). The drought wasparticularly severe in the western part ofthe state.

The span of March to August was theeighth driest 6-month span in the historyof North Dakota going back to whenrecords began in 1895. Our state is alreadysemi-arid in “normal” years and thissummer’s drought (the driest since 2006)was devastating.

Rains started in August (Fig. 2), but thedamage to crops by that time wasirreversible in most cases.

There were no widespread late frosts inspring. A hard frost in fall occurred formost gardeners during the second week ofOctober, a week later than normal.

To identifysuperior

varieties forgardeners,

it makessense to

determinewhich varietiesperform best in

gardensunder the

managementof gardeners.

Fig. 1. Drought severity and percentage of areain state affected. Source: Drought Monitor.

August 1, 2017

Moderately dry (crop growth slowed); 97%.

Moderate drought (crop damage); 82%.

Severe drought (crop losses likely; 62%.

Extreme drought (major losses); 44%.

Exceptional drought (widespread losses); 8%.

2 NDSU EXTENSION

Fig. 2. Monthly air temperatures and precipitation amounts in 2017 and normal (1901–2000). Temperatures werewarmer than normal, and crops suffered through a drought in spring and summer. Many rainfed gardens failed. Rainsin autumn were scattered and too late to make much of a difference. Source: National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration.

A M J J A S O

Deg

rees

Fah

renh

eit 65

55

45

50

60

40

30

35

70

3.5

2.5

1.5

2.0

3.0

1.0

0.0

0.5

4.0

Inch

es

Normal 2017

PrecipitationA M J J A S O

TemperatureNormal 2017

+1.6

+1.1

+1.9

+3.2–1.6

+2.0

–0.40

–1.31

–1.23

–1.35 +0.73

+0.65

4.575

+0.8 –0.78

Quantity and Quality ofParticipation

In 2017, gardeners at 294 sites submittedresults from their trials. Results from over1,341 research trials were submitted. Datawere obtained in 48 of the state’s 53counties (Fig. 3).

A pleasant finding of this program isthe quality of research conducted by homegardeners. These families demonstrateextraordinary enthusiasm in this project.Besides carefully filling out report forms,they often write letters on their trials.

Compiling Data

Gardeners compare the two varieties ineach trial for germination rate, plant health,earliness, yield and quality of harvestedproduct. We ask them which of the twovarieties they prefer and which, if any, ofthe varieties they would recommend toother gardeners (Appendix 2). Commentsare strongly encouraged.

Comments of growers regarding theirtaste preferences of the vegetables are anoteworthy bonus of this grass-rootsresearch approach.

Approximately 15% of reports thisyear were eliminated from our analysis and

report. In most cases, these reportsdocumented total crop failures of bothvarieties due to drought. There were a fewinstances of extensive damage caused bywildlife (deer and rabbits) and a fewreports with inconsistent data that wereeliminated.

Fig. 3. Gardeners at 294 sites in 48 counties submitted results in2017. Site numbers are shown above for each county with 4+ sites.

Minnesota - 22Montana - 1South Dakota - 1

1 to 3 sites4 to 7 sites8+ sites

Key

55555

1 41 41 41 41 4

1 61 61 61 61 6

1 21 21 21 21 2

3 53 53 53 53 53 63 63 63 63 6

55555

1 21 21 21 21 2

55555

99999

88888 7777744444

55555

1 21 21 21 21 2

66666

44444

88888

44444

66666

44444


Presentation of Results

This year we are presenting our resultsusing a more informative format. You canread the ratings, recommendations andcomments of each gardener along with theregion the trial was conducted (Fig. 4).

Reports are categorized by the varietalpreferences of the gardeners. For eachtrial, we start with the reports of gardenerswho preferred “Variety A” and then laterpresent the reports of gardeners whopreferred “Variety B.”

These reports are separated by regiongoing from east to west (Fig. 5). We startwith Minnesota, go to northeast NorthDakota, across the central regions of thestate to southwest North Dakota, and theninclude reports from South Dakota andMontana. Regions were identified byconsidering landforms, soil types, lengthof growing season and rainfall patterns.

Then we provide the individual ratingsof each variety. Gardeners rated eachvariety on a scale of 1 to 10. These ratingsare shown using a 5-star format. Eachrating point equals a half star; thus a ratingof “8” by the gardener would show as “4stars.”

We document whether the gardenerrecommends the variety. A positiverecommendation is shown by a smilingface and a negative recommendation isshown by a frowning face.

We tried to include as many ratings andcomments as possible. In some cases, wedeleted a few of the least informativereports when space on a page was limited.These were typically reports whichincluded ratings but no comments.

Sharing the Final Results

Participating gardeners are emailed the finalreport in December. Results are presentedonline and at workshops to over 1,000gardeners every spring. Newspaper andonline columns are written to reportfindings.

Reports of previous years are availableonline at www.ag.ndsu.edu/homegardenvarietytrials/.

Impacts

An evaluation of the project is conductedevery few years. A brief impact report ispresented (page 141). Our evaluationshows that gardeners are introduced tonew varieties and enjoy more productivegardens and healthier diets. Youth in theproject sharpen their skills in science. Youthenjoy healthier diets and increased levels ofphysical activity.

SESC

NW

SW

NC NE

Fig. 5. Regional breakdown used in thisreport.

Fig. 4. Example of a report from an individual gardener.

Variety A ☺Variety B NC‘Variety A’ germinated better and producedthe first harvest. We loved its taste. ‘VarietyB’ produced higher yields but was tasteless.

Location

Ratings(1 to 10)

Comments

Recommendation toother gardeners

(yes or no)

4 NDSU EXTENSION

Bean, Green

Both varieties produced well. Most gardeners preferred‘Inspiration’ for its long, straight pods. This heat-tolerantvariety was earlier and did well across the state. ‘Bush BlueLake 274’ germinated better; its plants showed good vigor.

Bean, Green Slim-Pod

Both varieties were exceptional. Their pods were straight andslender. Yields were tremendous and went long into theseason. Gardeners raved over the glossy, dark green pods of‘Crockett’. Its yields were especially impressive.

Bean, Purple

Gardeners liked the colorful pods but were not impressed bythe vigor of the plants. Most gardeners preferred ‘PurpleQueen Improved’. It germinated better and was more likelyto produce a decent crop.

Bean, Yellow

Gardeners judged these varieties to be very similar andfound no clear advantage of one over the other. Mostpreferred ‘Carson’ for its slender pods and good yields.Others praised ‘Gold Rush’ for its long, straight pods.

Bean, Green Pole

Neither variety was amazing; neither variety outshone theother. Their vines were healthy and their pods were tasty andattractive. ‘Monte Cristo’ germinated well; its vines werevery vigorous and often produced higher yields.

Bean, Vegetable Soybean

The proven reliability of ‘Envy’ was borne out in thissummer’s drought. It produced higher yields and was a veryconsistent performer. Its pods looked more attractive andmatched ‘Tohya’ for taste. ‘Tohya’ was earlier.

B Blue Lake 274 43 68 7.59Inspiration 57 68 7.55

(28 sites)

Pref RecVariety (%) (%) Rating

Crockett 58 80 8.40Pike 42 70 8.03

(37 sites)

Purple Qn Imp 63 44 7.00Royal Burgundy 38 44 6.11

(12 sites)

Carson 53 71 7.32Gold Rush 47 65 7.32

(21 sites)

Kentucky Blue 50 50 6.13Monte Cristo 50 50 6.75

(9 sites)

Variety Pref Rec Rating





Envy 78 89 7.44Tohya 22 67 6.44

(10 sites)

A team of volunteers in North Dakota and surroundingstates evaluated promising vegetable, herb and cutflower varieties. In a year marked by severe drought,gardeners at 294 sites rated varieties for plant health,earliness, yield and food/ornamental quality. Reports of1,341 side-by-side comparisons were submitted.

In each trial they noted which of the two varietiesthey preferred (Pref) and which of the varieties they

Summary of Resultswould recommend (Rec) to other gardeners. They ratedthe performance of each variety using a scale of 1 to10, with 1 = poor and 10 = excellent. The mean rating ispresented in this summary.

The following is a summary of data, including ourconclusions for each trial. Additional data and commentsfrom gardeners are in the full report available at http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/homegardenvarietytrials/.


Beet, Gold

Gardeners liked both varieties and were evenly split on theirpreferences. ‘Boldor’ showed a slight edge in seedling vigorand yield. The root appearance and flavor of ‘TouchstoneGold’ and ‘Boldor’ were similar.

Beet, Red

‘Red Ace’ always does well in our trials but it was outdone by‘Merlin’ this year. ‘Merlin’ germinated better and producedhigher yields. Its roots were very sweet and flavorful.Gardeners liked the uniformity and taste of ‘Red Ace’ roots.

Carrot, Chantenay

‘Hercules’ has been a strong performer in previous testing,and this year’s performance reinforced its superiority. Itgerminated better, was healthier, and produced more roots.Its roots were better looking and better tasting.

Carrot, Early Nantes

Gardeners liked both varieties but more gardenersrecommended ‘Goldfinger’. Its roots were straight, long andsmooth. Many gardeners felt ‘Mokum’ was sweeter andmore flavorful. Yields were reduced by drought.

Carrot, Mainseason Nantes

These were the top two carrot varieties in 2017, a year ofdrought. Both varieties grew similarly and produced similaryields. The notable difference was in the eating quality ofraw carrots, where ‘Kuroda’ excelled.

Carrot, Yellow

‘Chablis Yellow’ was the stronger performer. It producedhigher yields. Its roots were more attractive and tasted better.Germination rates of both varieties were dramaticallyreduced due to the drought.

Corn, Bicolor

‘Peaches & Cream’ seemed to tolerate the drought better. Itwas more productive and many more gardenersrecommended it. ‘Ambrosia’ ripened earlier and producedlarge, full ears. Gardeners loved the flavor of both varieties.

Corn, Bicolor Super Sweet

Both varieties struggled in the drought but ‘Anthem XR’ wasmore adaptable. It matured earlier and produced more ears.Its ears were larger and more uniform. ‘Xtra-Tender 274A’has been a strong performer in previous years.

Boldor 50 75 7.62Touchstone Gold 50 73 7.38

(20 sites)

Merlin 70 73 8.07Red Ace 30 57 7.10

(34 sites)

Goldfinger 50 65 6.52Mokum 50 58 7.02

(52 sites)

Bolero 36 73 6.73Kuroda 64 82 7.27

(14 sites)

Chablis Yellow 60 58 6.30Solar Yellow 40 42 5.60

(20 sites)

Ambrosia 50 47 6.38Peaches & Cream 50 71 6.56

(21 sites)

Anthem XR 64 57 7.14Xtra-Tender 274A 36 43 6.50

(16 sites)








Hercules 70 50 6.90Royal Chantenay 30 20 4.90

(11 sites)


6 NDSU EXTENSION

Corn, Yellow

‘Bodacious RM’ was the top performer in our 2017 sweetcorn trials and the clear winner in this trial. Its stalks werevigorous and productive. It grew impressively across thestate, including areas suffering extreme drought.

Corn, Early Ornamental

Gardeners split on their preferences. ‘Fiesta’ stalks werehealthy, sturdy and more productive. Its ears were larger andlooked like traditional ornamental corn. ‘Painted Mountain’ears were skinnier but filled with an array of brilliant kernels.

Corn, Full-Season Ornamental

Every gardener was impressed with ‘Autumn Explosion’. Itstall, sturdy stalks produced lots of large, beautiful ears.‘Glass Gem’ was less vigorous and its ears were smaller. Itsglassy kernels were distinctive.

Corn, Strawberry

Drought was a problem and yields were low. ‘Cherry Berry’was healthier and more productive. Its ears matured earlier.For decorations, it was the better choice. For popcorn, othervarieties such as ‘Dakota Black’ may be superior.

Cucumber, Burpless

Gardeners loved ‘Summer Dance’ for its slender andsmooth-skinned fruits. Its yields were impressive and itsperformance was consistently strong across sites. ‘SweetSlice’ germinated well and produced the first cucumbers.

Cucumber, Pickling

‘Homemade Pickles’ germinated better, matured earlier andwas more productive. Gardeners loved its crisp and blockyfruits—perfect for pickling. ‘Regal’ consistently producedgood crops. Its cucumbers had a longer, more tapered shape.

Cucumber, Slicing

Both varieties produced good crops of quality cucumbers.‘General Lee’ showed superior germination, healthier vines,higher yields and tastier cucumbers. Everyone recommendedit. ‘Stonewall’ matched ‘General Lee’ for earliness.

Cucumber, Snack

Gardeners enjoyed these tasty, bitter-free cukes. ‘Mercury’grew more vigorously. Its vines produced the first cukes andwere more productive. ‘Muncher’ cukes were flavorful, thinskinned, small seeded, and uniform in shape.

Bodacious RM 90 91 8.40Inferno 10 27 5.80

(12 sites)

Fiesta 50 83 6.83Painted Mountain 50 67 6.00

(8 sites)

Autumn Expl’n 100 100 9.50Glass Gem 0 50 7.75

(8 sites)

Cherry Berry 57 56 6.00Strawberry 43 56 6.44

(9 sites)

Summer Dance 55 79 8.03Sweet Slice 45 67 7.27

(41 sites)

Home. Pickles 64 73 7.23Regal 36 65 7.42

(29 sites)

General Lee 83 100 8.67Stonewall 17 83 7.33

(7 sites)









Mercury 50 71 7.31Muncher 50 58 6.97

(40 sites)


Cucumber, White

The adventurous gardeners who grew these whitecucumbers discovered they were mild in flavor. ‘Silver Slicer’was more adaptable and more consistent in its performance.It germinated better and grew better at more sites.

Greens, Mizuna

The lacy, serrated leaves of ‘Miz America’ added beauty andpeppery flavor to salads. Most gardeners felt ‘Red Kingdom’was milder. Its leaves were smoother and easier to clean.Flea beetles caused significant damage to both varieties.

Greens, Tatsoi

‘Koji’ germinated better, grew faster and produced muchhigher yields. Its leaves were dark green and had a pleasingtaste. The standard ‘Tatsoi’ showed relatively little vigor. Itsleaves were bright green and had a mild flavor.

Lettuce, Butterhead

Both varieties showed remarkable resistance to bolting andproduced fresh lettuce all summer. ‘Buttercrunch’ grewfaster and fuller. Gardeners enjoyed its flavor and crunch.‘Buttercrunch’ is a proven performer in North Dakota.

Lettuce, Leaf

Gardeners enjoyed the deep green, full heads of bothvarieties. ‘Bergam’s Green’ was ready to harvest earlier andwas more productive. Both varieties tolerated the extremeheat, but ‘Tropicana’ showed superior resistance to bolting.

Lettuce, Romaine

‘Coastal Star’ had the shape and flavor of a traditionalromaine. It was reliable and tasted mild. ‘Fusion’, a crossbetween leaf and romaine lettuces, impressed gardeners withits wavy leaves, resistance to bolting, and productivity.

Lettuce, Summer Crisp

Both varieties resisted bolting and produced lots of lettuce.‘Muir’ germinated better, grew faster and was moreproductive. Gardeners preferred its taste and its wavy leaves.Gardeners liked the reliability and crisp leaves of ‘Nevada’.

Melon, Cantaloupe

‘Aphrodite’ produced larger melons and higher yields. Itsmelons ripened earlier. Gardeners enjoyed the flavor ofboth varieties but gave ‘Aphrodite’ a slight edge in taste.‘Athena’ has done better in previous years of testing.

Martini 50 75 6.00Silver Slicer 50 75 8.67

(6 sites)

Coastal Star 37 63 7.44Fusion 63 81 8.19

(33 sites)

Muir 67 100 8.44Nevada 33 67 7.22

(11 sites)

Aphrodite 70 71 7.24Athena 30 62 6.71

(28 sites)

Miz America 62 70 6.44Red Kingdom 38 68 5.90

(66 sites)

Koji 76 68 7.23Tatsoi 24 38 4.98

(58 sites)

Adriana 28 72 6.28Buttercrunch 72 83 6.94

(25 sites)

Bergam’s Green 56 67 7.89Tropicana 44 67 7.67

(10 sites)









8 NDSU EXTENSION

Melon, Large Cantaloupe

Neither variety did especially well. Recommendationpercentages for both varieties were low. ‘Solstice’ was ratedhigher for its more attractive fruits. ‘El Gordo’ vines werevery healthy and vigorous.

Melon, Galia

Neither of these varieties excelled or distinguished itselffrom the other. Gardeners enjoyed the sweet and juicyflavor of Galia melons, but yields were only fair andrecommendations were lukewarm.

Red Okra

Plants of both varieties were healthy and beautiful. ‘CandleFire’ grew taller and produced more pods. Its pods werebright red, ribless, tender and slow to become fibrous. Itsprickly plants irritated skin when touched.

Pea, Shell

‘Lincoln’ had bigger pods, many more pods, and continuedto produce even during a severe drought. ‘Sienna’ matured aweek earlier and had a more concentrated harvest. The peasof both varieties were sweet and delicious.

Pea, Snap

The purple flowers and pods of ‘Sugar Magnolia’ werebeautiful, but its pods were tough and tasteless. ‘Super SugarSnap’ matured a little later and its harvest extended muchlonger. Its pods were much sweeter and juicier.

Pumpkin, Small

The vines of both varieties were healthy and productive.‘Neon’ has always done well in our trials and it was thewinner this year. It matured earlier and produced higheryields. Gardeners loved its precocious, bright orange color.

Pumpkin, Medium

‘Howden’ is a popular variety in the USA, but our gardenersclearly preferred ‘Early King’. ‘Early King’ matured earlierand produced much higher yields. Its pumpkins were biggerat most sites and the fruits were judged to be more beautiful.

Pumpkin, Large

‘Early Giant’ germinated better and produced higher yields.Its pumpkins were judged to be more attractive by mostgardeners. ‘Howden Biggie’ produced big pumpkins but itsperformance was less consistent throughout our dry ND.

Candle Fire 77 53 6.67Carmine Splendor 23 53 5.93

(16 sites)

Arava 56 45 5.60Diplomat 44 55 5.50

(15 sites)

Sugar Magnolia 16 32 6.28Super Sugar Snap 84 76 7.64

(31 sites)

Lincoln 77 90 8.17Sienna 23 58 6.87

(38 sites)

Early Scream 31 77 6.57Neon 69 92 7.79

(16 sites)

Early King 86 86 7.93Howden 14 64 6.71

(15 sites)

El Gordo 50 25 4.50Solstice 50 50 5.88

(9 sites)









Early Giant 62 92 7.46Howden Biggie 38 69 6.69

(17 sites)


Radish, Purple (Fall)

‘Bacchus’ germinated well, grew vigorously, produced higheryields and was ready to harvest earlier. Its roots were deeppurple and consistent in color. ‘Amethyst’ was a redder, morebrilliant shade of purple. Gardeners liked its mild flavor.

Radish, Red (Fall)

Both varieties produced bright red, crisp and tasty roots.‘Roxanne’ had a little more vigor and often produced higheryields. Its roots were larger and milder. ‘Rover’ roots wereuniform in shape and had a classic, peppery kick.

Spinach, Savoy Leaf (Fall)

Most gardeners preferred ‘Emperor’. It germinated better,grew quicker and produced higher yields. ‘Reflect’ excelled inno traits. The plants of both varieties were healthy anddelicious. Germination was a challenge due to the drought.

Spinach, Smooth Leaf (Spring)

‘Space’ showed remarkable resistance to bolting, leading tomore harvests and higher yields. More gardeners preferredthe looks and taste of its leaves. ‘Olympia’ germinated betterand was ready to harvest earlier at many sites.

Spinach, Smooth Leaf (Fall)

‘Red Kitten’ generated a lot of excitement. The red veinsand stems of its leaves added bright color to salads. ‘Gazelle’produced higher yields and was ready to harvest sooner. Itsleaves were dark green, large and flavorful.

Squash, Straightneck

The varieties were similar in many respects and bothproduced an amazing amount of squash. Most gardenerspreferred ‘Fortune.’ They hailed ‘Fortune’ for its superiortaste and its thin, smooth skin.

Squash, Dark Green Zucchini

Most gardeners preferred ‘Raven’. They reported itgerminated better and matured faster. They liked its dark,glossy skin and the straightness of its fruits. ‘Raven’ canproduce quickly, a valuable trait in our short growing season.

Squash, Green Zucchini

‘Payload’ matured earlier and produced good yields. Its fruitswere more attractive, uniformly shaped, delicious, and had asofter, more palatable skin. Gardeners liked the stronggermination and vigor of ‘Spineless Perfection’.

Amethyst 40 66 6.73Bacchus 60 80 7.45

(52 sites)

Rover 47 76 7.65Roxanne 53 78 7.59

(47 sites)

Gazelle 45 81 6.96Red Kitten 55 70 6.87

(62 sites)

Fortune 63 75 8.00Multipik 38 63 7.38

(10 sites)

Olympia 38 63 6.75Space 62 79 7.33

(34 sites)

Emperor 58 69 6.78Reflect 42 47 6.09

(44 sites)

Dunja 29 57 6.57Raven 71 71 7.57

(9 sites)









Payload 63 67 7.89Spineless Perf ’n 38 78 7.22

(9 sites)

10 NDSU EXTENSION

Swiss Chard, White

Gardeners strongly preferred ‘Silverado’. They liked itscrinkly leaves, superior flavor and higher yields. ‘Barese’leaves were thicker, smoother and easier to clean. It seemedthat insect pests—and a few gardeners—resisted eating it.

Watermelon, Red

Gardeners were especially impressed with the sweet anddelicious, deep red flesh of ‘Sangria’. Its vines were moreproductive and its first melons ripened at the same time asthose of ‘Sweet Dakota Rose’, a proven performer in ND.

Watermelon, Red Icebox

Yields of both varieties were poor and gardeners were nothappy. ‘Sugar Baby’ had better germination, healthier vines,higher yields and better quality fruits. The hybrid ‘Jade Star’was a disappointment.

Watermelon, Yellow

‘Lemon Krush’ rated higher for most traits and its stripedgreen rind was judged more attractive than the distinctiveyellow rind of ‘Gold in Gold.’ Neither variety gained a highnumber of recommendations.

Basil, Italian

Both varieties grew well at most sites. Most gardenerspreferred ‘Genovese’ and almost all recommended it. Itgerminated better. Its plants were larger, fuller and healthier.‘Eleonora’ got off to a slow start but grew well later.

Basil, Thai

Most gardeners preferred ‘Siam Queen’ for its milder flavor.‘Cardinal’ germinated much better across sites. ‘Cardinal’grew more vigorously, produced more leaves and was readyto harvest earlier in the season.

Cilantro

Both varieties were healthy and productive. Most gardenerspreferred ‘Calypso’. It showed remarkable resistance tobolting. Its plants were full and bushy, and gardeners enjoyedits mild flavor. ‘Cruiser’ also resisted bolting and grew well.

Cosmos, Novelty

Most gardeners preferred the double-petalled variety‘Double Click’. It bloomed earlier and produced many moreflowers. ‘Double Click’ consistently grew well. ‘Cupcakes’had large, long-lasting blooms and tall, healthy plants.

Sangria 71 63 6.60Swt Dakota Rose 29 44 6.27

(22 sites)

Barese 11 67 6.56Silverado 89 89 8.56

(11 sites)

Gold in Gold 50 57 5.29Lemon Krush 50 43 5.86

(10 sites)

Jade Star 33 22 5.22Sugar Baby 67 56 5.44

(15 sites)





Eleonora 33 67 6.84Genovese 67 95 7.95

(27 sites)

Cardinal 40 80 7.60Siam Queen 60 80 5.40

(8 sites)

Calypso 70 80 7.90Cruiser 30 50 6.30

(13 sites)





Cupcakes 35 78 7.35Double Click 65 94 8.18

(27 sites)


Sunflower, Gold Cutting

‘ProCut Gold’ had healthier stalks and seemed to toleratethe drought better. Its blooms were large, symmetrical andattractive. ‘Vincent’s Fresh’ bloomed earlier. Its flowers werebeautiful but not as symmetrical.

Zinnia, Scarlet

The plants were filled with huge blooms. ‘Benary’s Giant’flowers were slightly larger, all with double petals, and moreuniform in color. ‘Giant Dahlia’ bloomed a few days earlier.Its flowers were less uniform but just as beautiful.

ProCut Gold 57 76 7.86Vincent’s Fresh 43 71 7.48

(27 sites)

Benary’s Giant 48 88 8.08Giant Dahlia 52 84 8.20

(61 sites)



12 NDSU EXTENSION

Varieties‘Bush Blue Lake 274’56 days. The standard for yield and quality.Dark green, stringless pods. Dependable.

‘Inspiration’56 days. New, award-winning bean. Darkgreen, straight, stringless pods. Good heattolerance.

DataGardeners at 28 sites submitted information.

B.B. LakeTrait 274 Inspiration Same

Germinated best 64% 18% 18%Healthier plants 45 5 50Harvested earlier 18 50 32Higher yields 33 43 24More attractive pods 23 59 18Tasted better 19 38 43

Preference 43 57Recommend (☺) 68 68

Mean score1 7.59 7.55Median score1 7.00 9.00

1Rated from 1 to 10; 1 = poor and 10 = excellent.

Prefer ‘Bush Blue Lake 274’Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration ☺ MNI prefer the length and color of the ‘BushBlue Lake 274’ pods.

Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration ☺ NE‘Bush Blue Lake 274’ had larger pods; thesize we were used to. It was more tender,looked better, and it was easier to tell whento pick because of their size. ‘Inspiration’pods were slightly more in number but lowerin overall yield. Its pods were thinner, tooklonger to cook to become tender, andsweeter. Both varieties had a second crop ofbeans.

‘Bush BlueLake 274’germinatedbetter and itsplants showedgood vigor.

Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration SE‘Bush Blue Lake 274’ had over 90%germination and looked good. Its plants weretaller, greener and upright. Produced twice asmuch per picking. Its pods were straighter,longer, greener and resisted rust much better.I appreciate the quality and quantity as wellas the easiness of picking. Matured on July20, 7 days later than ‘Inspiration’.‘Inspiration’ had less than 50% germinationand its plants were weaker. Both varieties hadexcellent flavor and color.

Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration SE‘Bush Blue Lake 274’ suffered less damage tocutworms. Produced higher yields (20 versus9.25 quarts) and had more bean flavor.Matured on July 21, 4 days later than‘Inspiration’. ‘Inspiration’ pods had a grassytaste.

Bush Blue Lake 274Inspiration SE‘Bush Blue Lake 274’ produced a bit morethroughout the summer. Some of its podswere flat. I did not like the shiny appearanceof ‘Inspiration’ pods.

Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration NC‘Bush Blue Lake 274’ pods had a better shapeand were more tender; excellent flavor. Thedry, hot conditions didn’t seem to affecteither variety too much. Both varietiesyielded well.

Best greenbush beanvarieties

Top choiceBush Blue

Lake 274

Strongperformers

DerbyEspadaGreencropInspirationJadePikeProviderStrike

Bean, Green


Bush Blue Lake 274Inspiration SCOnly half of the seeds of both varietiesgerminated. ‘Bush Blue Lake 274’germinated better.

Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration SW‘Bush Blue Lake 274’ produced a betterstand which led to higher yields. Hardierplants. Its pods could get large with hugeseeds; taste is okay if you catch them early.‘Inspiration’ matured 1 week earlier. Itsplants had shallow roots and pulled out ofthe ground easily. Its pods were more tenderand have better flavor. Both varieties did welldespite the drought. Once it started rainingin July they really took off and were stillblooming in late August.

Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration ☺ SWBoth did great. They both produced likecrazy, which my friends were happy about! Iliked the taste of both. I would plant bothagain. ‘Bush Blue Lake 274’ is a very reliablevariety; great yields and tastes good.

Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration SD‘Bush Blue Lake 274’ had significantly bettergermination. The pods of both varietieslooked more like lima beans than greenbeans late in the season.

Prefer InspirationBush Blue Lake 274Inspiration ☺ MN‘Inspiration’ had a much bushier plant withmore beans. Both varieties had long, straightbeans.

Bush Blue Lake 274Inspiration ☺ MN‘Inspiration’ tasted better and had moreattractive pods.

Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration ☺ MNBoth varieties had nearly 100% germination.‘Bush Blue Lake 274’ plants seemed to growmore quickly than ‘Inspiration’. Bothvarieties had great flavor and producedlovely beans through September, which is amonth longer than usual. The compactplants and high yields of ‘Inspiration’ wereideal. Its pods were narrow.

Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration ☺ NEEven when almost overripe, ‘Inspiration’pods looked better and tasted better. It’s mychoice for next year. ‘Bush Blue Lake 274’germinated a few more plants and producedhigher yields (18.2 versus 16.4 pounds).Some ‘Bush Blue 274’ pods were flatter.

Bush Blue Lake 274Inspiration ☺ NEThe pods of ‘Inspiration’ were long, tenderand attractive. My spouse loved ‘Inspiration’for freezing, canning and fresh eating.

Bush Blue Lake 274Inspiration ☺ SE‘Inspiration’ produced first. ‘Bush Blue Lake274’ had many flat beans and their vineswere taller.

Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration ☺ NCI liked how dark green and snappy‘Inspiration’ pods were; not lumpy like“Bush Blue Lake 274’. ‘Inspiration’ tastedbetter and stayed sweet longer. ‘Bush BlueLake 274’ was more drought resistant andwas good if picked before the pods gotseedy. ‘Bush Blue Lake 274’ was occasionallystringy when snapped.

Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration ☺ SC‘Inspiration’ had nice long, straight beans. Itsvines were good producers.

Prefer ‘B. B. Lake 274’ (continued)

‘Inspiration’produced first.

Its pods werelong, straight

and moreattractive.

14 NDSU EXTENSION

Bush Blue Lake 274Inspiration ☺ SC‘Bush Blue Lake 274’ had a tendency toovergrow. It produced an abundance offoliage with a medium size yield. ‘Inspiration’produced pods well past the time ‘Blue Lake274’ was done producing. Less foliage alsomade it easier to harvest. We really liked‘Inspiration’. It’s a great variety and I hope Ican find some seeds in the future.

Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration ☺ SC‘Inspiration’ had a smaller plant, butproduced more beans and up to a weekearlier. Its pods were more uniform. Bothvarieties tasted very good, and produced verywell for a dry season.

Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration ☺ SCVery difficult to pick one over the other.

Bush Blue Lake 274 ☺Inspiration ☺ SWThe pods of ‘Inspiration’ were smooth—beautiful green color—easy to miss whenpicking.

Prefer ‘Inspiration’ (continued)

Both varietiesproduced wellunder dryconditions.Heat-tolerant‘Inspiration’showedremarkableconsistencyacross sites.

ConclusionsBoth varieties produced well under dryconditions. Most gardeners preferred‘Inspiration’ for its long, straight pods. Thisheat-tolerant variety was earlier and showedremarkable consistency across sites, even in adrought. ‘Bush Blue Lake 274’ germinatedbetter and its plants showed good vigor.


Location

Comments

Key to Site Reports(reports are presented from east to west)


Ratings(1 to 10)


(yes or no) MN = MinnesotaNE = NortheastSE = SoutheastNC = North CentralSC = South CentralNW = NorthwestSW = SouthwestSD = South DakotaMT = MontanaSESC

NW

SW

NC NE

Bean, Green Slim-PodVarieties‘Crockett’60 days. Dark and slender filet pods. Yieldsare heavy and continuous. Proven performerin ND.

‘Pike’55 days. Dark green, straight, smooth pods.Excellent yields. Proven performer in ND.


Trait Crockett Pike Same



Mean score1 8.40 8.03Median score1 9.00 8.501Rated from 1 to 10; 1 = poor and 10 = excellent.

Prefer ‘Crockett’Crockett ☺Pike ☺ MN‘Pike’ beans were very consistent in size andyield—very tasty bean—nice shape and size.’Crockett’ were good too. I will never plant‘Blue Lake’ beans again! These are so muchbetter! We harvested these for two fullmonths and they were consistently good. Iwant seed for these varieties next year!

Crockett ☺Pike ☺ MN‘Crockett’ plants were healthier. Bothvarieties were excellent!

Crockett ☺Pike MNBoth varieties performed pretty good. Theproduction of ‘Crockett’ was very good.

Gardenersloved the

impressiveyields and

slender podsof both

varieties.

Best greenfilet beanvarieties

Top choiceCrockett

Strongperformers

MaxibelSerengeti

Crockett ☺Pike ☺ NEBoth varieties succumbed to foliar disease inAugust, though continued to produce. ‘Pike’pods were thicker. I preferred the slim podsof ‘Crockett’. ‘Crockett’ produced morepods. Both were quite good about notovergrowing if picking was delayed for somereason. Regarding taste, my husbandpreferred ‘Pike’ stating ‘Crockett’ tasted“green.” Others could tell no tastedifference, thinking both were very goodwhen prepared fresh. More disease resistancewould make them ideal. For years I planted‘Slenderette’, saving seed from year to year.This year, I couldn’t find my seed. That’swhy I was interested in trying these newvarieties. In the future, I won’t be concernedabout having lost my ‘Slenderette’ seed.

Crockett ☺Pike ☺ NEBoth were excellent. ‘Pike’ had a fewdiseased plants very late in the season after itwas really wet (September).

Crockett ☺Pike SE‘Crockett’ has more flavor! ‘Pike’ pods werelonger and glossier.

Crockett ☺Pike SE‘Crockett’ had no fuzz on pods. They werebeautiful, dark green and straight. Stayeddark green when cooked.

16 NDSU EXTENSION

Crockett ☺Pike SE‘Crockett’ produced higher yields (12.75versus 10.5 quarts for ‘Pike’).

Crockett ☺Pike ☺ SEBoth varieties did well. You had to be carefulwhen taking beans from the vine as theybroke off at ground level, but they both didthat. I think it was just the year.

Crockett ☺Pike NC‘Crockett’ plants were fuller and taller. Theseawesome plants produced a lot of nicebeans. So many! The pods were pretty, greenand waxy; they tasted sweet with noaftertaste. ‘Pike’ did not germinate or growas well. Its pods left a bitter aftertaste.

Crockett ☺Pike NC‘Crockett’ was ready to harvest a day or twoearlier. I just love the dark green color of itspods plus the smooth feel and shiny look.Beautiful! My taste testers and I thought‘Crockett’ had a fresher taste. The plants ofboth varieties were nice and bushy. Theyboth produced loads of nice green beans!

CrockettPike NC‘Crockett’ had better plants and higher yield,but this was not a good year for my garden.

Crockett ☺Pike ☺ SCI loved the slim beans from both varieties,but ‘Crockett’ had a better taste and texture.

Crockett ☺Pike ☺ SCBoth varieties germinated well and theirplants were very similar. I loved the slimbeans from both varieties, but ‘Crockett’pods were more uniform and straight. ‘Pike’had a slightly better taste, but once cookedboth were very good. Both varieties workreally well for a small garden, but I prefer thedark green, slim pods of ‘Crockett’.

Prefer ‘Crockett’ (continued) Crockett ☺Pike SC‘Crockett’ was a better bean all around.Better yield and taste.

Crockett ☺Pike NW‘Crockett’ had nice looking pods and greatflavor. I had never grown slender greenbeans before. Both varieties had great flavorand produced well. I will grow a slendervariety again next year as I have usuallygrown bush beans that yield the larger podsin the past.

Crockett ☺Pike ☺ NW‘Crockett’ beans are really tasty, even raw. Itgave us a little better yield than ‘Pike’.

Prefer ‘Pike’Crockett ☺Pike ☺ MNThese slim-pod beans are my new favorite!Goodbye ‘Blue Lake’. We loved both ofthese varieties. They were very productive allsummer and well into October. Nice, long,dark green beans on beautiful bushy plants.The pods stayed slim and never got big andseedy. Both tasted excellent. ‘Pike’ had themost flowers and its pods had more of abuttery flavor.

Crockett ☺Pike ☺ SEExcellent germination for both varieties.Both were very healthy throughout theseason. ‘Crockett’ produced very well but‘Pike’ had more beans per plant (an averageof 25 beans per plant!). Both had greatlooking, delicious dark green beans! I lovedthat both varieties were still producingdelicious beans up to the first killing frost(into October!). Amazing and delicious!Both kept well and tasted “just-picked” evenafter a week in the refrigerator. I usuallygrow pole beans, never having much successwith bush beans ... until now! I will begrowing these two if I can find them in seedcatalogs.

The pods of‘Crockett’were glossy,dark green anddelicious. Itsvines wereveryproductive.


CrockettPike ☺ SEI had to replant ‘Pike’ three times. I don’tknow if rabbits were eating it or what, butonce it came up it was much better than‘Crockett’. ‘Pike’ beans were really nice.Bigger, nicer pods and good taste. Neithervariety was over the top but ‘Pike’ was betterto eat and produced more.

Crockett ☺Pike ☺ SEFilet beans always have a nice uniform size.They are not only great from garden to table,but because of their thin size they make avery attractive pickled bean. Great yields onboth beans all summer and in to fall. Thistrial came as surprise to me. Having hadexperience with ‘Crockett’ from a past trial Ithought it would be top performer, but‘Pike’ won me over. It was a tenderer beanwith almost no string. Both varieties showedgreat resiliency to the tough growingconditions that we felt this summer and Iwould plant either again.

CrockettPike ☺ SEBoth varieties had near 100% germination,grew healthy, had attractive pods andproduced similar yields. ‘Pike’ tasted best.

Crockett ☺Pike ☺ SE‘Pike’ showed greater vigor early in theseason, but the plants of both varietieslodged on July 21. ‘Pike’ bloomed and setpods a few days earlier. Both varieties hadtremendous yields and ‘Crockett’ keptblooming into October. ‘Pike’ tasted better.

CrockettPike ☺ NC‘Pike’ plants were healthy, dark green, andeasy to pick. They produced first andproduced longer. Its pods were long, slender,tender, crisp, dark green and delicious. Bothvarieties had great taste and were wonderfulcooked. Both were tender, crisp and greatcolor.

Crockett ☺Pike ☺ SCI prefer ‘Pike’ for its earlier yield. ‘Crockett’germinated better and produced sustainedyields. Both varieties continued to produceinto September. Every picking was worthgoing through every plant because there wasalways a nice bowl full. The pods of bothvarieties were smooth and easy to clean.

Crockett ☺Pike ☺ SCBoth varieties did well. ‘Pike’ producededible pods 4–5 days earlier. I liked thesmooth, mild flavor of both varieties.

Crockett ☺Pike ☺ SCBoth varieties were very good. We preferred‘Pike’ as it had slightly better germinationand was available just a little earlier to eat.

Crockett ☺Pike ☺ SW‘Pike pods were longer and easy to clean.‘Crockett’ pods were slow to get seedy.

CrockettPike ☺ SWThe pod of ‘Pike’ was just as its nameimplied—a “pike”—long and straight—likea pencil. Very uniform and beautiful, deepdark green.

CrockettPike ☺ SWReally impressed with both varieties but Iliked ‘Pike’ the best. ‘Pike’ performed just alittle better than ‘Crockett’ in all areas and itdid not go to seed as quickly. Both varietiesare great and I will not plant standard beanslike ‘Top Crop’ again.

ConclusionsBoth varieties were exceptional. Their podswere straight and slender. Yields weretremendous and went long into the season.Gardeners raved over the glossy, smooth,dark green, filet pods of ‘Crockett’. Its yieldswere especially impressive. ‘Pike’ pods werelong, straight and tender.

Prefer ‘Pike’ (continued)

The pods of‘Pike’ were

long, straightand deep

green.

18 NDSU EXTENSION

Bean, PurpleVarieties‘Purple Queen Improved’55 days. Dark purple blooms with colorfulred stems. Delicious pods turn green whencooked.

‘Royal Burgundy’55 days. Pods are 5 inches long, stringless andtender. Dark purple pods turn green whencooked.


P. Queen RoyalTrait Imp. Burgundy Same




Prefer ‘Purple Queen Improved’Purple Queen Imp. ☺Royal Burgundy ☺ SC‘Purple Queen Improved’ pods were moretender for eating and had a sweeter flavor.‘Royal Burgundy’ plants were a bit taller, butthe pods tasted plain and were a bit stringier.

Purple Queen Imp. ☺Royal Burgundy ☺ NWNo comments.

Purple Queen Imp.Royal Burgundy NW‘Purple Queen Improved’ showed bettergermination and early growth. No yield fromeither variety.

Best purplebush beanvarieties

Top choicePurple Queen

Improved

Strongperformer

RoyalBurgundy

Purple Queen Imp. ☺Royal Burgundy SWBoth varieties produced a second crop in thelate summer, but ‘Purple Queen Improved’continued producing longer and gave heavieryields again. ‘Purple Queen Improved’produced earliest, gave the heaviest yields,and had the straightest pods. Its taste wasexcellent. ‘Royal Burgundy’, which I havegrown for many years, is not a bad secondchoice.

Purple Queen Imp. ☺Royal Burgundy MT‘Purple Queen Improved’ performed betterunder our drought conditions.

Prefer ‘Royal Burgundy’Purple Queen Imp.Royal Burgundy NEBoth varieties had poor germination andtheir plants were fairly low in vigor. ‘RoyalBurgundy’ had better germination and morevigor. It produced a small yield for a longtime. The pods of both varieties were prettyand had a nice fresh taste.

Purple Queen Imp.Royal Burgundy ☺ SC‘Royal Burgundy’ may not have had as manypods but they were more attractive andtasted much better; sweeter.


‘Purple QueenImproved’ wasmore likely toproduce adecent crop.

Purple Queen Imp.Royal Burgundy ☺ SC‘Royal Burgundy’ was far better. It hadhealthier plants with big pods. I don’t knowwhat was “improved” in the ‘Purple QueenImproved’. The plants were smaller and thestems were easier to damage/break. Thepods of both varieties were fun to use insalads because of the color.

OtherPurple Queen Imp.Royal Burgundy MNBoth tasted really good but were about halfas productive as our green beans.

Prefer ‘R. Burgundy’ (continued) ConclusionsBoth varieties struggled under the dryconditions. Gardeners liked the colorfulpods, but they were not impressed by thevigor or yields of the plants. The majority ofgardeners preferred ‘Purple QueenImproved’. It germinated better and wasmore likely to produce a decent crop.

20 NDSU EXTENSION

Gardenersenjoyed the

colorful podsbut were

disappointedwith the lack

of vigor of bothvarieties.

Bean, YellowVarieties‘Carson’52 days. Slender, very attractive pods.Productive plants. Flavorful. Provenperformer in ND.

‘Gold Rush’53 days. Standard, popular variety. Long,straight pods hang in clusters and are easy topick. Good yields.


GoldTrait Carson Rush Same





Prefer CarsonCarson ☺Gold Rush SE‘Carson’ was a bigger producer. Its first yieldwas 4 quarts compared to 1 quart for ‘GoldRush’. Overall, it produced 18 quartscompared to 16.5 quarts for ‘Gold Rush’. Iliked its more slender pods. ‘Gold Rush’produced into the fall.

Carson ☺Gold Rush NCI think all seeds germinated. Both varietiesshowed resistance to drought. They seemedto bloom and bear at the same time. ‘Carson’pods were tastier and “snapped” better. Itspods stayed smooth as they matured andwere slightly sweeter.

Carson ☺Gold Rush ☺ NCI liked both; good flavor. ‘Carson’ yielded alonger harvest time. I froze several packages.

Carson ☺Gold Rush ☺ SC‘Carson’ tasted a little better.

Carson ☺Gold Rush ☺ SCThere were no notable differences betweenvarieties. Both did great and produced well.‘Carson’ had a slightly longer bean.

CarsonGold Rush SW‘Carson’ germinated a little better, but I didnot have good yields of either variety. I hadother people say they did not have a goodbean crop this year.

CarsonGold Rush SW‘Carson’ had more pods and bigger pods.Not a good bean year—so dry. Bothvarieties got rust fairly badly when we didfinally get rain in August.

Carson ☺Gold Rush SW‘Carson’ was more productive. It had alonger fruiting season.

Best yellowbush beanvarieties

Top choiceCarson

Strongperformer

Gold Rush

Gardenersjudged thesevarieties to bevery similar.They liked‘Carson’ for itsslender podsand goodyields.


Prefer Gold RushCarsonGold Rush ☺ MN‘Gold Rush’ had healthier plants and higheryields. Its pods were longer and straighter.

CarsonGold Rush NEBoth are okay for a yellow bean. It’s good tomix colors but they are not as good as greenbeans.

CarsonGold Rush ☺ SEPretty close, but ‘Gold Rush’ pods wereeasier to slice and have less of a string. Bothtasted good, produced well, had straightpods and froze well. ‘Gold Rush’ rebloomedbetter after the first crop.

Carson ☺Gold Rush ☺ SE‘Gold Rush’ had higher production andfewer small, twisted beans. Plants of bothvarieties were healthy; produced okay but notstellar. Neither are as good as some varietiesof green beans but combining with my greenbeans made for some awesome “bisonbeans.”

Carson ☺Gold Rush ☺ SE‘Gold Rush’ produced later into the seasonand higher yields overall. Both varietiesproduced short, curled pods during thehottest weather, but as the weather cooled,both produced long, straight beans again.

Carson ☺Gold Rush ☺ NCBoth varieties were enjoyed well into the fall.I did water a lot due to a bad drought herebut they produced enough for us and someof the neighbors. They both had wonderfultaste and were slow to get seedy even when Imissed them when picking. Didn’t really havea preference but ‘Gold Rush’ did have a fewmore beans produced.

Carson ☺Gold Rush ☺ NCBoth were a little slow to germinate due todry soil. After getting established andwatered regularly, they bushed up nicely.Both varieties produced well. Lots of beanson ‘Carson’. Beans of ‘Gold Rush’ werelonger, straighter and had a mellow flavor.

OtherCarson - ☺Gold Rush - ☺ NC‘Carson’ had 100% germination; ‘Gold Rush’had 82%. I could not tell any difference inyield, taste, health or producing first.

Carson ☺Gold Rush ☺ NWBoth were the same; no preference. Neitherseemed to produce as many beans as inprevious years but it was a hard growingseason with hot weather and no rain in July.It would be best to try again with betterweather. The heat was really hard on theplants.

ConclusionsGardeners judged these two varieties to bevery similar. There was no consistent andclear advantage of one over the other. Themajority of gardeners chose ‘Carson’. Theyliked its slender pods and good yields. Othergardeners praised ‘Gold Rush’ for its long,straight pods.

Gardenerspraised ‘GoldRush’ for its

long, straightpods.

22 NDSU EXTENSION

Bean, Green PoleVarieties‘Kentucky Blue’63 days. High quality bean. A cross between‘Kentucky Wonder’ and ‘Blue Lake’. Early.Vigorous vines.

‘Monte Cristo’71 days. From a new series of pole beansknown for long, straight and tender pods.Bright green pods.


Ky. MonteTrait Blue Cristo Same




Prefer Kentucky BlueKentucky Blue ☺Monte Cristo NE‘Kentucky Blue’ had a larger yield. It waseasier to pick since its pods were spreadmore along the vine. ‘Monte Cristo’ hadbushier and longer vines. Its pods weremostly near the top, so you need a tallerpole/fencing. Made it difficult to find andpick beans.

Kentucky BlueMonte Cristo NC‘Kentucky Blue’ bloomed earlier.

‘KentuckyBlue’ and‘Monte Cristo’grew well, butneither varietywasoutstanding orclearlysuperior to theother.

Kentucky Blue ☺Monte Cristo SC‘Monte Cristo’ had bigger plants but loweryields. ‘Kentucky Blue’ was very good tastingand had a lot of beans.

Kentucky Blue ☺Monte Cristo SC‘Kentucky Blue’ produced a few days earlier,and ‘Monte Cristo’ had a lot of brown spotson its pods. ‘Monte Cristo’ had more pods,but in appearance and taste ‘Kentucky Blue’was better. Our garden was very dry all year.

Prefer Monte CristoKentucky Blue ☺Monte Cristo ☺ SE‘Monte Cristo’ had twice the amount ofbeans on the plants. They were longer andseemed easier to pick.

Kentucky BlueMonte Cristo ☺ SCAll beans were planted the same day but‘Monte Cristo’ popped out first. They werevery vigorous climbers, produced lots ofblossoms, and lots and lots of beans. ‘MonteCristo’ vines grew to over 8 feet tall! I madean arch from one raised bed to the otherwith a livestock panel and they made it to thecenter of it! They were also more frost/coldresistant than the ‘Kentucky Blue’ vines. Iwas able to cover all of them but ‘MonteCristo’ continued to even put on blossoms!

Best greenpole beanvarieties

Top choiceFortex

Strongperformers

Kentucky BlueMonte CristoOrient

WonderStringless Blue

Lake S-7


Kentucky BlueMonte Cristo ☺ SC‘Monte Cristo’ won in taste and yield. Wewill be saving seeds from both varieties.

Kentucky BlueMonte Cristo ☺ SC‘Kentucky Blue’ did not germinate.

Prefer ‘Monte Cristo’ (continued)

The vines of‘Monte Cristo’were vigorous

and oftenproduced

higher yields.

ConclusionsNeither variety was amazing and neithervariety outshone the other. Their vines werehealthy and their pods were tasty andattractive. ‘Monte Cristo’ germinated well; itsvines were very vigorous and often producedhigher yields.

24 NDSU EXTENSION

Location

Comments



Ratings(1 to 10)



NW

SW

NC NE

Bean, Vegetable SoybeanVarieties‘Envy’75 days. Reliable variety for the north.Upright 2-foot plants bear bright green seedsfor edamame.

‘Tohya’55 days. Compact plants produce aconcentrated set of pale green pods.Delicious, buttery flavor.

DataGardeners at 10 sites submitted information.Trait Envy Tohya Same


Preference 78 22Recommend (☺) 89 67Mean score1 7.44 6.44Median score1 7.00 8.001Rated from 1 to 10; 1 = poor and 10 = excellent.

Prefer EnvyEnvy ☺Tohya SE‘Envy’ produced longer and had longer pods.Both had many 2-seed pods.

Envy ☺Tohya ☺ SEConsidering the dry conditions, bothvarieties were healthy. We had not previouslyraised vegetable soybeans. We had dryconditions and did not water often. Weenjoyed the taste of both of these soybeansin salads and vegetable dishes. These wereplanted in partial shade and still yielded well.‘Envy’ produced more pods per plant, butthe pods of ‘Tohya’ were larger.

Envy ☺Tohya ☺ SC‘Envy’ had taller, fuller plants with morepods per plant. The pods were also a bitlarger and greener than ‘Tohya’.

Envy ☺Tohya ☺ SCThis is a toss up; however, ‘Envy’ wasslightly fuller with pods than ‘Tohya’.

Envy ☺Tohya NWMore seeds in the pods.

Envy ☺Tohya ☺ NWThe first planting of these was on June 3 butthe pheasants at 85% of them so I replantedon June 17 with chicken wire around them.Both came up and produced the same. I hadno preference really, as they were both reallygood. They were nice to snack on. After theyhad been boiled, we froze in baggies andwarmed up in microwave for snacks.

Envy ☺Tohya SW‘Envy’ germinated better.

Bestvegetablesoybeanvarieties

Top choiceTohya

Strongperformer

Envy

The provenreliability of‘Envy’ was ondisplay thissummer. Itproducedhigher yieldsand good podquality underdry conditions.


Prefer TohyaEnvy ☺Tohya ☺ SE‘Tohya’ resisted the aphid infestation a littlebetter (this might be a coincidence). Tastedsimilar.

EnvyTohya ☺ SCNear 100% germination. ‘Tohya’ maturedearlier although ‘Envy’ leaves startedchanging color first. I picked three differenttimes at 3- to 4-day intervals, pulling outplants at the last picking. ‘Envy’ producedmore of the larger pods. ‘Tohya’ tastedsweeter and was more tender. I have neverplanted soybeans before. Now I’m hooked.Love them.

‘Tohya’ wasearlier. Its

ability toproduce high

yields wasstifled by the

devastatingdrought.

ConclusionsThe proven reliability of ‘Envy’ was borneout in this summer’s drought. It producedhigher yields than ‘Tohya’ and was a moreconsistent performer. Its pods looked moreattractive and matched ‘Tohya’ for taste.‘Tohya’ was earlier. Its ability to produce highyields of large pods never materialized due tothe drought.

26 NDSU EXTENSION

Boldor ☺Touchstone Gold SE‘Boldor’ had a higher yield and bigger beets.Its roots had a bolder, darker orange color.Both varieties had good flavor.

Boldor ☺Touchstone Gold ☺ NCBoth varieties were very good. Theyproduced tasty, nice sized beets. ‘Boldor’produced higher yields.

Boldor ☺Touchstone Gold SC‘Boldor’ excelled in all categories. I will grow‘Boldor’ again.

Boldor ☺Touchstone Gold ☺ SC‘Boldor’ had taller, fuller looking greens andtasted a bit better than ‘Touchstone Gold’.Both varieties produced smaller beets than Iam used to. This may be due to the extremedry conditions, but I did try to waterregularly.

Boldor ☺Touchstone Gold SC‘Boldor’ featured a more “golden” color.Both were pretty tasty and unique. We likedgold beets.

Beet, GoldVarieties‘Boldor’55 days. Dark golden beets. Bright yellowflesh keeps its color when cooked. Sweetflavor.

‘Touchstone Gold’55 days. The standard for quality. Smoothgolden roots with vibrant yellow flesh.Retains its color when cooked. Sweet, mellowflavor.


TouchstoneTrait Boldor Gold Same

Germinated best 38% 23% 38%Healthier plants 31 31 38Harvested earlier 33 33 33Higher yields 50 36 14More attractive roots 21 29 50Tasted better 23 15 62

Preference 50 50Recommend (☺) 75 73Mean score1 7.62 7.38Median score1 8.00 8.00


Prefer BoldorBoldor ☺Touchstone Gold ☺ NE‘Boldor’ showed slightly better vigor undervery dry conditions. Compared to red beets,these gold roots threw me off guard, eventhough the taste was the same.

Boldor ☺Touchstone Gold SE‘Boldor’ had higher germination, higher yieldand slightly sweeter taste.

Bestgold beetvarieties

Top choiceBoldor

Strongperformer

TouchstoneGold

These varietieswere verysimilar, andgardenersliked bothequally.


Prefer ‘Touchstone Gold’Boldor ☺Touchstone Gold ☺ SEThe roots of ‘Touchstone Gold’ were biggerand tastier.

BoldorTouchstone Gold ☺ SE‘Touchstone Gold’ had higher yield.

Boldor ☺Touchstone Gold ☺ SE‘Touchstone Gold’ had superior flavor andcolor.

Boldor -Touchstone Gold - ☺ SE‘Boldor’ did not come up. I recommend‘Touchstone Gold’.

Boldor ☺Touchstone Gold ☺ NWThese are the best beets I’ve ever eaten—both were delicious. The roots of‘Touchstone Gold’ grew larger and faster.

Both varietiesgrew well andhad equallygood flavor.

BoldorTouchstone Gold ☺ SW‘Boldor’ had very small beets; very littlegermination.

Boldor ☺Touchstone Gold ☺ SWNo comment.

OtherBoldor - ☺Touchstone Gold - ☺ MNBoth varieties grew well. Their roots werevery similar in size and look. I roasted themand thought they both had equally goodflavor.

ConclusionsGardeners liked both varieties and wereevenly split on their preferences. ‘Boldor’showed a slight edge in seedling vigor andyield. The root appearance and flavor of‘Touchstone Gold’ and ‘Boldor’ were similar.

28 NDSU EXTENSION

Bestred beetvarieties

Top choiceRed Ace

Strongperformers

Bull’s BloodDetroit Dark

RedEarly Wonder

Tall TopMerlin

Beet, RedVarieties‘Merlin’55 days. Exceptional eating quality. Its darkred roots are round and smooth. Deep green,glossy leaves.

‘Red Ace’50 days. Smooth, globular, deep red roots.Sweet and tender. Bright green tops.Uniform and vigorous. Proven performer.


RedTrait Merlin Ace Same




Prefer ‘Merlin’Merlin ☺Red Ace MN‘Red Ace’ did not germinate very well.

Merlin ☺Red Ace ☺ NE‘Merlin’ matured first, but both were fastgrowing, had deep roots, and handled ourlack of moisture very well. I made beetpickles from both varieties and could not tellthem apart.

Merlin ☺Red Ace NE‘Merlin’ produced more beets, but yields ofboth varieties were low.

Merlin ☺Red Ace NE‘Merlin’ produced bigger and more roots,outyielding ‘Red Ace’ by about 25% Bothvarieties took about 14 days to germinate;‘Merlin’ germinated a bit better. The rootsof both varieties were very tasty!

Merlin ☺Red Ace SE‘Merlin’ grew more vigorously and was taller.

Merlin ☺Red Ace ☺ SEHad more plants.

MerlinRed Ace SEI grew other beet varieties (‘Bull’s Blood’,‘Chioggia’, and ‘Detroit Dark Red’) alongsidethe rows of ‘Merlin’ and ‘Red Ace’. Theywere all planted at the same time and grewunder the same conditions. I wasdisappointed in both ‘Red Ace’ and ‘Merlin’.They never got very big. The largest onesonly grew to about the size of golf balls. Yetmy other beets grew to be almost baseballsize. ‘Merlin’ and ‘Red Ace’ tasted good andmay have grew larger if I had grown themduring cooler temps. We preferred the tasteof ‘Merlin’ just slightly over ‘Red Ace.’ Thesize and taste were good for roasting.

‘Merlin’matched oroutperformed‘Red Ace’ in allmeasuredtraits,including yieldand rootquality.


Merlin ☺Red Ace NCAll seeds germinated and plants werehealthy. Both varieties were ready to harvestat the same time and are both producing wellinto October. ‘Merlin’ had sweeter taste andsmoother skin.

Merlin ☺Red Ace ☺ NCBoth varieties were very sweet. I just cooked,diced and served with only butter! Ipreferred to harvest both varieties in the fallas I cooked, diced and froze most of them. Ido not harvest smaller size for pickles orother uses. The hot and dry conditions didhave some minimal effect.

Merlin ☺Red Ace NCVery dry year. First planting of beets wasvery poor; spotty growth. I was gone awayfrom my garden part time and should havebeen watering.

Merlin ☺Red Ace ☺ SC‘Merlin’ produced earlier and lookedhealthier. The plants of both varieties wereslow to start but then produced beautifully.

Merlin ☺Red Ace SC‘Merlin’ was the better performer and tastedamazing.

Merlin ☺Red Ace ☺ SCVery hard to tell any difference in looks ortaste, but ‘Merlin’ grew faster and moreuniformly. The roots of ‘Red Ace’ tended tostay smaller than 1 inch for a long time.

MerlinRed Ace SWNeither of these varieties produced anybeets. They germinated and had nice leavesbut there were no beets. Not sure why. Idon’t know if it was a combination of wherethe beets were planted; they definitely gotwatered; they just didn’t produce. ‘Merlin’had nicer green tops.

Merlin ☺Red Ace SE‘Merlin’ roots have a nice, round shape anddark red color. Very sweet taste. ‘Red Ace’had poor germination.

Merlin ☺Red Ace SEMerlin was a more flavorful beet andproduced 5.3 pounds in our 6-foot rows.‘Red Ace’ had a milder flavor and produced4 pounds. Both had dark purple color.

Merlin ☺Red Ace SEThe beet roots of ‘Merlin’ were moreuniform in size. For multiple uses, ‘Merlin’was a better beet. It was sweeter than ‘RedAce’ for table beets while also being a goodchoice for pickling. I try to keep some beetsin the ground as late in the season aspossible. For the fall picked beets, ‘Merlin’ isa better variety.

Merlin ☺Red Ace ☺ SE‘Merlin’ showed better germination andmore production.

Merlin ☺Red Ace ☺ NCBoth varieties had great germination and itappeared Merlin was close to 100%. Bothhad nice green healthy leaves; there were nodiseases or pest problems. We planted halfof each variety 2 weeks later. Both yielded alarge amount of beets and early and lateplants were excellent. Both varieties yielddark red beets that grew rapidly. We bothpreferred the taste of ‘Merlin’ over ‘RedAce’. Not only did ‘Merlin’ have a sweetertaste, but the texture was so much better. Welike to grill beets in the summer and ‘Merlin’isn’t at all mealy. ‘Merlin’ is an excellentvariety that we will plant again!

Prefer ‘Merlin’ (continued)

‘Merlin’germinatedbetter andproduced

higher yields.Its roots were

very sweet andflavorful.

30 NDSU EXTENSION

Merlin ☺Red Ace SW‘Red Ace’ roots had a “flowery” taste that Idid not enjoy.

Merlin ☺Red Ace ☺ SW‘Merlin’ had a better germination rate. Theytasted the same and both made good pickledbeets.

Prefer ‘Red Ace’MerlinRed Ace ☺ MNBoth varieties were very good. ‘Red Ace’won out with its superior flavor.

MerlinRed Ace ☺ MN‘Merlin’ plants were taller at the beginningbut as summer progressed the plants ofboth varieties looked more similar. ‘Merlin’had larger beets early in the season. ‘RedAce’ beets were more uniform in size andthey tasted the best.

MerlinRed Ace ☺ MN‘Red Ace’ had a more uniform, round beet.

MerlinRed Ace ☺ SE‘Red Ace’ had healthier plants and its rootswere more uniform.

Merlin ☺Red Ace ☺ NC‘Merlin’ roots looked better but ‘Red Ace’roots tasted better.

Merlin -Red Ace - ☺ SC‘Merlin’ did not germinate. We suffered fromdrought and our garden soil is sandy. I wassurprised ‘Red Ace’ did so well. Its beetswere red throughout and very tasty. Thefoliage seemed to resist bugs.

Merlin ☺Red Ace ☺ NWThese two varieties were very similar in mytrial. They both germinated really well. Theyboth produced really nice sized, good tastingbeets. They canned up very well. The volesreally liked them too! I set traps for them, Isprinkled repellent on the ground but I stilllost quite a bit to them. Both varieties werevery good. I would plant either one of themagain.

Merlin ☺Red Ace ☺ NW‘Red Ace’ produced higher yields. Its plantshad more leaves that were larger and bushier.

MerlinRed Ace ☺ NWLiked the dark red beets.

OtherMerlin -Red Ace - NWWe were unable to get either variety togerminate. We planted another variety in thesame area that performed very well.

Conclusions‘Red Ace’ has always done well in our trials,but it’s performance was matched orsurpassed by ‘Merlin’ in all traits. ‘Merlin’germinated better and produced higheryields. The roots of ‘Merlin’ were very sweetand flavorful. Gardeners also liked theuniformity and taste of ‘Red Ace’ roots.

Prefer ‘Merlin’ (continued)

Gardenersliked theuniformity andtaste of ‘RedAce’ roots.


Carrot, ChantenayVarieties‘Hercules’65 days. Strong tops with cone-shaped roots.Stores well. Especially good in heavy or rockysoils. Proven performer.

‘Royal Chantenay’65 days. Standard carrot for heavy soils.Broad, blocky shape. Red-orange flesh isflavorful.


RoyalTrait Hercules Chant. Same

Germinated best 60% 0% 40%Healthier plants 67 11 22Harvested earlier 44 44 11Higher yields 70 20 10More attractive roots 67 22 11Tasted better raw 56 11 33Tasted better cooked 50 13 38Preference 70 30Recommend (☺) 50 20Mean score1 6.90 4.90Median score1 8.00 3.501Rated from 1 to 10; 1 = poor and 10 = excellent.

Prefer ‘Hercules’Hercules ☺Royal Chantenay MN‘Hercules’ is an all-around better carrot:healthier plants, higher yields, better lookingand better tasting.

HerculesRoyal Chantenay SE‘Hercules’ tasted somewhat better, was moreattractive and had much higher yields.

Hercules ☺Royal Chantenay SE‘Royal Chantenay’ had very poorgermination.

BestChantenaycarrotvarieties

Top choiceHercules

Strongperformers

CaracasNew Kuroda

HerculesRoyal Chantenay SCI prefer long, slender carrots. These wereshort and fat. ‘Hercules’ and looked moreattractive. ‘Royal Chantenay’ had to bereseeded and still did poorly.

Hercules ☺Royal Chantenay SW‘Royal Chantenay’ had only 40%germination. Lower germination led to loweryields. Its roots were bigger, possibly becausethey have more space, and they do not tasteas good. ‘Hercules’ roots were smaller andsweeter.

Hercules ☺Royal Chantenay ☺ SW‘Hercules’ had a better stand of carrots.

HerculesRoyal Chantenay SWThe carrots only grew at the end ofSeptember, middle of October. What grewwas not sufficient enough to eat. Bothvarieties germinated, but ‘Hercules’ was theonly the only variety that grew.

‘Hercules’ hadhealthier

plants andhigher yields.Its roots werebetter looking

and bettertasting.

32 NDSU EXTENSION

Prefer ‘Royal Chantenay’Hercules ☺Royal Chantenay ☺ MNFair germination for both varieties.‘Hercules’ roots got very big. Both varietieswere delicious when cooked. We preferred‘Royal Chantenay’. Its roots had sweet tastewith good shape and size.

HerculesRoyal Chantenay SEI liked the appearance of ‘Royal Chantenay’.Both varieties tasted bitter.

HerculesRoyal Chantenay ☺ SCBoth varieties had a hard time germinating.‘Royal Chantenay’ had nice green tops andnice roots—sweet to taste.

‘RoyalChantenay’struggled fromthe start. Onlya fewgardenersrecommendedit.

Conclusions‘Hercules’ has been a strong performer inprevious testing, and this year’s performancereinforced its superiority. It was the betteroverall variety. It germinated better, washealthier, and produced more roots. Its rootswere better looking and better tasting. ‘RoyalChantenay’ struggled and only a fewgardeners recommended it. Both varietieshad a hard time germinating in the dry soil.


Carrot, Early NantesVarieties‘Goldfinger’69 days. Dark orange roots with strong tops.Roots are uniform, smooth, straight andsweet. Popular carrot in North Dakota.

‘Mokum’

54 days. Slender, deep orange roots knownfor their rich flavor and crisp texture. Popularbaby carrot.


Gold-Trait finger Mokum Same

Germinated best 24% 28% 48%Healthier plants 31 29 40Harvested earlier 23 40 37Higher yields 37 39 24More attractive roots 38 28 35Tasted better raw 30 33 38Tasted better cooked 21 30 48



Prefer ‘Goldfinger’Goldfinger ☺Mokum MN‘Goldfinger’ carrots tasted better.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum MN‘Goldfinger’ roots have a nice, uniformshape. ‘Mokum’ had many odd-shaped roots.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum MN‘Goldfinger’ had higher yields. Both varietieshad poor germination.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ NEGood overall seed emergence. Bothperformed well. ‘Goldfinger’ had a nicerlooking carrot; deep orange.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum NE‘Goldfinger’ roots had a nice shape whilethose of ‘Mokum’ had multiple root shoots.Both varieties produced very low yields.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum SE‘Goldfinger’ was better looking and tasting.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ SEThe yield of ‘Goldfinger’ was slightly higher.Its roots were less subject to splitting.‘Mokum’ had more robust carrot flavor;‘Goldfinger’ was dull and almost tasteless.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum SENo comments.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum NCThey did pretty well despite the lack ofwater. Several carrots grew 12 inches long.‘Goldfinger’ was really nice.

Best earlyNantescarrotvarieties

Top choiceGoldfinger

Strongperformers

LagunaMokumNelsonYaya

Droughtnoticeably

affected thegerminationand yield of

both varieties.

34 NDSU EXTENSION

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ NCBoth varieties tasted great—never had achance to cook them because the kids atethem too fast.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ NC‘Goldfinger’ tasted better both raw andcooked, but ‘Mokum’ was also sweet. Thehot, dry summer did affect the yield andgrowth of my carrot crop, even though Iwatered the garden. Several packages ofcarrots are in the refrigerator.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ SCI preferred the flavor of ‘Goldfinger’ as amature carrot.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ NWBoth varieties are very good. It is sosatisfying to harvest such an attractive crop,and they seem to keep most of the winter.’Goldfinger’ is a better producer.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ NWThey were both high producers. This was myfirst year in a raised bed, and these varietiesdid very well. Both were delicious raw andcooked.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ NWBoth varieties were good; only a coupleweird roots. These varieties had great flavor.‘Goldfinger’ looked more attractive.

GoldfingerMokum SW‘Goldfinger’ was first to germinate, but bothhad poor germination. I replanted twice andnow I have large and small carrots.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ SWVery poor germination from both varieties;to the point that I could not compare yields.

Prefer ‘Mokum’GoldfingerMokum ☺ MNI got far more carrots from ‘Mokum’ due tobetter seed germination. Carrots from bothvarieties were consistent in appearance; theyhad delicious flavor and great texture.

GoldfingerMokum ☺ MN‘Mokum’ had much better germination andproduction.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ SE‘Mokum’ tasted better.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ SENeither variety germinated very well.‘Mokum’ roots were smaller but its yieldswere higher. Both varieties tasted good but‘Mokum’ was sweeter.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ SE‘Mokum’ tasted sweeter. ‘Goldfinger’ had abetter plant stand. It seemed to have a moldytaste and appearance at the very top of theroot.

GoldfingerMokum SEBoth varieties were very slow to germinate.The taste of ‘Mokum’ was okay—not great.

GoldfingerMokum ☺ NCBoth germinated very well and grewbeautiful tops. ‘Mokum’ roots were straighterand more uniform. When eaten raw, itscarrots tasted slightly better. When cooked,its carrots were sweeter and had more“carrot” taste.

GoldfingerMokum NCNeither grew well this year for me. I havehad ‘Goldfinger’ before and it did better.‘Mokum’ had larger roots.

‘Goldfinger’roots weremoreattractive.They werelong, smoothand straight.

Prefer ‘Goldfinger’ (continued)


Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ NC‘Goldfinger’ germinated better and producedmore. Its carrots were nice and straightalthough it had many inches of a green coreat top. ‘Mokum’ seemed more mature after 2months. Some of its roots were forked.‘Mokum’ won us over with its sweeter,yummy flavor.

GoldfingerMokum NCVery dry conditions contributed to poor(<20%) germination. ‘Mokum’ tasted better.

GoldfingerMokum NCI can’t recommend these varieties because oftheir poor germination (less than 50%).‘Mokum’ germinated better. We planted athird variety at the same time and theygerminated just fine. ‘Goldfinger’ had taller,greener plants and produced larger carrots.They weren’t longer, just wider. We thought‘Mokum’ was much juicier and had moreflavor. Both varieties were free of disease.

GoldfingerMokum ☺ SCNeither variety came up until mid-June inspite of watering. ‘Mokum’ had 5 timesbetter germination.

GoldfingerMokum ☺ SCBoth varieties were good but ‘Mokum’performed better for me.

GoldfingerMokum ☺ SCBoth germinated slowly. ‘Mokum’ grewbigger and faster. ‘Goldfinger’ was slower togerminate and mature, but the roots stayedat finger size. I preferred ‘Mokum’ because Icould pick carrots as fingerlings or at 6inches and still have deliciously sweet flavor.

GoldfingerMokum SC‘Mokum’ germinated poorly but tasted verygood. ‘Goldfinger’ did not germinate.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ SC‘Mokum’ was a better producer. We loved‘Goldfinger’ last year so we assume weatherwas a factor. Germination rates were downfor both varieties and hardly any‘Goldfinger’ germinated.

GoldfingerMokum ☺ SC‘Goldfinger’ did not germinate well.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ NW‘Mokum’ tasted good, yielded plenty. Thecarrots of both varieties became soft if Ididn’t eat them right away.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ NWNice carrots, but I have really nice soil so Iusually get beautiful carrots as the soil isloose enough that the roots grow nicely.‘Mokum’ roots had a little better flavor raw.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ SW‘Mokum’ roots were a little sweeter but theyhad a tendency to split as they got bigger.Both varieties did well.

GoldfingerMokum SWNeither variety germinated well. ‘Mokum’roots had a better shape and flavor.

Goldfinger ☺Mokum ☺ SWExcellent germination. Crazy roots for both.High yield for both. At least 100 pounds ofcarrots off this study. I have grown carrotsfor over 40 years and have never seen suchcrazy roots.

ConclusionsGardeners liked both varieties but more ofthem recommended ‘Goldfinger’. Its rootswere straight, long and smooth. Manygardeners felt ‘Mokum’ roots were sweeterand more flavorful. The germination ratesand yields of both varieties were noticeablyreduced by the drought.

Manygardeners felt‘Mokum’ rootswere sweeter

and moreflavorful.

Prefer ‘Mokum’ (continued)

36 NDSU EXTENSION

Carrot, MainseasonVarieties‘Bolero’75 days. Famous for its storage ability. Heavyyields of sweet, bright orange, tapered roots.Heavy, tall tops.

‘Kuroda’73 days. Heavy yields of deep orange, conicalroots. Sweet and flavorful. High juicecontent.

DataGardeners at 14 sites submitted information.Trait Bolero Kuroda Same

Germinated best 42% 25% 33%Healthier plants 9 9 82Harvested earlier 9 9 82Higher yields 20 30 50More attractive roots 18 36 45Tasted better raw 18 45 36Tasted better cooked 22 22 56




Prefer ‘Bolero’Bolero ☺Kuroda ☺ NE‘Bolero’ was maybe a bit more consistent insize. It tasted better.

Bolero ☺Kuroda NCI thought ‘Bolero’ was a bit sweeter.

Bolero ☺Kuroda ☺ SC‘Bolero’ seemed to produce better and hadbigger and straighter roots. Both varietieshad their share of odd looking roots. Bothvarieties were very good tasting; enjoyedboth evenly. We froze a bunch of the carrotsand they are very tasty.

Bolero ☺Kuroda ☺ SW‘Bolero’ had longer roots. All of my rootcrops came up very spotty this year. This wasnot the best year for this test.

Prefer ‘Kuroda’BoleroKuroda ☺ NE‘Kuroda’ roots had a better shape (no sideshoots). ‘Kuroda’ had a better yield butyields were low for both varieties.

Bolero ☺Kuroda ☺ SE‘Kuroda’ roots were better looking, sweeter,and less harsh on the crunch. Both varietiestasted excellent as a fresh garden carrot.

Bolero ☺Kuroda ☺ SE‘Kuroda’ carrots had better flavor.

Bolero ☺Kuroda ☺ SWFun to grow.

BoleroKuroda ☺ NW‘Kuroda’ was very tasty.

Gardenersliked bothvarieties. Thedrought led tospottygerminationand low yieldsin somegardens.

Bestmainseasoncarrotvarieties

Top choiceNew Kuroda

Strongperformer

BoleroRomanceScarlet Nantes


BoleroKuroda NE‘Kuroda’ produced better but its carrotswere stubby. I don’t think I would ordereither variety again. They were not goodproducers like other varieties in the past.

Bolero ☺Kuroda ☺ SW‘Kuroda’ tasted better, both raw and cooked.Both varieties had extremely poorgermination, to the point that I could notevaluate yield.

Prefer ‘Kuroda’ (continued) ConclusionsGardeners liked both varieties but thedrought led to spotty germination and lowyields in some gardens. Both varieties grewsimilarly and produced similar yields. Thenotable difference was in the eating qualityof raw carrots, where ‘Kuroda’ excelled.‘Kuroda’ is widely available, but an improvedstrain, called ‘New (Shin) Kuroda’, can befound and has performed well in trials inNorth Dakota.

Gardeners whoeat raw carrots

preferred thetaste of

‘Kuroda’.

38 NDSU EXTENSION

Location

Comments



Ratings(1 to 10)



NW

SW

NC NE

Carrot, YellowVarieties‘Chablis Yellow’73 days. Long roots with large tops. Mildflavor. Danvers type is yellow to the core.Proven performer in ND.

‘Solar Yellow’63 days. Danvers type with broad base anddistinct taper. Sweet flavor. The sunny yellowroots grow 7 inches long.


Chablis SolarTrait Yellow Yellow Same

Germinated best 30% 10% 60%Healthier plants 33 11 56Harvested earlier 38 13 50Higher yields 50 20 30More attractive roots 44 11 44Tasted better raw 40 30 30Tasted better cooked 50 25 25Preference 60 40Recommend (☺) 58 42Mean score1 6.30 5.60Median score1 6.00 5.001Rated from 1 to 10; 1 = poor and 10 = excellent.

Prefer ‘Chablis Yellow’Chablis Yellow ☺Solar Yellow ☺ MNOverall, ‘Chablis Yellow’ was betterperforming. Its roots looked and tastedbetter.

Chablis Yellow ☺Solar Yellow SEBoth varieties have a light carrot flavor.‘Solar Yellow’ germinated better.

Chablis Yellow ☺Solar Yellow SE‘Chablis Yellow’ grew better; tasted “way”better. ‘Solar Yellow’ had a noticeable boltingproblem.

Best yellowcarrotvariety

Top choiceChablis Yellow

Chablis Yellow ☺Solar Yellow ☺ SC‘Chablis Yellow’ did better in overallperformance.

Chablis Yellow ☺Solar Yellow MTI liked the taste of ‘Chablis Yellow’.

Prefer ‘Solar Yellow’Chablis YellowSolar Yellow ☺ NCSeveral of these grew 10 to 12 inches long.‘Solar Yellow’ roots grew long and straight—no offshoots. I will grow yellow carrotsagain. They seem sweeter then the orangeones.

Chablis Yellow ☺Solar Yellow ☺ NW‘Solar Yellow’ was very tasty raw and cooked.

Chablis YellowSolar Yellow ☺ NW‘Solar Yellow’ had more tasty carrots. Bothvarieties had some tasty carrots and someblah carrots.

Chablis Yellow ☺Solar Yellow SWNo comments.

‘ChablisYellow’ wasbetter overall.It had higheryields andsuperior taste.


Chablis YellowSolar Yellow SWNeither did well at all. ‘Chablis Yellow’ had afew straggly plants that never matured. ‘SolarYellow’ had a total of four carrots that grewto an edible size. I have never had luck likethis with carrots before.

OtherChablis YellowSolar Yellow SEI did not think either variety tasted verygood.

ConclusionsThe germination rates in all of our carrottrials were reduced by drought. This wasespecially true for this trial, the only trial weused raw (not pelleted) seed. ‘Chablis Yellow’was the stronger performer. It producedhigher yields. Its roots were more attractiveand tasted better. The seed of ‘ChablisYellow is difficult to find, but the variety haswon our yellow carrot trials every year.

Prefer ‘Solar Yellow’ (continued)

Germination ofboth varieties

was greatlyhampered by

drought.

40 NDSU EXTENSION

Corn, BicolorVarieties‘Ambrosia’ (se)75 days. Popular for its delicious flavor,early vigor, and resistance to diseases. Largeears. Sturdy stalks.

‘Peaches & Cream’ (se)83 days. Two different flavors in each bite.Small, deep kernels are bursting withsweetness.


Peaches &Trait Ambrosia Cream Same

Germinated best 32% 47% 21%Healthier plants 26 47 26Harvested earlier 59 35 6Higher yields 31 56 13More attractive ears 29 41 29Tasted better 24 41 35Preference 50 50Recommend (☺) 47 71



Prefer ‘Ambrosia’Ambrosia ☺Peaches & Cream MN‘Ambrosia’ tasted better and looked betterto eat. Both varieties germinated well, but‘Peaches & Cream’ germinated faster andbetter.

Ambrosia ☺Peaches & Cream ☺ MN‘Ambrosia’ had the better ears—larger andfilled out more consistently. Several‘Peaches & Cream’ ears did not fill out allthe way.

‘Ambrosia’ripened firstand producedlarge, full ears.

Best bicolorse and syncornvarieties

Top choicePeaches &

Cream

Strongperformers

AllureAmbrosiaCuppa JoeDelectableLusciousTemptation

Ambrosia ☺Peaches & Cream ☺ NE‘Ambrosia’ ears snapped off the stalk moreeasily. Because of vacation, and thenunderestimating the ripeness of Peaches &Cream’ (its cobs were so thin I did not thinkthey were ripe), most of the corn waspicked too ripe; thus, it was hard tocompare taste. ‘Peaches & Cream’ had nicersecondary cobs.

AmbrosiaPeaches & Cream NE‘Ambrosia’ was more consistent ingermination. ‘Peaches & Cream’ had smuton 5% of stalks; ‘Ambrosia’ had little tonone of this. Both varieties produced smallears. Maybe my absence for 10 days (nowatering) made the difference, but neithervariety was the best I’ve raised.

Ambrosia ☺Peaches & Cream SEAmbrosia wins. Zero competition. You caneat both of these types of corn withoutcooking them. ‘Peaches and Cream’ cobswere skinny and green. ‘Ambrosia’ cobswere huge. So good; so fat; a bicolorwonder. ‘Ambrosia’ is the best corn in theworld or at least in my yard. I planted 12feet of row and got 5 gallon bags worth ofcorn. Even the secondary ears were goodhalf the time.


Ambrosia ☺Peaches & Cream ☺ SEBoth varieties did well regardless of the dryspell earlier in the summer. ‘Ambrosia’ripened earlier and yet was harvestable for alonger period. It seems that ‘Peaches &Cream’ ripened much later and then wasdone pretty quickly—although much of thatmight have been due to the dry spell andthen the rains we received later in theseason. ‘Peaches & Cream’ was still veryflavorful—and both varieties had goodyield. Yum—always love sweet corn.

Ambrosia -Peaches & Cream - SE‘Ambrosia’ grew more vigorously. Its stalkswere waist high while the stalks of ‘Peaches& Cream’ were knee high on July 3—beforebeing destroyed by the deer.

Ambrosia ☺Peaches & Cream SC‘Ambrosia’ was very tasty and held up.‘Peaches & Cream’ seemed to get toughfaster.

Ambrosia ☺Peaches & Cream SWNeither had excellent germination; and theydid not perform well due to dry conditions.‘Ambrosia’ performed slightly better and Iwas completely finished harvesting it beforeI picked the first ear from ‘Peaches &Cream’.

Ambrosia -Peaches & Cream - SWDeer and cows got in the patch and atemost every plant. We reseeded on July 1and did get a few cobs. We preferred‘Ambrosia’.

Prefer ‘Peaches & Cream’AmbrosiaPeaches & Cream ☺ NC‘Peaches & Cream’ was sweeter, crunchierand juicier. Taste alone made it the winner.

AmbrosiaPeaches & Cream ☺ NC‘Peaches & Cream’ did better in droughtconditions.

AmbrosiaPeaches & Cream ☺ NC‘Peaches & Cream’ ripened first and hadgreat flavor.

AmbrosiaPeaches & Cream ☺ NC‘Peaches & Cream’ performed better inspite of the drought. The trial was irrigated.

AmbrosiaPeaches & Cream ☺ NC‘Peaches & Cream’ grew better.

AmbrosiaPeaches & Cream ☺ SCThe stalks of ‘Peaches & Cream’ weremore uniform, healthier and taller. ‘Peaches& Cream’ ripened first. Both had greattaste.

Ambrosia ☺Peaches & Cream ☺ SCThe ears of ‘Peaches & Cream’ werebeautiful, long, very uniform and full. Bothvarieties had some lodging issues.

AmbrosiaPeaches & Cream ☺ NWThe cobs of ‘Peaches & Cream’ werebigger. The cobs of ‘Ambrosia’ were verysmall—this might have been due to dryconditions. They both tasted good.

ConclusionsGardeners split on their preference amongthe two varieties, but many more gardenersrecommended ‘Peaches & Cream’. Itseemed to tolerate the drought better.Several gardeners in the north central region(hard hit by the drought) recommended itbut would not ‘Ambrosia’. ‘Ambrosia’ripened earlier and produced large, full ears.Its ears held up well in the field. Gardenersloved the flavor of both varieties.

Prefer ‘Ambrosia’ (continued)

‘Peaches &Cream’

seemed totolerate the

drought better.It germinated

better andproduced

more.

42 NDSU EXTENSION

Corn, Bicolor Super SweetVarieties‘Anthem XR’ (shA)73 days. Large ears filled with tender, sweetkernels. Easy to harvest. Requires isolation.

‘Xtra-Tender 274A’ (shA)74 days. Outstanding eating quality. Kernelscontrast beautifully. Sturdy stalks. Requiresisolation.


Xtra-TenderTrait Anthem 274A Same

Germinated best 27% 7% 67%Healthier plants 40 20 40Harvested earlier 47 27 27Higher yields 47 20 33More attractive ears 57 7 36Tasted better 36 29 36


Prefer ‘Anthem XR’Anthem XR ☺Xtra-Tender 274A MN‘Anthem XR’ had bigger ears and tastedbetter.

Anthem XRXtra-Tender 274A SENeither variety produced much corn orgrew very tall. I feel this may be due to theextreme dry summer that we had. I wateredmy garden regularly, but maybe not enoughmoisture got to the corn plants. I am notreal pleased with either variety, but ‘AnthemXR’ tasted better.

‘Anthem XR’was moreadaptable tothe drought. Itmaturedearlier andproducedhigher yields.

Anthem XR ☺Xtra-Tender 274A SE‘Anthem XR’ ripened earlier and producedmore. Both varieties suffered damage fromwind. The ears of both varieties were verysweet and tasted great.

Anthem XR ☺Xtra-Tender 274A ☺ NCBoth had near 100% germination. Bothperformed well in drought conditions withlittle supplemental watering. Stalks weresturdy. Both produced good yields of tastycobs. ‘Anthem XR’ was sweeter, moretender and had more uniform cobs.

Anthem XR ☺Xtra-Tender 274A ☺ SC‘Anthem XR’ was sweeter with a longer milkstage to eat it without tasting overripe. Bothvarieties were very good considering the dryseason this year.

Anthem XR ☺Xtra-Tender 274A SC‘Anthem XR’ had good, nice, healthy ears.

Anthem XRXtra-Tender 274A SCI kept both varieties in two differentgardens, two weeks apart. The plants inboth locations seemed stunted compared toother varieties. Both varieties were barely 4to 5 feet tall and ‘Xtra-Tender 274A’ wassmutty.

Best bicolorsuper sweetcornvarieties

Top choiceXtra-Tender

277A

Strongperformers

Anthem XRSS2742XTH20173Xtra-Tender

274A


Anthem XR ☺Xtra-Tender 274A SW‘Anthem XR’ performed better all around.It germinated a few days earlier and wasready to harvest a few days earlier. Itproduced a dozen or so more ears. The earsof both varieties tasted very good!

Anthem XR ☺Xtra-Tender 274A ☺ SD‘Anthem XR’ produced slightly more two-ear stalks. It matured a week or so earlier.The ears of ‘Xtra-Tender 274A’ wereslightly sweeter.

Prefer ‘Xtra-Tender 274A’Anthem XR ☺Xtra-Tender 274A ☺ NE‘Xtra-Tender 274A’ ears filled outcompletely to the end of the cob. It tastedbetter though both varieties were good.

Anthem XRXtra-Tender 274A ☺ SEI planted late (June 12). Both varieties grewshort and did not produce many large cobsdue to low rainfall. ‘Xtra-Tender 274A’germinated better and was healthier.

Anthem XRXtra-Tender 274A SEBoth tasted good but we were extremelydisappointed with their very small ears.Neither variety did well even though wewatered regularly.

Anthem XRXtra-Tender 274A ☺ SC‘Xtra-Tender 274A’ was more tender—meltin your mouth good. ‘Anthem XR’ had tallerstalks, produced more ears, and its huskswere firm. ‘Anthem XR’ may be better forcanning or freezing, but we like to eat oursweet corn fresh.

Anthem XRXtra-Tender 274A SWBoth varieties started out well and had goodgermination and healthy plants when theywere knee high. But the drought hit mycorn pretty bad. Both varieties suffered andhad stunted and inconsistent ears. ‘AnthemXR’ only grew to 5 feet tall and ‘Xtra-Tender 274A’ grew 7 feet. Neither varietycould tolerate heat or drought.

ConclusionsBoth varieties struggled in the drought but‘Anthem XR’ was more adaptable. Itmatured earlier and produced more ears. Itsears were larger and more uniform. ‘Xtra-Tender 274A’ has been a strong performerin previous years. Gardeners enjoyed thetaste of both varieties.

Prefer ‘Anthem XR’ (continued)

The ears ofboth varieties

were verysweet and

tasted great.

44 NDSU EXTENSION

Corn, YellowVarieties‘Bodacious RM’ (se)75 days. Long, 8-inch ears filled withflavorful, tender kernels. Good freezer. Verypopular.

‘Inferno’ (syn)73 days. Popular for its sweet, tenderkernels. Dark green husks and flags protectcobs.


BodaciousTrait RM Inferno Same

Germinated best 55% 0% 45%Healthier plants 82 0 18Harvested earlier 70 10 20Higher yields 80 0 20More attractive ears 90 10 0Tasted better 50 10 40Preference 90 10Recommend (☺) 91 27Mean score1 8.40 5.80Median score1 8.50 5.501Rated from 1 to 10; 1 = poor and 10 = excellent.

Preferred ‘Bodacious RM’Bodacious RM ☺Inferno SE‘Bodacious RM’ outperformed ‘Inferno’ onall traits. Its stalks showed more vigor, grewtaller, and were sturdier. ‘Bodacious RM’matured on Labor Day and was much moreproductive.

Bodacious RM ☺Inferno SE‘Bodacious RM’ was sweeter.

Bodacious RM ☺Inferno ☺ SC‘Bodacious RM’ had the best plants andproduced the most.

‘BodaciousRM’ was theclear winner. Itshowed morevigor andproduced moreears.

Bodacious RM ☺Inferno NC‘Bodacious RM’ tasted better.

Bodacious RM ☺Inferno SC‘Bodacious RM’ yielded better. ‘Inferno’ hadshorter cobs, shorter stalks and maturedlater.

Bodacious RM ☺Inferno SC‘Bodacious RM’ plants were much taller andthe stand was more even. Its ears werelarger and much sweeter. ‘Inferno’ tended tohave two to five cobs coming out of thesame place, of which only one wouldgrow—curious to know what would causethat?

Bodacious RM ☺Inferno ☺ SCBoth had good germination and healthyplants. Both varieties only produced one cobper plant and tasted very good. The stalksof ‘Bodacious RM’ were much taller. Itscobs were larger and the kernels were moreuniform.

Bodacious RM ☺Inferno SW‘Bodacious RM’ germinated better andproduced more ears.

Best yellowse cornvariety

Top choiceBodacious

RM

Strongperformer

Sugar Buns


Bodacious RM ☺Inferno SWBoth varieties had great germination;however, ‘Bodacious RM’ had taller,healthier looking plants, many having twocobs. ‘Inferno’ had a few plants that did notmake a cob, and a couple with smut. Bothvarieties had tasty cobs, but the quantityharvested was double on ‘Bodacious RM’compared to ‘Inferno’.

Preferred ‘Inferno’Bodacious RM ☺Inferno ☺ SC‘Bodacious RM’ grew better and had biggerears, but we preferred the taste of‘Inferno’.

Conclusions‘Bodacious RM’ was the top performer inour 2017 sweet corn trials and the clearwinner in this trial. Its stalks showed strongvigor and were very productive. It grewimpressively across the state, including areassuffering extreme drought. ‘Inferno’ hadshorter stalks, shorter cobs and maturedlater.

Prefer ‘Bodacious RM’ (continued)

‘Inferno’ wasinferior in all

respects. Itproduced

shorter cobsand lower

yields.

46 NDSU EXTENSION

Location

Comments



Ratings(1 to 10)



NW

SW

NC NE

Corn, Early OrnamentalVarieties‘Fiesta’100 days. The standard for quality amongearly varieties. Colorful ears, many withpurple husks.

‘Painted Mountain’85 days. Vibrant kernels can be ground intoflour. Ultra-early. Short stalks. FromMontana.


PaintedTrait Fiesta Mountain Same

Germinated best 43% 14% 43%Healthier plants 75 13 13Harvested earlier 17 67 17Higher yields 67 33 0More attractive ears 50 33 17Preference 50 50Recommend (☺) 83 67Mean score1 6.83 6.00Median score1 6.50 6.50


Prefer ‘Fiesta’Fiesta ☺Painted Mountain SE‘Fiesta’ had better germination and yield.

Fiesta ☺Painted Mountain SC‘Fiesta’ stalks were sturdy. Its ears werelarge and full—beautiful! I loved its purplehusks. ‘Painted Mountain’ kernels are bright,but its ears are too skinny for me.

Fiesta ☺Painted Mountain ☺ SW‘Fiesta’ cobs were “normal” in shape whilethose of ‘Painted Mountain’ were very longand skinny (not nearly as attractive). ‘Fiesta’produced a dozen or so more ears.

Gardeners spliton theirpreferences.‘Fiesta’produced moreand largerears. ‘PaintedMountain’ earswere brilliantbut skinny.

Prefer ‘Painted Mountain’FiestaPainted Mountain ☺ SC‘Painted Mountain’ stalks were fuller and abetter plant overall for production. The earsof both varieties were beautiful.

Fiesta ☺Painted Mountain ☺ SCThe ears of ‘Painted Mountain’ were moreusable and pretty. They had a greater varietyof colors. ‘Painted Mountain’ ears were longand narrow while ‘Fiesta’ ears were shortand fat.

Fiesta ☺Painted Mountain ☺ SC‘Painted Mountain’ looks so cool, like anancient throwback variety. The boldness andvariety of colors in its ears wins handsdown. Its 8-row ears can grow to 11 incheslong. Although its stalks were not as hardyand susceptible to lodging, it is worth theeffort to grow. ‘Fiesta’ looks to be a reliable,good standing, and high yielding variety. Itscolors are more pastel compared to ‘PaintedMountain’, but it produces nice, 12-row x24-kernel-long ears. Both germinated well.

ConclusionsGardeners split on their preferences. ‘Fiesta’stalks were healthy, sturdy and moreproductive. Its ears were larger and lookedlike traditional ornamental corn. ‘PaintedMountain’ ears were skinnier but filled witha wide array of brilliant kernels.

Bestornamentalcornvarieties

Top choiceFiesta

Strongperformers

AutumnExplosion

Cherry BerryPainted

Mountain


Corn, Full-Season OrnamentalVarieties‘Autumn Explosion’105 days. High yields of long ears. Kernelscome in a rainbow of colors, includingvariegated kernels.

‘Glass Gem’120 days. Unique, translucent kernels(shown at right). Can be popped. Ten-foot-tall, sturdy stalks.


Autumn GlassTrait Explosion Gem Same

Germinated best 50% 0% 50%Healthier plants 75 0 25Harvested earlier 50 0 50Higher yields 75 0 25More attractive ears 75 0 25Preference 100 0Recommend (☺) 100 50Mean score1 9.50 7.75Median score1 9.50 7.501Rated from 1 to 10; 1 = poor and 10 = excellent.

Prefer ‘Autumn Explosion’Autumn Explosion ☺Glass Gem ☺ SE‘Glass Gem’ is a beautiful corn, but forsheer size and variety of colors ‘AutumnExplosion’ fills up the baskets and providesfor a nice fall display. I’ve grown ‘GlassGem’ previously and it is quite stunning.

Autumn Explosion ☺Glass Gem SEThe stalks of ‘Autumn Explosion’ werethick and strong (withstood 60–100 mphwinds during a tornado). They grew to behuge (around 10–12 feet tall) and the earswere large.

Autumn Explosion ☺Glass Gem SC‘Autumn Explosion’ performed betteroverall. Its ears were longer and fuller. Thestalks were extremely tall, probably close to9 feet tall or more! ‘Glass Gem’ stalks wereshorter and their ears were smaller.

Autumn Explosion ☺Glass Gem ☺ NW‘Autumn Explosion’ had much brightercoloring. ‘Glass Gem’ really did look likeglass and was more muted on the coloring.Both varieties were excellent.

Prefer ‘Glass Gem’None.

ConclusionsEvery gardener was impressed with ‘AutumnExplosion’. Its tall, sturdy stalks producedlots of large, beautiful ears. Its kernels werebright and came in a wide variety of colors.‘Glass Gem’ was less vigorous and its earswere smaller. Its glassy kernels weredistinctive.

Every gardenerwas impressedwith the sturdy

stalks andlarge, beautiful

ears of‘Autumn

Explosion’.


Top choiceFiesta

Strongperformers

AutumnExplosion

Cherry BerryPainted

Mountain

48 NDSU EXTENSION

Corn, StrawberryVarieties‘Cherry Berry’98 days. New variety with larger ears thanstandard strawberry type. Can be popped.

‘Strawberry’105 days. Long-time favorite. Short ears.Red kernels. For decorations or for popping.


Cherry Straw-Trait Berry berry Same

Germinated best 11% 22% 67%Healthier plants 50 13 38Harvested earlier 57 0 43Higher yields 44 11 44More attractive ears 38 13 50Tasted better 0 100 0Preference 57 43Recommend (☺) 56 56


Prefer ‘Cherry Berry’Cherry BerryStrawberry SEBoth varieties had short ears only 2–3inches long. Although both had very pooryields, ‘Cherry Berry’ was slightly better.‘Dakota Black’ popcorn grew fine under thesame conditions.

Cherry Berry ☺Strawberry SC‘Strawberry’ germinated 2 times better but‘Cherry Berry’ developed ears weeks earlier.

Cherry Berry ☺Strawberry SC‘Cherry Berry’ had nice, longer ears and ahigher yield. Both had similar number ofears per stalk. Both had lots of tillering.‘Strawberry’ showed susceptibility to smut.

Both varietiesstruggled inthe drought.‘Cherry Berry’was healthierand its earsmaturedearlier.

Cherry Berry ☺Strawberry ☺ SWI preferred the dried color of ‘CherryBerry’ to that of ‘Strawberry’ (used forornamental purposes and not for popping).

Cherry Berry ☺Strawberry ☺ MT‘Cherry’ Berry’ looked better. Drought wasa problem.

Prefer ’Strawberry’Cherry BerryStrawberry ☺ MN‘Strawberry’ had taller plants; tasted better.

Cherry BerryStrawberry ☺ NW‘Cherry Berry’ did not germinate.

Cherry Berry ☺Strawberry ☺ SD‘Strawberry’ looked more like a regular earof corn. ‘Cherry Berry’ was fatter andshaped a little like a pine cone.

ConclusionsDrought was a problem for both varieties.Yields were low. ‘Cherry Berry’ was healthierand more productive. Its ears maturedearlier. Gardeners who used these cobs forornamental purposes were more likely toprefer it over ‘Strawberry’. For popcorn, itappears other varieties such as ‘DakotaBlack’ may be superior.


Top choiceFiesta

Strongperformers

AutumnExplosion

Cherry BerryPainted

Mountain


Cucumber, BurplessVarieties‘Summer Dance’60 days. Straight, glossy cukes of exceptionalquality. Productive vines tolerate heat anddiseases.

‘Sweet Slice’63 days. Looks like a common slicer but isburpless. Gourmet quality. Good yields onvigorous vines.


Summer SweetTrait Dance Slice Same

Germinated best 24% 38% 38%Healthier plants 34 22 44Harvested earlier 27 58 15Higher yields 42 39 18More attractive cukes 45 15 39Tasted better 27 24 48


Prefer ‘Summer Dance’Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ MN‘Summer Dance’ outperformed in the longrun. I recommend this variety for smallgardens because you get a lot of nice, longand straight cucumbers from each plant. Itsvines produced well into October. ‘SweetSlice’ produced the first blossoms and fruits.Their cucumbers had a very similar taste.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ NEBoth were good slicers. When picked youngand tender, they were decent for snacking. Ilove all cucumbers when they are young andtender.

Both varietiesproduced long,

straight anddelicious

cucumbers.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice NE‘Summer Dance’ was consistent, highyielding and attractive. It produced oneweek earlier.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice NE‘Sweet Slice’ leaves developed spots—causeunknown. Very few cucumbers from it.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice SE‘Summer Dance’ had good production, niceclean skin, and stayed thin even when theygot long. ‘Sweet Slice’ got fat quickly.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ SEI loved both varieties and will plant both inour home garden next year. We have aneighborhood garden as we encourage ourneighbors to come and pick any time. Thesetwo varieties were the most popular of allthe cucumbers in the garden. ‘SummerDance’ produced more. Next year we willbe planting only these two varieties.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice SE‘Sweet Slice’ didn’t produce. ‘SummerDance’ produced a lot. I didn’t like thecurled fruits it often produced, but thecucumbers tasted great.

Bestburplesscucumbervarieties

Top choiceSummer

Dance

Strongperformers

OrientExpress II

Sweet SliceSweet SuccessTasty Green

50 NDSU EXTENSION

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice SE‘Summer Dance’ was producing goodquality cucumbers through October 3 and‘Sweet Slice’ was done prior to September25. The cucumbers of ‘Summer Dance’were fairly straight, slim and smooth whilethose of ‘Sweet Slice’ were curled and spiny.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice NCThe cucumbers of ‘Summer Dance’ werenice and straight, dark green and beautiful.Each cucumber produced many slices. Mytaste testers liked the flavor of bothvarieties but nearly all preferred ‘SummerDance’. Its cucumbers were delicious, crispand sweet. ‘Sweet Slice’ produced the firstcucumber. Both varieties produced goodyields, but ‘Sweet Slice’ produced more perplant—lots of cucumbers!

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ NCEvery ‘Sweet Slice’ seed came up; however,only about half of ‘Summer Dance’ seedsemerged. We did have a cold spring in the50’s and 60’s which is not ideal forcucumber germination. We replanted some‘Summer Dance’ seed later which did better.‘Summer Dance’ was about 2 weeks behind‘Sweet Slice’ in yielding cucumbers;however, once they got started, ‘SummerDance’ yielded so many more cukes!Perhaps 8:1 plant for plant. ‘SummerDance’ cukes were straighter and thinner. Itook samples to garden club to sample andalmost 100% preferred the taste of‘Summer Dance’. I liked the fact that‘Summer Dance’ had less seeds than ‘SweetSlice’ too.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice SC‘Summer Dance’ was hands down better. Itscucumbers needed to be picked smallbefore the seeds got too large. ‘Sweet Slice’was terrible.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice SCThe cucumbers of ‘Summer Dance’ werestraight, long and tasty. Both varieties didvery well in spite of the drought.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ SC‘Sweet Slice’ came up earlier and moreuniformly, but ‘Summer Dance’ grew muchbetter once they got established, andproduced much longer cucumbers. ‘SummerDance’ had healthier vines. Both were verysweet and juicy. I lost some plants tocutworms.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ SC‘Summer Dance’ reminds me of an Englishcucumber: nice and long, smooth andspineless. It produced a few days earlier andreally outdid itself in yields. At the end ofthe season its cucumbers grew curved.‘Sweet Slice’ seedlings had difficultyemerging—damping off problem.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice SW‘Summer Dance’ was a crunchier cucumber.I had a good crop of both varieties and Ishared with Elder Care.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ SWBoth had 100% germination. They startedproducing around July 21. I liked ‘SummerDance’ because its cucumbers were crisperand smoother. Its seeds stayed small as thecucumbers grew larger.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice SW‘Summer Dance’ had long, cigar-shapedcucumbers. Good climbers. Tasted as goodas ‘Sweet Slice’.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ SWThe vines of ‘Sweet Slice’ dried up faster inthe heat.

Gardenersloved ‘SummerDance’ for itsslender,smooth-skinned fruits.It producedwellthroughout thesummer.

Prefer ‘Summer Dance’ (continued)


Prefer ‘Sweet Slice’Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ MN‘Sweet Slice’ tasted sweeter. Both varietieswere growing well in the beginning, but then‘Summer Dance’ started to grow better. Itproduced more cucumbers.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ NE‘Sweet Slice’ showed good germination. Itscucumbers had great taste—never bitter—and did not get large too fast. Both varietieskept producing in drought conditions—besttasting cucumbers ever—will plant theseagain.

Summer DanceSweet Slice ☺ NE‘Sweet Slice’ germinated much better andoutproduced ‘Summer Dance’ 2 to 1.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ SEBoth were very good but ‘Sweet Slice wasmore productive.

Summer DanceSweet Slice ☺ SEBoth varieties had near 100% germination.‘Sweet Slice’ produced the first cucumbersand was constantly producing faster than‘Summer Dance’. The cucumbers of‘Summer Dance’ looked nicer; they wereslender and not seedy. ‘Sweet Slice’ was thetastier of the two.

Summer DanceSweet Slice ☺ SENo comments.

Summer DanceSweet Slice ☺ NC‘Sweet Slice’ had a much higher germinationrate and produced lots of cucumbers. Thecucumbers of both varieties tasted muchbetter than anything you could buy in astore; although they had pretty good prickleson them. We ate the cucumbers as fast aswe could. We grew them on a trellis. Thedry summer took a toll on the planting.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ NCThey were both good.

Summer DanceSweet Slice ☺ SC‘Sweet Slice’ was a much better plant andwas very productive. ‘Summer Dance’plants grew weak midway through summer.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ SCWe enjoyed both varieties but ‘Sweet Slice’produced for a longer time.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ SC‘Sweet Slice’ had a flavor that I preferred.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ NWNo comments.

Summer DanceSweet Slice ☺ NWNone of the cucumbers produced a goodcrop. ‘Summer Dance’ was a poor producer.

Summer Dance ☺Sweet Slice ☺ NWThey are both excellent varieties. Weenjoyed harvesting them. We put up a 6-foot fence for the cucumbers to climb on,and it was so easy to harvest them. Youcould see where the cucumbers were, andalso the size of them. They tended to bestraighter when grown on the fence.

Summer DanceSweet Slice SW‘Summer Dance’ did not produce any fruit.

ConclusionsBoth varieties produced loads of deliciouscucumbers. Gardeners loved ‘SummerDance’ for its slender and smooth-skinnedfruits. Its yields were impressive and itsperformance was consistently strong acrosssites. ‘Sweet Slice’ germinated well andproduced the first cucumbers.

‘Sweet Slice’germinated

well andproduced the

firstcucumbers.

52 NDSU EXTENSION

Cucumber, PicklingVarieties‘Homemade Pickles’55 days. Vigorous, disease-resistant vinesproduce loads of crisp cukes ideally shapedfor pickling.

‘Regal’52 days. Dark green pickle with longer,slimmer, slightly tapered shape. Early andhigh yields.


Home.Trait Pickles Regal Same




Prefer ‘Homemade Pickles’Homemade Pickles ☺Regal MN‘Homemade Pickles’ was hardy and a goodearly producer. Its cukes were yummy—weate them fresh. Good pickles and very goodproduction. ‘Regal’ picked up yield later insummer.

Homemade Pickles ☺Regal ☺ SEBoth varieties were great producers andequal in flavor. These were used primarilyfor pickling so I appreciated the traditionalcharacteristics of ‘Homemade Pickles’. Weirrigated early in the season when it was dry.Once it started raining again, both varietiesrebounded and had good yield.

Homemade Pickles ☺Regal ☺ SEBoth germinated well. ‘Homemade Pickles’produced first and better. Production wasnot great due to very dry conditions.

Homemade Pickles ☺Regal ☺ SEI don’t think I ever grew any betterproducers than these varieties. ‘HomemadePickles’ was earlier.

Homemade Pickles ☺Regal NC‘Homemade Pickles’ had bettergermination, near 100%. I liked its vinevigor plus they set the first fruit. Producedfive grocery bags full. ‘Regal’ vines dried upin late August/early September while‘Homemade Pickles’ kept producing.

Homemade Pickles ☺Regal NC‘Homemade Pickles’ was more uniform andhigher yielding. ‘Regal’ cukes got large faster.

Homemade Pickles ☺Regal ☺ NCThe vines of ‘Homemade Pickles’ lookedhealthier and needed less help to trellis. Thecucumbers of both varieties tasted similar.

Homemade Pickles ☺Regal ☺ SC‘Homemade Pickles’ cukes were straighter.Its first cukes came a day after ‘Regal’.

Best picklingcucumbervarieties

Top choiceHomemade

Pickles

Strongperformers

AlibiCalypsoEurekaH-19 Little

Leaf

‘HomemadePickles’germinatedbetter, maturedearlier and wasmoreproductive.Gardenersliked its blockyfruit shape.


Homemade Pickles ☺Regal SCWe planted a few different varieties ofcucumbers. ‘Homemade Pickles’ producedconsistent yields, even in dry conditions. Iliked the size of these cucumbers forpickling, especially if you’re trying toharvest the size to make sweet gherkins. Iwould plant these again.

Homemade Pickles ☺Regal ☺ NWBoth these varieties make excellent eating.They also are very good in dill pickles orsweet hamburger dills.

Homemade Pickles ☺Regal ☺ SW‘Homemade Pickles’ produced more fruits.

Homemade Pickles ☺Regal SWMy plants did not thrive on watering likethey would have from rain.

Prefer ‘Regal’Homemade PicklesRegal ☺ MN‘Regal’ had strong, prolific plants. Very easyto grow. My neighbors were jealous.‘Homemade Pickles’ cukes became bloatedwhereas ‘Regal’ cukes maintained a niceshape and proportional size.

Homemade Pickles ☺Regal ☺ MN‘Regal’ had better germination. Bothvarieties produced so many cucumbers.

Homemade PicklesRegal ☺ SE‘Regal’ showed more vigor. It seemed tooutproduce and outshine ‘HomemadePickles.’ I had plenty of cucumbers to share.

Homemade PicklesRegal SE‘Homemade Pickles’ did not germinate.‘Regal’ cukes were fat and short, misshaped.

Homemade Pickles ☺Regal ☺ SCYields were good. ‘Homemade Pickles’cukes were straighter but got a bit bitter.

Homemade PicklesRegal ☺ NW‘Homemade Pickles’ was a poor producer.It was a hot, dry summer. Very few cukes;canned only 6 quarts from both varieties.

Homemade Pickles ☺Regal ☺ SWBoth varieties had excellent germination andgreat yields. I preferred ‘Regal’ because ithad the first cukes. I canned lots of picklesfrom both varieties and saw no differencein the results. Both varieties were great.

Homemade PicklesRegal ☺ SW‘Regal’ had better germination; prolificblossoms and fruit; and held up under hot,dry conditions (with watering, of course).Its vines were dense, healthy and compact.‘Homemade Pickles’ was a slow starter andslow in setting fruit. The hills that finallyproduced fruit had cukes that were lessdeformed (curled) compared to ‘Regal’which had many curled fruit (thick on oneend and curved to a narrow end). Theshape did not affect taste or pickling.

Homemade PicklesRegal ☺ SWMore of ‘Regal’ germinated. Its vines werestronger, produced a week earlier, andproduced way more cucumbers. Itscucumbers were smoother, easier to prepfor pickling, and tastier. We made dillpickles and ate the cucumbers in salads.

Conclusions‘Homemade Pickles’ always wins ourpickling cucumber trials. This year itgerminated better, matured earlier and wasmore productive than its competitor.Gardeners loved its crisp and blockyfruits—perfect for pickling. ‘Regal’ hadvigorous vines and produced good cropsconsistently across the state. Its cucumbershad a longer, more tapered shape.

Prefer ‘Home. Pickles’ (continued)

‘Regal’ hadvigorous vines

andconsistently

produced goodcrops.

54 NDSU EXTENSION

Cucumber, SlicingVarieties‘General Lee’66 days. Very productive. Disease-resistantvines set quality slicers even under adverseconditions.

‘Stonewall’53 days. Early. Fancy, 8-inch fruits are darkgreen and very straight. Disease-resistantvines.


General Stone-Trait Lee wall Same

Germinated best 57% 14% 29%Healthier plants 50 0 50Harvested earlier 50 50 0Higher yields 67 17 17More attractive cukes 17 17 67Tasted better 50 17 33Preference 83 17Recommend (☺) 100 83Mean score1 8.67 7.33Median score1 8.50 7.501Rated from 1 to 10; 1 = poor and 10 = excellent.

Prefer ‘General Lee’General Lee ☺Stonewall ☺ NCBoth produced well for me, but I preferredthe taste of ‘General Lee’. Plants werevigorous for both varieties. Both were goodproducers with good color and taste.

General Lee ☺Stonewall NCThe vines of ‘General Lee’ stayed greenlonger and produced larger yields.

General Lee ☺Stonewall ☺ SC‘General Lee’ grew and produced faster.Both varieties did well considering thedrought. Both were tasty.

Both varietiesproduced goodcrops of qualitycucumbers.‘General Lee’wasrecommendedby everygardener.

General Lee ☺Stonewall ☺ SCBoth were very good! We chose ‘GeneralLee’ over ‘Stonewall’ only because it hadslightly higher yields.

General Lee ☺Stonewall ☺ SW‘General Lee’ had really good germinationwhile ‘Stonewall’ was closer to 50%.‘General Lee’ produced good yields and hadnice, straight cukes with very good taste.‘Stonewall’ cucumbers had a stronger taste,which I prefer.

Prefer ‘Stonewall’General Lee ☺Stonewall ☺ NCNo comments.

ConclusionsBoth varieties produced good crops ofquality cucumbers. ‘General Lee’ showedagain why it is an outstanding variety forNorth Dakota. It showed superiorgermination, healthier vines, higher yieldsand tastier cucumbers. It was recommendedby every gardener. ‘Stonewall’ grew very wellat all sites. It matched ‘General Lee’ forearliness but was inferior overall.

Best slicingcucumbervarieties

Top choiceGeneral Lee

Strongperformers

Dasher IIRaiderStonewallStraight Eight


Cucumber, SnackVarieties‘Mercury’55 Days. Crunchy and tasty. Slender cukeswith thin skins and small seeds.

‘Muncher’62 days. Perfect for fresh eating. Mild andtender. Burpless. Good for pickling too.Reliable.

DataGardeners at 40 sites submitted information.Trait Mercury Muncher Same




Prefer ‘Mercury’Mercury ☺Muncher ☺ NE‘Mercury produced first but there is nothingwrong with ‘Muncher’. Both were excellentfor eating fresh. All eight grandkids justloved picking and eating cucumbers of boththese varieties right out of the garden. Ihave never seen kids love cucumbers likethese. I will eat dozens a day. I use a soakerhose that maintains the best eatingcucumbers and never have to worry aboutbitter cukes. What a great feeling to see kidseat healthy foods! Our 3-year-old Kate willleave her DQ treat to eat a cucumber!

Mercury ☺Muncher SE‘Mercury’ grew much better.

Gardenersenjoyed

snacking onthese tasty,

bitter-freecucumbers.

Mercury ☺Muncher SE‘Mercury’ was an overall better plant. Moreproduce. Tasted better.

Mercury ☺Muncher SE‘Mercury’ had 100% germination, but weneeded to resow ‘Muncher’. ‘Mercury’plants were better but they wilted under thedrought conditions. ‘Muncher’ vines stayedvery small and compact.

Mercury ☺Muncher NC‘Mercury’ handled the drought better. It hadtwice as many plants come up compared to‘Muncher’. Their seedlings looked similaruntil they reached 2 inches and then‘Mercury’ took off and ‘Muncher’ did not.The first harvest of ‘Mercury’ was about aweek earlier and ‘Mercury’ produced twiceas many cucumbers than ‘Muncher’.‘Mercury’ cucumbers remained straight asthey got larger; ‘Muncher’ cucumberstended to form balls if they got a littlelarger. ‘Mercury’ had a mild and sweetcucumber flavor with a very tender skin.‘Muncher’ was good but did not have thesweet cucumber flavor like ‘Mercury’. Thecucumbers of both varieties were greateating but did not store well, so they arebest if eaten within a couple days. Myhusband avoids cucumbers since they don’tagree with him, but he could eat these withno problem. I will definitely grow theseagain!

Best snackcucumbervarieties

Top choiceMuncher

Strongperformer

DivaMercury

56 NDSU EXTENSION

Mercury ☺Muncher SC‘Mercury’ produced many cucumbersquickly. Taste was crisp and great. Thesecucumbers are the best I’ve ever eaten evenif it was a dry, hot year. I enjoy these trials.

Mercury ☺Muncher ☺ SCI have tried snack varieties before and theydid not perform well, but this year they didfine. I didn’t get a ton of yield but it wasenough. Both varieties performed about thesame; we preferred the taste of ‘Mercury’.

Mercury ☺Muncher SCThese were a nice size for slicers. Goodyield in dry conditions.

Mercury ☺Muncher SC‘Mercury’ germinated better and had morefruits on each picking. These snackcucumbers have a fun shape and similartaste. I loved eating both of them.

Mercury ☺Muncher SC‘Mercury’ was first to germinate. Its vineshad more leaves and bigger leaves. By farthe highest yields. ‘Muncher’ cucumbers hadthinner skin and were not as bitter.

Mercury ☺Muncher SC‘Mercury’ produced a lot of cucumbers.

Mercury ☺Muncher ☺ SC‘Mercury’ produced more. Goodproduction in August and September.

Mercury -Muncher - SCNeither variety did well. They bothgerminated poorly and didn’t produce muchat all. I suspect they would have producedhigher yields in a wetter year. The cukes ofboth varieties tasted good.

Mercury ☺Muncher ☺ NW‘Mercury’ was ahead in all aspects. Thegermination and health of the plants wassuperior. The taste was a wonderfulsurprise, because I liked ‘Muncher’ so muchlast year. My family and neighbors were alleating ‘Mercury’ right off the vines, and thecucumbers lasted well into September. Thecucumbers of both varieties were great forsnacking on and in salads.

Mercury ☺Muncher NW‘Mercury’ produced the first cucumbers. Weenjoyed the flavor of ‘Mercury and used itin pickles.

Mercury ☺Muncher ☺ SWBoth had excellent germination. Both werevery healthy plants. ‘Mercury’ was alwayscrisp and juicy. ‘Muncher’ was not as crisp,not juicy. Both varieties had greatgermination and great yields.

Prefer ‘Muncher’MercuryMuncher ☺ NEThe cucumbers of both varieties had spotsthat required peeling before eating. Yieldswere very low. ‘Muncher’ cucumbers hadfewer spots and had a better yield.

MercuryMuncher ☺ NE‘Mercury’ germinated poorly and I had toreplant. Then I had a problem getting‘Mercury’ to grow.

MercuryMuncher ☺ SE‘Muncher’ cucumbers were more uniformin shape and tasted better. ‘Mercury’germinated poorly.

Mercury ☺Muncher ☺ SE‘Muncher’ tasted better. Germination waspoor for both varieties (only three plantseach) and plants were small.

‘Mercury’ grewvigorously. Itproduced thefirstcucumbers andwasproductive.

Prefer ‘Mercury’ (continued)


MercuryMuncher ☺ SE‘Muncher’ produced a few morecucumbers. Its cucumbers were straighterand more uniform. ‘Mercury’ cucumberswere fat on one end and skinner on theother end; they curled as well.

MercuryMuncher ☺ SE‘Muncher’ is crispier and with morecucumber flavor. ‘Mercury’ cucumbersgrew into the shape of a gourd every oncein a while (with wider, pinched ends);whereas ‘Muncher’ cucumbers had arougher surface.

Mercury ☺Muncher ☺ SE‘Muncher’ has good flavor.

Mercury ☺Muncher ☺ NC‘Mercury’ matured a few days earlier and Iliked its skin color better. Its cucumberswere crunchier. Many of my taste testerssaid both tasted good, but ‘Muncher’ wasmaybe better tasting and juicier. Bothvarieties were grown on an upright fence tosave garden space. It was so easy to see thecucumbers and they grew straighter.

MercuryMuncher ☺ NC‘Muncher’ was a great name for this cuke.When I picked cukes, I ate many and theytasted great. Even though we had droughtconditions so I had to water a lot, bothvarieties never got bitter tasting. We tried topickle some of the smaller ones into dills,but it didn’t work because they became toosoft. I really liked that I didn’t have to peelthem ever. ‘Muncher’ cucumbers had astraighter shape later in the season;‘Mercury’ got a larger end with a shortneck. We never had this type of cukebefore and enjoyed them for their taste andno peeling.

MercuryMuncher ☺ SC‘Muncher’ vines handled the drought better.Its cukes were straighter. The cukes of bothvarieties were delicious and not bitter!

Mercury ☺Muncher ☺ NC‘Muncher’ cucumbers had good flavor andnice color; slender with small seeds.Excellent for snacking. The cucumbers ofboth varieties had good quality taste andcolor. They were hardy even in the heat.

MercuryMuncher ☺ SC‘Muncher’ cucumbers looked and tastedbetter. ‘Mercury’ cucumbers were softerand it didn’t tolerate the drought well.

Mercury ☺Muncher ☺ SCAlthough ‘Mercury’ was a bit earlier, Ipreferred ‘Muncher’ for its flavor.

Mercury ☺Muncher ☺ NWBoth varieties had poor germination (30%)and their cucumbers tasted excellent. Bothvarieties had low yields overall, but decentyields considering the size and number ofplants. ‘Muncher’ had slightly higher yields.

MercuryMuncher NW‘Mercury’ was tasteless. ‘Muncher’ wasalmost tasteless.

Mercury ☺Muncher ☺ NWNo comments.

ConclusionsGardeners enjoyed snacking on these tasty,bitter-free cucumbers. Gardeners wereevenly split on their preferences. ‘Mercury’grew more vigorously. Its vines producedthe first cucumbers and were productive.Many gardeners thought ‘Muncher’ wasperfect for snacking: flavorful, thin skinned,small seeded, and uniform in shape.

Prefer ‘Muncher’ (continued)

Manygardeners

thought‘Muncher’ was

perfect forsnacking. Its

cucumberswere flavorful,

thin skinned,small seeded,and uniform in

shape.

58 NDSU EXTENSION

Cucumber, WhiteVarieties‘Martini’55 days. New variety. Bright white cukesare smooth and free of bitterness. Flesh issweet and crunchy with small seeds. Harvestat 6 inches. Vines are productive.

‘Silver Slicer’62 days. Creamy white, straight cukes are 7-inches long, crisp and flavorful. Vines resistdisease and produce high yields.


SilverTrait Martini Slicer Same





Prefer ‘Martini’Martini ☺Silver Slicer ☺ SC‘Martini’ was earlier and I preferred itsflavor as well.

Martini - ☺Silver Slicer - SC‘Martini’ seemed overall to be the betterand earlier producer. Its cucumbers werejust a bit larger in size. We could not tell thedifference between these varieties in taste.Both were incredibly good, not at all bitterin the dry heat of summer. I love thesewhite cucumbers and will definitely beadding them to our regular garden nextsummer!

Gardeners whowere willing togrow whitecucumbers fellin love withtheir mildflavor.

Prefer ‘Silver Slicer’MartiniSilver Slicer ☺ NC‘Silver Slicer’ totally rocks all of the wayaround! Dry conditions resulted in pooroverall production but ‘Silver Slicer’ was stillby far the best variety. Good as a slicingcucumber as well as for pickling.

Martini ☺Silver Slicer ☺ SC‘Silver Slicer’ was better producing andfaster growing. I love white cucumbers—somild in flavor. It’s almost impossible to raisea bitter one.

OtherMartini -Silver Slicer - NCEvery cuke was great. The skins were thinand they were perfect for salads. I planted 3feet of each of them and ended up with 20or 30 cukes—some insane amount. Theyare still going into October. I will plant thesenext year. They are a winner! The thin skindoes not need to be peeled and the spinescould be scrubbed off.

ConclusionsThe adventurous gardeners who grew thesewhite cucumbers discovered they were mildin flavor. Our data are limited, but ‘SilverSlicer’ was more adaptable and moreconsistent in its performance. It germinatedbetter and grew better at more sites.

Best whitecucumbervariety

Top choiceSilver Slicer


Greens, Mizuna (Fall)Varieties‘Miz America’21 days baby, 40 days full size. New variety.Dark red, toothed leaves add striking colorto salads. Mild flavor.

‘Red Kingdom’21 days baby, 40 days full size. New, award-winning variety. Very deep color and verymild taste.


Miz RedTrait America King. Same

Germinated best 18% 37% 45%Healthier plants 30 30 39Harvested earlier 29 33 38Higher yields 31 31 38More attractive 57 20 24Tasted better 28 33 39



Prefer ‘Miz America’Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ MNGerminated in 3 days. I loved the burgundycolor of both but the feathery leaves of‘Miz America’ really looked nice in a salad.I loved its “horseradish” flavor mixed withother greens in a salad or added to a meatsandwich. The flavor of ‘Red Kingdom’ wasjust OK; kind of blah by itself.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ MN‘Miz America’ had less insect damage andmilder flavor.

Mostgardeners had

never grown anAsian mustard

before. Theyenjoyed

growing it andusing the

greens to addcolor and zest

to salads.

Miz AmericaRed Kingdom NE‘Red Kingdom’ was eaten out by insects.Both tasted bad.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom SE‘Red Kingdom’ struggled due to high tempsand lack of water. ‘Miz America’ producedwell and flourished as temps turned colder.We enjoyed a nice salad with the greens, andthey added a bit of spice to an otherwisebasic lettuce mix. Thank you!

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom SE‘Red Kingdom’ took a considerably longertime to germinate, around 7 days more sothan ‘Miz America’. ‘Miz America’ wasearlier and had much higher germinationrates. It is an attractive plant, although infairness, ‘Red Kingdom’ is also nice looking.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom SE‘Red Kingdom’ had small holes in its leaves.I prefer ‘Miz America’ for its flavor andquality leaves.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom SE‘Miz America’ germinated better. It addedstriking dark red color and mild flavor tosalads. It’s been fun to enjoy and discoverthese greens.

Best mizunavarieties

Top choiceMiz America

Strongperformers

Mizuna(green)

Red Kingdom

60 NDSU EXTENSION

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SEBoth varieties tasted good. The distinctionbetween the two is that ‘Miz America’ has aspicier taste. The spicier flavor adds a niceaccent to a salad. This was a great fall trial.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom SE‘Miz America’ was fast growing; excellentyield.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SEBoth varieties germinated well and at thesame time. Plants looked very healthy andproduced very well. Nice purple color. Bothtasted very good. I prefer the leaf shape of‘Miz America.’

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SEThey germinated in 4 days but many ‘MizAmerica’ died off after germination. I likedthe leaf shape of ‘Miz America’ but ‘RedKingdom’ looked bushier. I prefer theflavor of ‘Miz America’; it was spicier.

Miz AmericaRed Kingdom SEBoth were disgusting in flavor! Too bitter!Yuck! I liked the leaf shape of ‘MizAmerica’. Both had heavy insect damageearly on, especially ‘Red Kingdom’. I did notwant to “dust” them since I was going to eatthe leaves.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SC‘Miz America’ was a better grower, leafierand prettier. Both varieties tasted bitter.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SCBoth were great, but so different in taste.‘Miz America’ is very peppery while ‘RedKingdom’ was mild. I prefer the spicy tasteof ‘Miz America’. It’s a great mix to throwin salads.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom SCBoth varieties had spotty germination but3–4 times as many ‘Miz America’ seedlingscame up. ‘Miz America’ had 2–3 times theyield. Both are attractive; ‘Miz America’ is avery deep color with cut leaves and ‘RedKingdom’ is a deep color with roundedleaves. We liked the taste of ‘Miz America’better. It has a strong horseradish like flavorthat complements sweeter greens in a saladand we can’t wait to try it on a beefsandwich! ‘Red Kingdom’ is milder but hada slight bitter aftertaste. The deer preferred‘Red Kingdom’ so it appears that ‘MizAmerica’ may be deer tolerant.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom SC‘Miz America’ was an overall betterproducer.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SCPlants were healthy and yields were good. Ihad more than I could give away. ‘RedKingdom’ showed more insect damage. Thedark red, feathery leaves of ‘Miz America’were beautiful. Asian greens are new to me.‘Miz America’ tastes okay—milder than‘Red Kingdom—but I used more ‘MizAmerica’ leaves in flower arrangements.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SCI like the look of ‘Miz America’. Prettier insalads. Both have a strong flavor so need touse with mild greens, but I like the mild bitein a salad. I’m still using them (October 18).I have given much away.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SC‘Red Kingdom’ felt leathery on my tongue.It was stronger in taste, like a turnip orradish. Both varieties are fine with a mix ofgreens but neither one alone. Both werebeautiful in color in a salad and in thegarden. I loved the leaf shape of ‘MizAmerica’. I had not done fall plantingbefore and was amazed at the results.Thank you for that.

Prefer ‘Miz America’ (continued)

The lacy,serrated leavesof ‘MizAmerica’ weremore beautiful.Its flavor waspeppery.


Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SCBoth germinated and grew very well in pots.They tasted great. Both had a pretty purplecolor, but ‘Miz America’ had toothy edgesand was more attractive. I had not tastedeither before and recommend both ofthem. Thank you for the ability to do thetrial. It was a great way to try differentvarieties and now I might consider plantingmore crops in the fall.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SCI liked the serrated leaves of ‘Miz America’.

Miz AmericaRed Kingdom NWBoth were very pretty, but ‘Miz America’was better looking mixed with other greensbecause it was lacy looking. These are toobitter to eat by themselves. They would onlybe good if mixed with other fresh greens/lettuce/spinach.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ NWBoth varieties germinated quickly. Theplants were very healthy and productive.Insects were slightly more interested in ‘RedKingdom’. I think the darker purple andpointed leaves of ‘Miz America’ were moreattractive. I liked the flavor of bothvarieties but found ‘Miz America’ to bemore bitter, not to everyone’s liking. Neithervariety was really attacked by flea beetles orcabbage butterflies.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SW‘Miz America’ had a good flavor—strongerthan ‘Red Kingdom’.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SW‘Red Kingdom’ germinated in 2 days and‘Miz America’ germinated 12 hours later.Both were drip irrigated; both grew at thesame rate. ‘Red Kingdom’ was slightly bettertasting, but I prefer ‘Miz America’ becauseI’m a sucker for pretty leaves. I love them!

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom SW‘Miz America’ had a hint of mustard flavorand could be used as an accent in salad. Itwas most attractive and produced the bestyield although both did not yield well. ‘RedKingdom’ germinated quickly, lacked vigorand tasted bitter.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SWBoth did very well. ‘Miz America’ had afancier leaf. We didn’t like the taste ofeither, but it was still a good opportunity totry something new.

Prefer ‘Red Kingdom’Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ MNWe did not like the flavor of either varietyraw. My husband liked them both if theywere part of stir-fry vegetables, but I didnot like them no matter how we preparedthem. ‘Red Kingdom’ is more productive.

Miz AmericaRed Kingdom ☺ MN‘Miz America’ just fried from the heat andwas really bug eaten.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ NEBoth varieties germinated well. Bothsuffered damage from insects. We prefer‘Red Kingdom’ because of its taste (likecabbage and radish), unique appearance forfancy salads, satisfactory yield, and betterresistance to bugs. ‘Miz America’ producedhigher yields but was more susceptible tobugs. It had a funky taste.

Miz AmericaRed Kingdom ☺ SE‘Red Kingdom’ was more productive andwas ready to harvest earlier. Both varietieswere attractive and had similar flavor.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SE‘Red Kingdom’ tasted better.

Prefer ‘Miz America’ (continued)

Mostgardeners felt‘Red Kingdom’was milder in

flavor. Itsleaves were

burgundy red,smooth and

easy to clean.

62 NDSU EXTENSION

Miz AmericaRed Kingdom NCBoth varieties were attacked by an insectand had tiny holes in the leaves. They wereboth very colorful and attractive and lookedgreat in a salad. I enjoyed doing this trial.

Miz AmericaRed Kingdom NCNeither variety grew very big. ‘RedKingdom’ tasted better.

Miz AmericaRed Kingdom ☺ SCThey both were pretty to have growing inthe front yard, but ‘Miz America’ wasprettier. ‘Red Kingdom’ had healthier plantsand milder taste.

Miz AmericaRed Kingdom ☺ SC‘Red Kingdom’ produced larger leaves andhigher yields. Its flavor was milder. Ipreferred the “green bite” flavor of ‘MizAmerica’. Both varieties were attacked bycabbage moths and ‘Red Kingdom’recovered better.

Miz AmericaRed Kingdom ☺ SC‘Miz America’ was more bitter; ‘RedKingdom’ had a more pleasant flavor. Bothvarieties were gorgeous!

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SCThis was my first experience in growingAsian greens and I enjoyed watching themgrow and using them in salads. I prefer thetaste of ‘Red Kingdom’.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SCBoth germinated very quickly. Thesevarieties produced very well and had goodflavor. ‘Red Kingdom’ had better flavor.Salad lovers rejoice! These are easy to growand tasty.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SC‘Red Kingdom’ was healthy and grew a littlefaster.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SW‘Red Kingdom’ leaves were bigger andeasier to clean. ‘Miz America’ had a pepperyflavor and a stronger aftertaste.

Miz America ☺Red Kingdom ☺ SWI did not sauté either variety and probablyshould have. ‘Miz America’ had a strongerarugula taste than ‘Red Kingdom’ and Ididn’t like it as well in salads. A smallamount as part of a mixed salad goes a longway. Both varieties were beautifulburgundy/red. They could be part of aflower container garden. ‘Red Kingdom’ hada milder taste and better yield, but it took abit longer to germinate. I suspect if I hadplanted a bit later (sowed August 17), afterthe summer heat, I might have had evenhigher yield. ‘Red Kingdom’ is stillproducing this week (October 5).

Miz AmericaRed Kingdom ☺ SW‘Red Kingdom’ was tastier.

Miz AmericaRed Kingdom ☺ SW‘Red Kingdom’ grew taller and I liked thesmooth leaf on the outside. It suffered lessdamage from insects.

ConclusionsMost gardeners had never grown mizunabefore. They enjoyed growing it and usingthe colorful greens in salads. The lacy,serrated leaves of ‘Miz America’ were mostattractive. These leaves added beauty andpeppery flavor to salads. Most gardeners felt‘Red Kingdom’ was milder. Its leaves weresmoother and easier to clean. Flea beetlesand cabbage moths caused significantdamage to both varieties in many gardens.About 20% of gardeners reported failurecaused by either insect pests or a lack ofgermination related to the drought.

Prefer ‘Red Kingdom’ (continued)

Flea beetlescausedsignificantdamage toboth varietiesat many sites.


Greens, Tatsoi (Fall)Varieties‘Koji’21 days baby, 43 days full size. Dark green,crinkled leaves for salads or stir fries.Hybrid vigor. Mild.

‘Tatsoi’21 days baby, 45 days full size. Standardtype. Easy to grow. Compact rosettes. Mildand crisp.

DataGardeners at 58 sites submitted information.Trait Koji Tatsoi Same



Prefer ‘Koji’Koji ☺Tatsoi MNKoji germinated more quickly and its plantswere larger, which made it more desirablefor fall being the growing season is short.

Koji ☺Tatsoi MN‘Koji’ grew quicker and had higher yields.

Koji ☺Tatsoi MNNot one seed of ‘Tatsoi’ germinated.

‘Koji’ wasclearly

superior. Itgerminatedbetter, grew

faster andproduced much

higher yields.

Koji ☺Tatsoi NE‘Koji’ performed better overall. Bothvarieties took a beating because of aninfestation of cabbage looper and fleabeetle. ‘Koji’ seemed more robust anddespite getting ravaged by pests, was able torecover and give me some nice leaves. Bothwere treated by picking off loopers by handand drowning beetles with neem. I enjoyedparticipating and I learned quite a bit.Thank you for inviting me!

Koji ☺Tatsoi SEGermination was equal but some ‘Tatsoi’seedlings died off. ‘Koji grew faster. We gottwo cuttings from it and only one from‘Tatsoi’. There were more ‘Koji’ plants,which were bushier and had deeper color.‘Tatsoi’ tasted more like cabbage; ‘Koji’tasted more like kale.

Koji ☺Tatsoi SE‘Koji’ had superior germination and muchlarger plants, although both varieties werevigorous. ‘Koji’ had a very pleasant and mildtaste. ‘Tatsoi’ was a little bit bitter. It is greatto be introduced to new greens such asthese Asian greens through these trials. Notthe same old, same old.

Koji ☺Tatsoi ☺ SEBoth varieties grew great but ‘Koji’ was alittle nicer. I was very happy with ‘Koji’.

Best tatsoivarieties

Top choiceKoji

Strongperformer

Tatsoi

64 NDSU EXTENSION

Koji ☺Tatsoi SE‘Koji’ was delicious flash-sautéed in olive oilwith garlic. Very few of ‘Tatsoi’ plantsgerminated; there was hardly enough‘Tatsoi’ to taste. ‘Tatsoi’ seemed to wiltmore quickly after harvest than ‘Koji’ did.‘Koji’ did suffer a fair bit of insect damage.

Koji ☺Tatsoi SE‘Koji’ germinated in 7 days. ‘Tatsoi’ hadsparse germination. ‘Koji’ had healthyattractive leaves—excellent addition tosalads. Thank you for the opportunity tolearn more about Asian greens.

Koji ☺Tatsoi ☺ SE‘Koji’ had more robust plants. Theygerminated a little earlier, grew into largerplants, and were ready to harvest sooner.Both varieties had similar yields; bothlooked nice and they tasted similar.

KojiTatsoi SE‘Koji’ germinated well, within 3 days. Onlyone-third as many ‘Tatsoi’ seedlingsgerminated. Both varieties suffered frominsect damage early on. I did not like thetaste of either—too bitter!

Koji ☺Tatsoi SEAlthough slow to germinate, ‘Koji’ took offmuch better than ‘Tatsoi’ Very few ‘Tatsoi’plants came up. Plants of both varietieswere full, deep green, with very few bugs.Once germinated, ‘Koji’ took off like wild,producing multiple cuttings. ‘Tatsoi’ grewvery slowly. The taste of ‘Tatsoi’ was morebitter and “woody.”

Koji ☺Tatsoi ☺ SE‘Koji’ tasted better.

Koji ☺Tatsoi SE‘Koji’ thrived in spite of my neglect.

Koji ☺Tatsoi SE‘Koji’ germinated faster; had better plants.

Koji ☺Tatsoi SE‘Tatsoi’ germinated 2 days earlier, but ‘Koji’plants looked sturdier from the beginning.‘Koji’ grew steadily and its stalk was denserand its leaves more beautiful. It showedgreat growth and much higher yields. ‘Koji’tasted better by far—we all agreed. Onlytwo ‘Tatsoi’ plants grew.

Koji ☺Tatsoi SC‘Koji’ germinated in 3 days, 2 days quickerthan ‘Tatsoi’. ‘Koji’ grew to be larger,healthier plants. Good yields. It was betterall around. Both varieties were susceptibleto bug damage. I have never heard of tatsoiprior to this. Thank you for the introductionto something new that might have tobecome a yearly planting. I have used tatsoiin recipes, in salads and to make pest and allhave been good. I researched tatsoi after Iplanted and if the articles are correct I willbe interested to see how late in the year Iwill be able to pick and eat it.

Koji ☺Tatsoi SCAbsolutely gorgeous plant and very nicehardy texture that was great cooked or raw.

Koji ☺Tatsoi ☺ SC‘Koji’ won most categories but ‘Tatsoi’ wontaste. The leaves of both varieties weredamaged by flea beetles.

Koji ☺Tatsoi SCBoth had bugs eating on them. ‘Koji’ hadbeautiful, dark green leaves. I liked the“nutty” flavor of ‘Tatsoi’.

Koji ☺Tatsoi SC‘Koji’ was a vigorous plant. ‘Tatsoi’ justdidn’t grow as well. It had tiny plants withlittle vigor.

The leaves of‘Koji’ weredark green,attractive andhad a pleasingflavor.

Prefer ‘Koji’ (continued)


Koji ☺Tatsoi ☺ SC‘Koji’ had significantly better germination,reached maturity faster, had healthier plantsand better yields than ‘Tatsoi’.

Koji ☺Tatsoi ☺ SCThe flea beetles were so bad on them that Ididn’t get to test them until much later. Idusted with Sevin several times. I like bothvarieties, but ‘Koji’ is a stronger plant and isricher tasting.

KojiTatsoi NW‘Tatsoi’ did not sprout well. ‘Koji’ grewthickly but was eaten by insects. The pestscould not be dissuaded from eating it full ofholes—no matter how much insecticidalsoap was used. It might be better to plant inearly spring.

KojiTatsoi NW‘Koji’ germinated quickly and producedmore yields. The plants of both varietieswere nearly destroyed by flea beetles. ‘Koji’withstood the attack better. I liked the tasteof ‘Tatsoi’ better.

Koji ☺Tatsoi SW‘Koji’ had a more pleasant taste. I am stillpicking both and have made two cuttings sofar. Good fall crop.

Koji ☺Tatsoi SW‘Koji’ germinated first. ‘Tatsoi’ germinated 3days later and died a week after that. ‘Koji’kept growing to harvest.

Koji ☺Tatsoi ☺ SW‘Koji’ produced higher yields. Its leaves werebigger and easier to wash. ‘Tatsoi’ tastedbetter.

Koji ☺Tatsoi SW‘Koji’ produced bigger plants with healthierfoliage. ‘Koji’ was also more attractive tothe rabbits. They came in the night and atenearly every plant!

Koji ☺Tatsoi SW‘Koji’ emerged two days earlier and hadmild flavor.

Koji ☺Tatsoi ☺ SWI liked the look of these leaves.

Koji ☺Tatsoi SWAlmost no ‘Tatsoi’ germinated, and thecouple seedlings that did germinate didn’tsurvive.

Prefer ‘Tatsoi’Koji ☺Tatsoi ☺ SEBoth were fantastic! They were almostidentical except ‘Tatsoi’ was slightly largerand ‘Koji’ was slightly sweeter. ‘Tatsoi’ wasslightly more appealing. Love the trials. Wellworth the fall planting.

KojiTatsoi ☺ SE‘Tatsoi’ had nice large bunches. Biggeryields. The leaves of ‘Koji’ were smaller.

KojiTatsoi ☺ SE‘Tatsoi’ had better germination by far. Thevarieties tasted similar.

KojiTatsoi ☺ NCNo comments.

KojiTatsoi ☺ SC‘Tatsoi’ had better flavor.

Prefer ‘Koji’ (continued)

The robustgrowth of ‘Koji’

allowed it torecover afterattacks frominsect pests.

66 NDSU EXTENSION

Koji ☺Tatsoi ☺ SCPlants of both varieties were beautiful, butwere very much compromised by bugs.‘Tatsoi’ was somewhat milder. I enjoyedeating this vegetable raw rather thancooked; it was tough when cooked.

KojiTatsoi ☺ SCThere was a bug in my garden that lovedboth of them. Not much to yield and thenit got so hot and dry that I did not havenearly as good a growth as I did last fall.

KojiTatsoi ☺ SW‘Tatsoi’ had a longer harvest and milder rawtaste. I liked the taste of the ‘Tatsoi’ betterin salads, especially the small leaves. I stir-fried both varieties and both were verygood. I’m still harvesting (October 5). ‘Koji’has pretty tall heads.

Koji ☺Tatsoi ☺ SWBoth varieties produced healthy plants.‘Tatsoi’ produced a nice yield. Its leaveswere bright green with a nice contrastingspine. Its flavor was fresh and had a bit ofspice to it but not bitter. Although ‘Koji’germinated earlier and produced a higheryield, we preferred the flavor and color of‘Tatsoi’. Both grew well and when mixedtogether made for a delicious salad.

KojiTatsoi ☺ SWMy children preferred the taste of this overthe kale I planted in my own garden. Fun totry different varieties and to be a “researchreporter”—good experience for my kids.

Prefer ‘Tatsoi’ (continued) Conclusions‘Koji’ was the clear winner. This hybridgerminated better, grew faster and producedmuch higher yields. Its leaves were darkgreen and had a pleasing taste. The robustgrowth of ‘Koji’ allowed it to recover frominsect pest attacks. The standard ‘Tatsoi’showed relatively little vigor. Its leaves werebright green and had a mild flavor.

‘Tatsoi’ lackedvigor. Itsleaves werebright greenand had a mildtaste.


Lettuce, ButterheadVarieties‘Adriana’50 days. Large, dense heads with goodflavor. Dark green leaves. Tolerates heat andresists diseases.

‘Buttercrunch’66 days. Most popular butterhead. Darkgreen outer leaves with creamy heart. Slowto bolt.


Butter-Trait Adriana crunch Same

Germinated best 29% 29% 43%Healthier plants 28 39 33Harvested earlier 35 47 18Resisted bolting better 33 7 60Higher yields 29 59 12More attractive 38 50 13Tasted better 19 56 25Preference 28 72Recommend (☺) 72 83



Prefer ‘Adriana’Adriana ☺Buttercrunch ☺ SE‘Adriana’ grew faster after germination.Seems a little more buttery tasting. Bothvarieties had beautiful, large, uniform heads.Both kept well in the fridge.

Adriana ☺Buttercrunch SEPlants were just a little more healthy andresisted bolting much longer than‘Buttercrunch’. ‘Adriana’ leaves were shinywhile ‘Buttercrunch’ leaves were a little dull.‘Buttercrunch’ was sweeter.

Both varietiesresisted

bolting andproduced lots

of fresh lettuceall summer.

Adriana ☺Buttercrunch SE‘Buttercrunch’ barely produced.

Adriana ☺Buttercrunch NC‘Adriana’ seemed to do better in our sandysoil. They had the most successful plants.

Adriana ☺Buttercrunch ☺ NWBoth varieties produced abundant crops.Today is the 18th of October, and I justpicked my last of the ‘Adriana’ lettuce. Ithas produced consistently all summer. Evenwhen the bottom of the plants becametough, the upper leaves remained delicious.

Prefer ‘Buttercrunch’AdrianaButtercrunch ☺ MNBoth varieties germinated close to 100%and plants were very healthy. ‘Buttercrunch’had excellent flavor and plants were veryslow to bolt. Yield was terrific as well.

Adriana ☺Buttercrunch ☺ SEBoth were good but ‘Buttercrunch’ stayedbetter in the heat. More sweet crunch.Best green

butterheadlettucevariety

Top choiceButtercrunch

68 NDSU EXTENSION

Adriana ☺Buttercrunch ☺ SE‘Buttercrunch’ was a favorite munchingsnack of the kids into September. ‘Adriana’just didn’t produce the volume of‘Buttercrunch’ but it tasted good, what littleit produced. Neither variety bolted.

Adriana ☺Buttercrunch ☺ NCBoth had close to 100% germination.Neither bolted until late August. First timeever I have had garden lettuce throughAugust. ‘Buttercrunch’ produced well. It wasready to use a couple weeks earlier. It hadvery good flavor— a little milder and notbitter.

Adriana ☺Buttercrunch ☺ NCVery dry conditions. Neither varietygerminated well.

AdrianaButtercrunch ☺ SC‘Buttercrunch’ grew bigger and better. Moreand more leaves. Tasted better. ‘Adriana’ stillhad not bolted as of the end of August. Itsleaves had a less pleasing texture andcrunch.

AdrianaButtercrunch ☺ SC‘Buttercrunch’ had a fuller plant.

AdrianaButtercrunch ☺ SC‘Adriana’ did not sprout.

Adriana ☺Buttercrunch ☺ SC‘Buttercrunch’ tasted slightly better and wasmore tender.

AdrianaButtercrunch ☺ NW‘Buttercrunch’ had a nice leaf—very butterytasting—perfect for a sandwich or salad.Rabbits and pheasants ate almost all thelettuce due to drought in the area.

Adriana ☺Buttercrunch ☺ NWIt was a tough year for my lettuce. The coldJune weather, hot dry July with winds, andthe flocks of pheasants who were lookingfor anything green just about took care ofthe lettuce.

Adriana ☺Buttercrunch ☺ SWNo comments.

Adriana ☺Buttercrunch ☺ SWPreferred the taste of ‘Buttercrunch’. Wasable to pick lettuce through August.

ConclusionsBoth varieties showed remarkable resistanceto bolting and produced fresh lettuce allsummer. Most gardeners preferred‘Buttercrunch’. It grew faster and fuller.Gardeners enjoyed its flavor and crunch.‘Buttercrunch’ is the most popularbutterhead in America and a provenperformer in North Dakota.

Prefer ‘Buttercrunch’ (continued)

‘Buttercrunch’is a provenwinner. It grewfaster andfuller thissummer.Gardenerspreferred itsflavor andcrunch.


Lettuce, LeafVarieties‘Bergam’s Green’51 days. Dark green, crumply leaves. Dense,full-sized heads with good flavor. Slow tobolt.

‘Tropicana’52 days. Dark green, heavy leaves form afull head. Tolerates heat. Great flavor.Proven performer.


Bergam’s Tropi-Trait Green cana Same

Germinated best 40% 0% 60%Healthier plants 33 11 56Harvested earlier 44 11 44Resisted bolting better 29 57 14Higher yields 75 25 0More attractive 33 44 22Tasted better 11 22 67




Prefer ‘Bergam’s Green’Bergam’s Green ☺Tropicana SESeedlings of both varieties came up at thesame time and stayed healthy. Neithervariety bolted. ‘Bergam’s Green’ tended tohave a fuller plant and this fullness made itmore attractive. Both varieties weredelicious.

Bergam’s Green ☺Tropicana ☺ SE‘Bergam’s Green’ produced more. Bothvarieties tasted good.

‘Bergam’sGreen’ was

ready toharvest earlierand producedmore lettuce.

Bergam’s Green ☺Tropicana NCLeaves of ‘Tropicana’ were tougher as theymatured; better if picked small. They couldbe harvested longer than ‘Bergam’s Green’,but got more of a leathery texture, yet stilledible. ‘Bergam’s Green’ had more delicateleaves and tasted sweeter, but boltedquicker.

Bergam’s Green ☺Tropicana ☺ SCNot much difference; both were good anddidn’t bolt until late summer. Both weregood producers.

Bergam’s GreenTropicana SCThese were grown in pots. ‘Bergam’s Green’produced a week earlier and produced moreyield. ‘Tropicana’ germinated first, but theplants always looked wilty, even with regularwaterings. They went to seed very quickly.Its leaves are what I want in a leafy lettuce;not so jagged. Both varieties tasted bitter tome.

Best greenleaf lettucevarieties

Top choiceTropicana

Strongperformers

Bergam’sGreen

Deer TongueRoyal OakleafSalad BowlSlobolt

70 NDSU EXTENSION

Prefer ‘Tropicana’Bergam’s Green ☺Tropicana ☺ SE‘Tropicana’ did not bolt as soon andtherefore produced longer. After picking,‘Tropicana’ regrew faster.

Bergam’s Green ☺Tropicana ☺ SCBoth were very good but ‘Tropicana’ tastedbetter.

Bergam’s Green -Tropicana - ☺ SC‘Tropicana’ had great taste. I would plant itagain.

Bergam’s GreenTropicana ☺ SW‘Tropicana’ took longer to germinate buthad thicker leaves and clumps.

ConclusionsGardeners enjoyed the production and tasteof both varieties. Their leafy heads weredeep green and full. ‘Bergam’s Green’ wasready to harvest earlier and was moreproductive overall. Both varieties toleratedthe extreme heat, but ‘Tropicana’ showedsuperior resistance to bolting. ‘Tropicana’ hasalways performed well in our trials and thisyear was no exception.

‘Tropicana’ is aprovenperformer inNorth Dakotaand showedsuperiorresistance tobolting thisyear too.


Location

Comments



Ratings(1 to 10)



NW

SW

NC NE

‘Coastal Star’had the shapeand flavor of a

traditionalromaine. It was

a reliableproducer andmild in flavor.

Lettuce, RomaineVarieties‘Coastal Star’57 days. Very popular romaine. Large, denseheads of dark green leaves. Good flavor.Tolerates heat.

‘Fusion’55 days. A cross between leaf and romainetypes. Wavy, dark green leaves form a dense,upright head.


CoastalTrait Star Fusion Same

Germinated best 20% 30% 50%Healthier plants 15 26 59Harvested earlier 30 26 44Resisted bolting better 15 50 35Higher yields 30 48 22More attractive 27 50 23Tasted better 30 33 37




Prefer ‘Coastal Star’Coastal Star ☺Fusion SE‘Coastal Star’ had a nicer leaf and was alsoless bitter later in the year. I prefer itstraditional romaine leaf shape. Both werevery slow to germinate—it was very drythough.

Coastal Star ☺Fusion ☺ SEPlants of both varieties were huge. ‘CoastalStar’ was a little more attractive and a littlelarger. Good leaves for wraps. Both varietieswere bitter. Both kept in the fridge muchlonger than store-bought lettuce.

Coastal Star ☺Fusion ☺ SE‘Coastal Star’ tasted better.

Coastal Star ☺Fusion NCI have grown ‘Coastal Star’ before and itseems to have done well every time.

Coastal Star ☺Fusion SC‘Coastal Star’ tasted better. ‘Fusion’ wasslightly bitter.

Coastal Star ☺Fusion ☺ SCBoth varieties did well. ‘Coastal Star’ wasready to harvest earlier and produced betterheads of lettuce.

Coastal Star ☺Fusion SC‘Coastal Star’ had better flavor and yield.

Coastal Star ☺Fusion SC‘Coastal Star’ grew faster and had moretender leaves.

Coastal Star ☺Fusion ☺ NWBoth had great flavor.

Best greenromainelettucevarieties

Top choiceFusion

Strongperformers

Crisp MintGreen ForestStarhawk

72 NDSU EXTENSION

Coastal Star ☺Fusion ☺ SW‘Coastal Star’ showed elongated leaves andheads; ‘Fusion’ resembled leaf lettuce andwasn’t as “heady.” ‘Coastal Star’ had aconsistent taste from the top of the leaf tothe bottom of the stem. We ate ‘CoastalStar’ up to the end of September. We werevery impressed—no bitter taste evenconsidering the hot, dry summer. Kept verywell in the fridge. Will definitely grow again.

Prefer ‘Fusion’Coastal StarFusion ☺ MNBoth varieties germinated very well—about80% each. First harvest of ‘Fusion’ wasearlier, on July 6. This variety had greatflavor and its plants were very healthy.‘Fusion’ was better all the way around.

Coastal Star ☺Fusion ☺ MNI liked the ruffled leaves of ‘Fusion’ and itresisted bolting better. ‘Coastal Star’ tasted alittle milder and its plants were taller.

Coastal Star ☺Fusion ☺ MNBoth varieties were good but ‘Fusion’ wasespecially attractive.

Coastal StarFusion ☺ MN‘Coastal Star’ was really bitter.

Coastal Star ☺Fusion ☺ SEFusion germinated at 90% compared to40% for ‘Coastal Star’. ‘Fusion’ was abeautiful plant—added interest to salads. Ithad a milder flavor—very good—and goodtexture.

Coastal StarFusion ☺ SE‘Fusion’ produced without bolting for anadditional month.

Coastal StarFusion ☺ SEThe rabbits ate the plants back to 1 inchand then waited until they grew a few inchesbefore eating them back again. ‘Fusion’ wasthe only variety that continued to growdespite the rabbits and was good to eat.

Coastal StarFusion ☺ SENo comments.

Coastal Star ☺Fusion ☺ NC‘Fusion’ was interesting—like a romainelettuce you’d see in the store—wavierleaves, frilly edges. Its plants were veryhealthy looking. I liked its looks … fun andhealthy all in one. Both varieties tastedgood; ‘Coastal Star’ was crisper and sweeter.

Coastal StarFusion ☺ NCBoth did fairly well for the year; would liketo try again next year. ‘Fusion’ had betterflavor and appearance.

Coastal Star ☺Fusion ☺ SCThe dry spring led to slow germination.Plants were healthy and grew at the samerate. No difference in yield or resistance tobolting. I liked to mix the curly leaves of‘Fusion’ with the smooth leaves of ‘CoastalStar’. ‘Coastal Star’ was more chewy(tougher) while ‘Fusion’ had a bitteraftertaste.

Coastal StarFusion ☺ SC‘Fusion’ was more attractive and had betterflavor. Both varieties got a bit strong inflavor due to the heat and lack of rain.

Coastal StarFusion ☺ SWI liked both varieties. We have never plantedromaine lettuce but I will in the future. I gotmore cuttings from ‘Fusion’—even into thefall.

Gardenersmarveled atthe looks,productivityand mild flavorof ‘Fusion’, across betweenleaf andromainelettuces. Itresistedbolting.

Prefer ‘Coastal Star’ (continued)


Coastal StarFusion ☺ SW‘Fusion’ has great yield and taste. It worksto start plants under grow lites. ‘Fusion’ seedis hard to find in seed catalogs.

Coastal Star ☺Fusion ☺ SWI prefer the flavor of ‘Fusion’. I thought itsleaf shape was more appealing and noticedits resistance to bolting. This was myfavorite trial!

Coastal StarFusion ☺ SWI liked ‘Coastal Star’ but ‘Fusion’ was better.‘Fusion’ was crisper in salads and did notget bitter as soon as ‘Coastal Star.’

ConclusionsBoth varieties grew well in spite of thedrought. Both produced good crops of darkgreen, crisp, delicious lettuce. ‘Coastal Star’had the shape and flavor of a traditionalromaine. Gardeners appreciated its reliabilityand mild flavor. ‘Fusion’, a cross betweenleaf and romaine lettuces, was exceptional.Gardeners marveled at the looks,productivity and mild flavor of its wavyleaves. Its resistance to bolting wasremarkable. We have tested ‘Fusion’ againstpopular romaine varieties for 2 years and itwas a winner each time.

Both varietiesgrew well inspite of the

drought. Bothproduced goodcrops of crisp,

dark green,delicious

lettuce.

Prefer ‘Fusion’ (continued)

74 NDSU EXTENSION

Lettuce, Summer CrispVarieties‘Muir’50 days. Extremely tolerant to heat. Lightgreen, wavy, crisp leaves with excellentflavor.

‘Nevada’48 days. Bright green leaves form heavy,closed heads. Mild flavor. Resists diseases.Very slow to bolt.

DataGardeners at 11 sites submitted information.Trait Muir Nevada Same

Germinated best 44% 0% 56%Healthier plants 20 0 80Harvested earlier 56 33 11Resisted bolting better 43 14 43Higher yields 44 22 33More attractive 50 13 38Tasted better 67 11 22Preference 67 33Recommend (☺) 100 67Mean score1 8.44 7.22Median score1 8.00 7.001Rated from 1 to 10; 1 = poor and 10 = excellent.

Prefer ‘Muir’Muir ☺Nevada ☺ NE‘Muir’ had better taste. ‘Nevada’ had atouch of bitterness. Neither bolted—‘Muir’dried up quicker.

Muir ☺Nevada SE‘Muir’ was very tender. ‘Nevada’ had verypoor germination.

Muir ☺Nevada ☺ SEI liked both varieties, but ‘Muir’ hadhealthier plants and was a better producer.

‘Muir’germinatedbetter, grewfaster and wasmoreproductive.Gardenersenjoyed thebeauty andtaste of itswavy leaves.

Muir ☺Nevada SC‘Muir’ aced out ‘Nevada’ in all categories.

Muir ☺Nevada SCBoth came up well in spite of drought.‘Muir’ had a tighter head and curlier leaf—more attractive—but both varieties wereattractive. ‘Muir’ had a slightly better taste.

Muir ☺Nevada ☺ NW‘Muir’ plants were consistent in size andshape, and once picked, lasted for quite afew days in the refrigerator. The plants werelarge, and we could pick the outer leavesand leave the rest of the plant in the groundwith no problems. Both varieties grew wellin my raised beds.

Prefer ‘Nevada’Muir ☺Nevada ☺ SE‘Muir’ had thicker leaves that tasted greatbut I loved the larger, crispier leaves of‘Nevada’. Both varieties were healthy.Neither bolted. I was able to harvestthroughout summer through the heat, upuntil end of August! Wow! ‘Nevada’ hadlarger leaves so its harvest was larger. Iloved the color of both—very pretty tolook at.

Best greensummercrisplettucevarieties

Top choiceMuir

Strongperformer

Nevada


Prefer ‘Nevada’ (continued)

Muir ☺Nevada ☺ NCNo comments.

Muir ☺Nevada ☺ NW‘Nevada’ leaves were darker green (which Iprefer) and a bit crisper. Both varietiesproduced lots of lettuce and made nicesalads.

ConclusionsBoth varieties grew well and produced lotsof lettuce. Both varieties showedremarkable resistance to bolting. ‘Nevada’ isa widely grown summer crisp lettuce and hasperformed well in our trials for years.Gardeners enjoy its reliability and the tasteof its crisp, green leaves. But ‘Muir’ acedout ‘Nevada’ in all categories this year. Itgerminated better, grew faster and was moreproductive. Gardeners preferred its tasteand liked its wavy leaves. Every gardenerrecommended ‘Muir’, an amazingaccomplishment for a lettuce variety in asummer of extreme drought.

‘Nevada’ is apopular

summer crisplettuce and

continues toperform well in

North Dakota.Gardeners like

its reliabilityand the quality

of its lettuce.

76 NDSU EXTENSION

Melon, CantaloupeVarieties‘Aphrodite’72 days. Melons are 6–8 pounds and ripenearly. Firm, salmon flesh is thick and sweet.Good yields.

‘Athena’75 days. Melons are 5–6 pounds with thick,orange flesh. Most popular cantaloupe in thenorth.

DataGardeners at 28 sites submitted information.Trait AphroditeAthena Same

Germinated best 26% 26% 48%Healthier plants 26 13 61Matured earlier 67 28 6Higher yields 50 22 28More attractive fruits 39 11 50Tasted better 41 29 29Preference 70 30Recommend (☺) 71 62Mean score1 7.24 6.71Median score1 8.00 8.00


Prefer ‘Aphrodite’Aphrodite ☺Athena ☺ SENear 100% germination. The vines of‘Aphrodite’ looked a bit healthier. Itproduced the first melons. Its melons werelarger (my preference), but ‘Athena’ matchedit for overall yield. The melons of bothvarieties tasted good.

Aphrodite ☺Athena SE‘Aphrodite’ melons were a lot bigger.‘Athena’ produced a lot of small fruits butthey were still hard when the vines died.

AphroditeAthena SE‘Aphrodite’ was sweeter.

Aphrodite ☺Athena ☺ SE‘Athena’ had twice as many plants germinate.Its vines were more vigorous and stayedgreen longer, although the vines of bothvarieties were healthy. ‘Aphrodite’ ripened 1week earlier. Most of ‘Athena’ melonsripened in a short period. ‘Aphrodite’ hadbigger melons but not as many. ‘Athena’ hadmore melons of medium size (my personalpreference). Both had good looking melonsinside and out! ‘Aphrodite’ had large, firmmeat; very flavorful; nice bright color—awesome melon. If ‘Aphrodite’ would havegerminated better, it would have been ratedas a “10.” Its size, appearance and flavorwere outstanding. I would definitely startseeds indoors and plant seedlings in mygarden.

AphroditeAthena SEI was not happy with either variety. Theyproduced small fruit and did not mature atall.

Aphrodite ☺Athena ☺ NCBoth varieties had 75% germination.‘Athena’ ripened 2 days earlier but‘Aphrodite’ melons were bigger. Plants ofboth varieties averaged 3 melons and theytasted great.

Bestcantaloupevarieties

Top choiceAthena

Strongperformers

AphroditeGoddessSolsticeSuperstar

‘Aphrodite’ripened earlierand producedlarger melons.


Aphrodite ☺Athena NCBoth varieties were healthy. ‘Aphrodite’ hadmore vigorous vines, set fruit first, andproduced more fruit (8 good melonscompared to 3 for ‘Athena’).

Aphrodite ☺Athena ☺ NCThe melons looked gray and dirty; likelydrought related. Another 7–10 days andthere would have been many more of bothvarieties. Four ‘Aphrodite’ ripened—and theywere delicious! ‘Athena’ needed another weekor so. ‘Athena’ produced more melons (22versus 14), but they were smaller.

Aphrodite ☺Athena ☺ NCIt’s wonderful to have such great flavorespecially compared to the hard cantaloupethey try to sell you in the store. We haveenjoyed melons for over 2 months and stillare eating them. I store them in the fridgeand cut them as I need them. Yum!

Aphrodite ☺Athena ☺ SC‘Aphrodite’ germinated best; its melons weresweet and juicy.

Aphrodite ☺Athena SCI had troubles getting both to grow (theoriginal sowing did not germinate), but I didget to eat a few ‘Aphrodite’ melons. ‘Athena’never ripened.

Aphrodite ☺Athena NW‘Aphrodite’ melons were larger and tastier.

Aphrodite ☺Athena ☺ SWWe did not get to eat any. When I pulled theplants last week, there were a few tennis ballsized fruits on. Fruits were set late. Thedrought had something to do with it.

Prefer AthenaAphrodite ☺Athena ☺ NE‘Athena’ produced 57 melons compared to35 for ‘Aphrodite’. ‘Aphrodite’ melons werelarger. ‘Athena’ was slightly sweeter and hadbetter texture. ‘Aphrodite’ melons werelarger but this made the fruit “woodier.”

AphroditeAthena ☺ NC‘Athena’ tasted a lot better.

Aphrodite ☺Athena ☺ NC‘Aphrodite’ melons were larger but had ashorter shelf life.

Aphrodite ☺Athena ☺ SCEven though it took ‘Athena’ longer tomature, it kept well and had fabulousflavor—very sweet. ‘Athena’ is smaller than‘Aphrodite’ but tastes better.

AphroditeAthena ☺ SC‘Athena’ was delicious, juicy and productive.‘Aphrodite’ did not fully ripen on the vine.

AphroditeAthena ☺ SWIt was nice that ‘Athena’ ripened slightlyearlier, produced more melons, and hadslightly bigger melons, but its sweeter tastewas most important. Both ‘Athena’ and‘Aphrodite’ are superior to the ‘Superstar’melons I have been planting.

Conclusions‘Athena’ is popular in the north and has donewell in our previous trials. ‘Aphrodite’ wassuperior this year. It ripened earlier—a veryimportant trait considering our shortgrowing season. ‘Aphrodite’ produced largermelons and higher yields. Gardeners enjoyedthe flavor of both varieties and ‘Aphrodite’was rated slightly higher for taste. ‘Athena’melons kept well after harvest. We lookforward to testing ‘Aphrodite’ again.

‘Athena’melons were

very sweet andkept well.

Prefer ‘Aphrodite’ (continued)

78 NDSU EXTENSION

Melon, Large CantaloupeVarieties‘El Gordo’75 days. Huge melons can exceed 15 pounds.Oval shape with good netting. Fine flavor.Good juicer. Vigorous vines.

‘Solstice’76 days. Large, 8-pound melons have deepribbing and thick netting. Good flavor.


ElTrait Gordo Solstice Same

Germinated best 38% 13% 50%Healthier plants 50 25 25Matured earlier 43 43 14Higher yields 43 43 14More attractive fruits 33 50 17Tasted better 33 33 33




Prefer El GordoEl GordoSolstice MNNeither variety did well in my garden. Wehad squash growing near these plants thatdid very well, but the melons just looked badthe whole season!

El Gordo ☺Solstice SEPoor germination (20%) in our heavy claysoil. ‘Solstice’ plants became diseased and felloff. We irrigated the garden so this disorderwas not caused by dryness.

El GordoSolstice SC‘El Gordo’ really vined out a lot further. Nomelons ripened before frost.

El Gordo ☺Solstice MTLooked best.

Prefer SolsticeEl GordoSolstice ☺ SE‘Solstice’ produced larger melons.

El GordoSolstice ☺ NCI had lots of 5- to 6-pound melons, withnice, rounded shape and good coloring.‘Solstice’ had vigorous plants, good yield andbetter taste. I would grow ‘Solstice’ again.

El GordoSolstice ☺ NCNo comments.

El GordoSolstice ☺ SC‘Solstice’ was first to ripen—flavor super—big producer.

ConclusionsThis was not a popular trial and neithervariety did especially well. Recommendationpercentages for both varieties were low.‘Solstice’ was rated higher for its moreattractive fruits. ‘El Gordo’ vines were veryhealthy and vigorous.

Bestcantaloupevarieties

Top choiceAthena

Strongperformers

AphroditeGoddessSolsticeSuperstar

Neither varietydid well.‘Solstice’ wasrated higherfor its moreattractivefruits. ‘ElGordo’ vineswere healthyand vigorous.


Melon, GaliaVarieties‘Arava’77 days. Luscious, green flesh. Reliable yields.Three-pound fruits slip from vines whenripe.

‘Diplomat’71 days. Early yields on vigorous vines.Green flesh is sweet, thick and aromatic.Fruits slip when ripe.

DataGardeners at 15 sites submitted information.Trait Arava Diplomat Same

Germinated best 10% 10% 80%Healthier plants 22 11 67Matured earlier 38 25 38Higher yields 25 25 50More attractive fruits 25 38 38Tasted better 38 13 50



Prefer ‘Arava’Arava ☺Diplomat ☺ SEBoth varieties had germination rates of 60%.‘Arava’ matured 5 days earlier. ‘Arava’ melonswere a bit sweeter, although the melons ofboth varieties were very juicy. ‘Diplomat’ hadlarger melons. Both varieties had troublewith squash bugs even though I powderedthem.

AravaDiplomat SEBoth had quite low germination.

Arava ☺Diplomat ☺ SC‘Arava’ had twice as many seedlings andmore plants survived. Its melons were larger;they look more like a cantaloupe on theoutside and a honeydew on the inside. Theirflavor is great to pure sugar. ‘Diplomat’produced more melons but they weresmaller. Their rind turns yellow when ripe,making it easier to tell when to harvest. Itsflavor tastes good to great.

Arava ☺Diplomat SC‘Arava’ was very sweet and juicy tasting. I didnot know when they were ripe for sure.

Arava ☺Diplomat SCBoth varieties seemed to grow about thesame rate and produce at the same rate;however, I believe we had a fungal orbacterial problem. The melons would beginto rot on the bottom of the melon before itwas ready to be picked. They looked as if afreeze had taken place but none had.

Prefer ‘Diplomat’AravaDiplomat SEOnly two plants of each variety germinated.Neither variety flourished. Vines were short.We did enjoy the flavor and texture of thefew melons that grew.

BestGalia melonvarieties

Top choicePassport

Strongperformer

Arava

Gardenersenjoyed these

sweet andjuicy melons.

80 NDSU EXTENSION

AravaDiplomat ☺ NCBoth varieties were healthy and producedmelons of great flavor and texture.‘Diplomat’ vines were more vigorous,produced melons a few days earlier andproduced more melons. Its melons werelarger and rounder.

AravaDiplomat ☺ NC‘Diplomat’ tasted better.

AravaDiplomat ☺ NC‘Diplomat’ tasted better, produced moremelons per vine, and was easy to grow.‘Arava’ melons were bigger. The varietiesmatured at about the same time.

OtherAravaDiplomat SCNeither variety produced any ripe fruits.

Arava - ☺Diplomat - ☺ NWWe could not tell the varieties apart becausetheir vines got mixed together. The melonsof both varieties were delicious and ripenedon the vine.

ConclusionsNeither of these varieties excelled ordistinguished itself from the other.Gardeners enjoyed the sweet and juicy flavorof Galia melons, but yields were only fair andrecommendations were lukewarm.

Prefer ‘Diplomat’ (continued)

Neither varietyexcelled ordistinguisheditself from theother. Yieldswere fair andrecommendationswere lukewarm.


Location

Comments



Ratings(1 to 10)



NW

SW

NC NE

Okra, RedVarieties‘Candle Fire’60 days. New variety. Bright red pods aresmooth, slender and ribless. Productive.Pods turn green when cooked.

‘Carmine Splendor’51 days. Deep red pods get lighter as theyenlarge. Early ripening. Strong yields.Beautiful blooms.


Candle CarmineTrait Fire Splendor Same

Germinated best 20% 27% 53%Healthier plants 40 20 40Matured earlier 33 33 33Higher yields 53 33 13More attractive pods 47 20 33Tasted better 54 0 46Preference 77 23Recommend (☺) 53 53


Prefer ‘Candle Fire’Candle FireCarmine Splendor MNThey were both very pretty and grew well,but most people that tried them did not carefor the texture. They tasted best when freshpicked, and seemed to get fibrous and lesstasty over time after picking. We probablywill not grow okra again but it was fun to try.

Candle Fire ☺Carmine Splendor ☺ MN‘Candle Fire’ germinated a little better. Therewas not much difference in taste among thevarieties, but a slight edge in taste goes to‘Carmine Splendor.’

Candle FireCarmine Splendor SEThese varieties got tough too quickly. Iwould not plant them again. ‘ClemsonSpineless’ last year was a much betterproducer and it did not get tough until thepods were over 7 inches long; even‘Jambalaya’ was better. Among these redvarieties, ‘Candle Fire’ had smooth, roundedpods, and did not get tough as quickly as‘Carmine Splendor’. Yields favored ‘CarmineSplendor’ slightly: On September 25, Iharvested 15 pods (all good) of ‘Candle Fire’and 20 pods (15 good, 5 tough) of ‘CarmineSplendor’. On September 28, I harvested 18pods (16 good, 2 tough) of ‘Candle Fire’ and23 pods (17 good, 6 tough) of ‘CarmineSplendor’.

Candle Fire ☺Carmine Splendor NC‘Candle Fire’ plants did way better afterthinning stage. ‘Carmine Splendor’ had onepod per plant, where ‘Candle Fire’ hadmultiple.

Candle Fire ☺Carmine Splendor ☺ NCBoth had only about 50% germination andgrew only about 2–3 feet tall. ‘Candle Fire’had a better yield and had brighter red pods.I could not tell a difference in taste betweenthe varieties.

‘Candle Fire’produced more

pods. Thesebright red,

ribless podswere tenderand slow to

becomefibrous.

Bestokravarieties

Top choiceClemson

Spineless

Strongperformer

Candle Fire

82 NDSU EXTENSION

Candle Fire ☺Carmine Splendor ☺ NCIt looked like every seed came up. ‘CandleFire’ grew taller with the pods on top inclusters. ‘Carmine Splendor’ grew faster andduring hot days I could harvest almost daily.‘Candle Fire’ had very smooth cylindricalpods (like a candlestick) unlike traditionalokra. The pods of ‘Candle Fire’ didn’t seemto be as tough if they got a bit larger in sizebefore picking. For pickling, they are equal,but for making okra on the grill I preferred‘Candle Fire’ for its tenderness. The leaveson ‘Candle Fire’ seemed to cause skin rashand itchiness when touched. This wasn’t thecase with ‘Carmine Splendor’. Bothproduced until our hard frost a week ago.Excellent varieties—great yields on both.

Candle FireCarmine Splendor NC‘Candle Fire’ had beautiful flowers andattractive plants. The pods of both varietieswere very tough and had poor taste.

Candle Fire ☺Carmine Splendor ☺ SC‘Candle Fire’ plants were a lot taller and werebig producers, but I am not a fan of thesmooth look of its pods. The pods of bothvarieties had a good crunch.

Candle Fire ☺Carmine Splendor SC‘Candle Fire’ seemed to overall just be betterat everything. They got tall, they producedfirst and last. They looked beautiful! I lovedtheir flowers! Its pods did not get woody.‘Carmine Splendor’ did poorly. It producedsome pods, its plants did not grow very talland it smelled kind of bad.

Candle Fire ☺Carmine Splendor SC‘Candle Fire’ was less fibrous and stringy.‘Carmine Splendor’ matured more quickly.

Candle FireCarmine Splendor SWBoth varieties were slow to grow with toughfruit, even when picked very small.

Prefer ‘Carmine Splendor’Candle Fire ☺Carmine Splendor ☺ SEI think every seed germinated. ‘CarmineSplendor’ matured earlier by a few days andbegan producing more by late September. Itsplants were bigger and healthier. The redpods of these varieties were pretty, but theydidn’t seem any better than the ‘ClemsonSpineless’ I grew on a whim last year.Actually, I preferred ‘Clemson Spineless’since it wasn’t so prickly.

Candle FireCarmine Splendor ☺ SEBoth varieties took a long time to germinate(sown June 5). We were thinking we weren’tgoing to see anything grow and suddenlyboth varieties were up and growing fast!Both varieties were pretty equal inproduction and flavor/quality. ‘Candle Fire’pods stayed more tender longer—even asthey grew bigger. ‘Carmine Splendor’germinated better; given a dry start to theseason, it seems to be more vigorous.

Candle FireCarmine Splendor ☺ SCWe got a late start (sown June 23) and thesewere so close to producing when it froze.They both struggled with the droughtconditions. We tasted three pods of‘Carmine Splendor’ and they were delicious.

Candle FireCarmine Splendor ☺ SWThe red color was interesting. ‘CarmineSplendor’ had loads of pods. It grew verywell. ‘Candle Fire’ had only a few pods.

Conclusions‘Candle Fire’ grew taller and produced morepods. These bright red, ribless pods werevery attractive, tender and slow to becomefibrous. Its prickly plants irritated skin whentouched. ‘Carmine Splendor’ excelled in noparticular trait but was recommended just asoften as ‘Candle Fire.’ The plants of bothvarieties were healthy and beautiful. Twogardeners with experience in growing okramentioned that green-podded ‘ClemsonSpineless’ was superior to both varieties.

Prefer ‘Candle Fire’ (continued)

‘CarmineSplendor’excelled in noparticular traitbut wasrecommendedjust as oftenas ‘CandleFire’. Bothvarieties werehealthy andbeautiful.


Pea, ShellVarieties‘Lincoln’65 days. Good for freezing. Pods are filledwith 8–10 tender peas. Excellent flavor.Height 28 inches.

‘Sienna’55 days. Dark green peas with outstandingflavor. Heavy yields. Height 25 inches.

DataGardeners at 38 sites submitted information.Trait Lincoln Sienna Same

Germinated best 41% 26% 32%Healthier plants 43 13 43Matured earlier 33 63 3Higher yields 63 17 20More attractive pods 57 17 27Tasted better 33 10 57


Prefer ‘Lincoln’Lincoln ☺Sienna MN‘Lincoln’ was a higher yielder.

LincolnSienna MNBoth varieties did very poor. They dried upfaster compared to the other varieties Iplanted. ‘Lincoln’ lasted a little longer butboth were very disappointing.

Lincoln ☺Sienna ☺ SEExcellent germination for both. ‘Sienna’matured 5–7 days earlier, but the harvest of‘Lincoln’ lasted longer into the season.‘Lincoln’ pods contained 1–2 more peas.They were definitely sweeter and moretender. ‘Lincoln’ is my old favorite.

Lincoln ☺Sienna SE‘Lincoln’ pods were bigger and got morepeas. The pods were long and slender. Thevines were heavy bearing and the pods wereeasy to shell—bigger pods made it go faster.I’ve always liked ‘Lincoln. ‘Sienna’ producedthe first pods. We couldn’t tell the differencein the taste of the peas.

Lincoln ☺Sienna ☺ SE‘Lincoln’ had more peas in the pods and theyfilled the pods completely. Although a bitslower to produce than ‘Sienna’, ‘Lincoln’surpassed in yield. Both germinated well but‘Sienna’ emerged a few days sooner andbloomed a week earlier.

Lincoln ☺Sienna SE‘Lincoln’ had better germination (95% versus90% for ‘Sienna’). ‘Lincoln had by farhealthier plants. Its vines were taller, hadmore leaves, flowers and pods. It had biggerpods, many more pods and continued toproduce in extreme heat. Many of its podshad 9 peas. ‘Lincoln’ vines had three morepickings. It showed greater resistance towhite mold and handled the heat. ‘Sienna’bloomed 7 days earlier and had a 10-dayearlier harvest. It had a few pods with 6–7peas—the smaller pods were harder to shell.‘Sienna’ was pulled on July 13 with no podsor flowers. It did not handle the heat anddryness. The taste of both varieties was thesame—both good!

Bestshell peavarieties

Top choiceLincoln

Strongperformers

Early FrostyGreen ArrowLittle MarvelMaestro

ImprovedWando

‘Lincoln’ hadbigger pods,

many morepods, and

continued toproduce in

extreme heat.

84 NDSU EXTENSION

Lincoln ☺Sienna ☺ SE‘Sienna’ germinated better and had morevigor early in the season. ‘Sienna’ bloomedearlier and our first harvest was on July 28, 6days before ‘Lincoln’. ‘Sienna’ had twice theyield; its pods were plumper. I liked the tasteof ‘Lincoln’ better. Both varieties sufferedfrom powdery mildew.

Lincoln ☺Sienna ☺ SEBoth varieties were okay. I prefer a moreestablished variety like ‘Little Marvel’.

Lincoln ☺Sienna SEBoth varieties had poor germination;‘Sienna’ was worse. ‘Sienna’ produced shortpods.

Lincoln ☺Sienna NC‘Lincoln’ really took to my soil—itsgermination was most consistent. ‘Lincoln’vines were strong and its harvest was the giftthat kept on giving! Its pods were nice, longand full. ‘Sienna’ yielded early and stoppedproducing early (end of July). Its pods wereshort.

Lincoln ☺Sienna ☺ NC‘Sienna’ was 2 weeks ahead of ‘Lincoln’,which made for easier picking and using.‘Lincoln’ had more peas per pod. Mygranddaughter did a great job of sowingthese seeds.

Lincoln ☺Sienna NC‘Lincoln’ was the best.

Lincoln ☺Sienna SC‘Lincoln’ had long pods and they filled nicely.The vines were taller and produced for alonger period of time.

Lincoln ☺Sienna ☺ SC‘Lincoln’ germinated a little better and itsvines were slightly bigger. It matured a fewdays earlier. ‘Lincoln’ pods were bigger andhad more peas in each pod. ‘Sienna’ keptproducing later into the season.

Lincoln ☺Sienna SC‘Sienna’ matured nearly 10 days earlier.‘Lincoln’ peas were much sweeter and moretender. ‘Lincoln’ pods were bigger with morepeas.

Lincoln ☺Sienna NW‘Lincoln’ pods were full and long. The vineskept producing. ‘Sienna’ had short pods andvery few of them. They both tasted good.

Lincoln ☺Sienna NW‘Lincoln’ produced so well and had excellentflavor. I have grown ‘Lincoln’ in the past andthey are still the best.

Lincoln ☺Sienna ☺ NWWe had quite a time with the peas. Thepheasants loved them as they were justemerging from the ground, and also helpedthemselves to the pods as they weredeveloping. We finally covered the plantswith a fine gauze, and did manage to get afew peas, mostly from ‘Lincoln’. It seemed tobe a better producer.

Lincoln ☺Sienna NWRabbits ate most of the plants but what Idid get was great.

Lincoln ☺Sienna ☺ NWPeas did not do well as far as peas gettinglarge in the pods. Lots of shells. Tastedgood.

‘Lincoln’ againproved that itis the best all-purposegarden pea forNorth Dakota.

Prefer ‘Lincoln’ (continued)


Lincoln ☺Sienna ☺ SW‘Lincoln’ produced over a week earlier andcontinued to produce with multiple smallpickings through the season. I picked‘Lincoln’ twice before ‘Sienna’ matured.‘Sienna’ basically had one huge picking, withalmost none before and after. This made itdifficult to compare yields, but I think‘Lincoln’ was slightly higher. Multiple smallerpickings make it better for eating, and if youmiss a picking you don’t miss the wholecrop. ‘Sienna’ is probably better forpreserving because of a single large crop.

Lincoln ☺Sienna ☺ SWNeither variety had great germination butboth gave a good yield. ‘Lincoln’ startedearlier so had higher yield overall. ‘Lincoln’had long pods with thin walls. ‘Sienna’ hadbig thick-walled pods. I preferred ‘Lincoln’because I found ‘Sienna’ harder to harvestsince the thick-walled pods were hard todetermine which ones were ready to harvest.Also ‘Sienna’ pods did not pull free of thevine as easily as ‘Lincoln’ pods.

Lincoln ☺Sienna SW‘Lincoln’ survived the drought better than‘Sienna’ It grew better than all of thevegetable varieties I tested this year.

Prefer ‘Sienna’Lincoln ☺Sienna ☺ NE‘Sienna’ flowered and fruited first. Its peastasted better when they got older. ‘Lincoln’had a higher yield (6.1 versus 3.6 pounds for‘Sienna’) and its pods filled out more.

Lincoln ☺Sienna ☺ SE‘Sienna’ vines were taller and were doneproducing by July 20; I liked its earliness; thepea harvest was done before the beanharvest started. ‘Lincoln’ started on July 12.If growing to freeze, you might like ‘Lincoln’since it had more peas per pod (7–8 peascompared to 5–6 for ‘Sienna’).

LincolnSienna ☺ SE‘Sienna’ was better tasting and had higheryield.

Lincoln ☺Sienna ☺ NCNo comments.

LincolnSienna ☺ SC‘Lincoln’ looked healthier at the beginning,but ‘Sienna’ produced a week earlier. By thetime of harvest, ‘Lincoln’ vines were almostdying; their pods didn’t fill and tastedoverripe. ‘Sienna’ pods were very sweet.‘Sienna’ was earlier, filled better and had alarger yield. I have raised ‘Lincoln’ beforeand have been really happy with this variety.Not sure if that affected the trial; maybedisease set into that variety earlier. It alsoproduced later on a dry year, which affectedproduction.

Lincoln ☺Sienna ☺ SCBoth varieties were very good. We chose‘Sienna’ as it had slightly better germinationand it was available to eat before ‘Lincoln’.

LincolnSienna ☺ SCThis trial was grown in pots. ‘Lincoln’looked sick from the beginning and neverproduced.

Conclusions‘Lincoln’ again proved to be the finest all-purpose garden pea for North Dakota.‘Lincoln’ had bigger pods, many more pods,and continued to produce even during asevere drought. ‘Sienna’ matured a weekearlier and had a more concentrated harvest.Its pods were shorter and more difficult toshell. The peas of both varieties were sweetand delicious.

Prefer ‘Lincoln’ (continued)

‘Sienna’ wasearlier and had

a moreconcentrated

harvest. Itspods were

shorter andmore difficult

to shell.

86 NDSU EXTENSION

Pea, SnapVarieties‘Sugar Magnolia’70 days. Sweet, dark purple pods with brightgreen peas. Bicolor purple flowers. Seven-foot vines.

‘Super Sugar Snap’66 days. Matures earlier and shows improvedresistance to mildew compared to ‘SugarSnap’. Five-foot vines need a trellis.


Sugar S. SugarTrait Magnolia Snap Same

Germinated best 38% 12% 50%Healthier plants 29 38 33Matured earlier 54 33 13Higher yields 40 44 16More attractive pods 52 32 16Tasted better 8 72 20Preference 16 84Recommend (☺) 32 76



Prefer ‘Sugar Magnolia’Sugar Magnolia ☺Super Sugar Snap ☺ SEThe purple pods were beautiful in thegarden! The plants of ‘Sugar Magnolia’ wereway taller and had twice the yield of ‘SuperSugar Snap.’

Sugar Magnolia ☺Super Sugar Snap SE‘Sugar Magnolia’ produced larger yields andbigger pods. Its pods were fuller.

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap NCMy family and I didn’t like the taste of eithervariety. ‘Sugar Magnolia’ had a fairly goodyield.

Sugar Magnolia ☺Super Sugar Snap SCEven though ‘Super Sugar Snap’ yieldedbetter, the color of the pods put ‘SugarMagnolia’ on top. Both were generally pooryielding.

Prefer ‘Super Sugar Snap’Sugar Magnolia ☺Super Sugar Snap ☺ MN‘Super Sugar Snap’ really put on pods. It wasgood tasting, produced good yields and waseasy to pick. Both varieties had greatgermination.

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap ☺ MN‘Super Sugar Snap’ tasted better, was veryproductive and produced over a long periodof time. ‘Sugar Magnolia’ was very pretty butwas not as sweet or productive. ‘Super SugarSnap’ vines needed a little bit more support.

Sugar Magnolia ☺Super Sugar Snap ☺ MN‘Sugar Magnolia’ pods were stunning againstthe green plant. Its pods were generallysmaller and its large pods got woody andhad poor taste. ‘Super Sugar Snap’ had largerpods and better flavor. My only complaintwas that it didn’t produce as many pods as‘Sugar Magnolia’.

The purplepods of ‘SugarMagnolia’were uniqueand beautiful,but tastedtough andbland.

Bestsnap peavarieties

Top choiceSugar Ann

Strongperformers

Sugar SprintSuper Sugar

Snap


Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap ☺ MN‘Sugar Magnolia’ was beautiful and unique,but disappointing in flavor—so bland.‘Super Sugar Snap’ looked more like anaverage pea (not as pretty) but tasted good.

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap ☺ MNBoth varieties germinated nearly 100%.‘Super Sugar Snap’ plants were green andcontinuously healthy while producing a largeyield of pea pods. Peas had great flavor andtexture. No issues with mold or otherdiseases. ‘Sugar Magnolia’ grew slightly fasterbut its vines turned yellow at the beginningof August and produced less pea pods thenas well. ‘Sugar Magnolia’ plants werecompletely dead a couple weeks after turningyellow. ‘Sugar Magnolia’ peas were not astasty, had a strange texture and tended tomold easily in the pod.

Sugar Magnolia ☺Super Sugar Snap ☺ MN‘Sugar Magnolia’ pods were really strong andhard to bite into.

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap ☺ NESimilar germination rates. ‘Sugar Magnolia’had pretty purple pods, but the pods weresmall, tough and poor tasting. ‘Super SugarSnap’ had nice-sized pods and was goodtasting.

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap ☺ NEThe seeds germinated poorly due to seedmaggots eating part of the seeds. ‘SugarMagnolia’ had beautiful, abundant purpleblooms and way out produced ‘Super SugarSnap’. The pods of ‘Super Sugar Snap’ wereprettier and better tasting pods. They werenot tough or bitter even when huge.

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap ☺ NE‘Sugar Magnolia’ pods were attractive buttheir taste was off and their hulls weretough. ‘Super Sugar Snap’ pods were verysweet, more tender and juicier (kids loved toeat these).

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap ☺ SE‘Super Sugar Snap’ vines produced more andkept producing longer into the season. Itspods were better tasting. ‘Sugar Magnolia’vines died sooner.

Sugar Magnolia ☺Super Sugar Snap ☺ SE‘Super Sugar Snap’ tasted better.

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap ☺ SEI was super surprised to see those purplesnap peas. I was singing the praises for‘Sugar Magnolia’ about how good they weregrowing and how pretty the purple flowersand the purple pods were until I tasted them.I think you might have to pick these whenthey are pretty young to get past that tougherpod. ‘Super Sugar Snap’ really surpassed‘Sugar Magnolia’ in flavor and eatingexperience. They were addictively good butdid not grow as well. They were by no meansbad though. They grew fine but they weredefinitely the runner-up growth wise. Thesewere both grown in the shade in the absoluteworst conditioned soil spot in the gardenabout 3 feet of each and I got like 100 peasand they didn’t die until nearly September. Ipulled them out of the ground and theywere still weakly producing. First peas I evergot to live on this land.

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap ☺ SE‘Super Sugar Snap’ produced a lot and tastedgood.

‘Super SugarSnap’ tasted

much better. Itwas very

productive andproduced overa long period

of time.

Prefer ‘S. Sugar Snap’ (continued)

88 NDSU EXTENSION

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap ☺ SEVery dry—germination was not very good.‘Super Sugar Snap’ didn’t get mildew untillate, produced for a long time and wasn’t sotall and gangly. ‘Super Magnolia’ was fun!

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap SEPeas did poorly this year due to lack ofmoisture. ‘Super Sugar Snap’ performedbetter under these conditions.

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap ☺ NCBoth had near 100% germination. Both hadattractive pods. The purple pods of ‘SugarMagnolia’ were eye-catching and fun towatch. I enjoyed the novelty of the purple-podded ‘Sugar Magnolia’ but the taste of‘Super Sugar Snap’ was superior.

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap ☺ NC‘Sugar Magnolia’ pods had a stiffer shell;harder to pick and chew.

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap SCBoth varieties produced well considering theconditions, but nobody enjoyed the taste ofeither variety. ‘Super Sugar Snap’ tastedslightly better.

Prefer ‘S. Sugar Snap’ (continued) Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap SC‘Sugar Magnolia’ didn’t produce well or havegood flavor. Its pods were tough andtasteless. ‘Super Sugar Snap’ also didn’tproduce very good.

Sugar MagnoliaSuper Sugar Snap ☺ SW‘Sugar Magnolia’ was the first to germinateand had a better germination rate. ‘SuperSugar Snap’ had a better taste and the podswere not as stringy. Both varieties grew verytall and needed a fence to grow on. I did notlike how tall the vines got.

Sugar Magnolia ☺Super Sugar Snap ☺ MT‘Super Sugar Snap’ tasted best.

ConclusionsThe purple flowers and pods of ‘SugarMagnolia’ were absolutely beautiful, but itspods were tough and tasteless. This was amajor disappointment. ‘Super Sugar Snap’matured a little later but its harvest extendedmuch longer. Its pods were much sweeterand juicier.

Gardenerspreferred‘Super SugarSnap’. Its podswere muchsweeter, moretender andjuicier.


Pumpkin, SmallVarieties‘Early Scream’80 days. Orange color shows early anddarkens over summer. Fruits weigh up to 15pounds. Semi-bush vines tolerate mildew.

‘Neon’75 days. Ultra early. Bright orange colorappears early. Black handles. Eight-poundfruits grow on semi-bush vines.


EarlyTrait Scream Neon Same

Germinated best 20% 20% 60%Healthier plants 23 38 38Harvested earlier 31 54 15Higher yields 15 46 38Bigger pumpkins 33 44 22More attractive 14 38 46



Median weight (lbs) 6 6


Prefer ‘Early Scream’Early Scream ☺Neon SE‘Early Scream’ produced more pumpkins,and its pumpkins were slightly larger.

Early Scream ☺Neon ☺ SCSeedlings of both varieties were healthy andtheir vines were very vigorous. Both varietiesproduced abundantly. I liked the size of‘Early Scream’ pumpkins; it was not too big,just right. They oranged up early. It was anice round pumpkin; only one was‘Cinderella’ coach size.

Early Scream ☺Neon ☺ SW‘Early Scream’ had less compact plants,higher yields and handsome fruits the size ofa basketball. Its bigger fruits had Halloweenpotential; smaller ones for cooking/bakingand decorative use. ‘Neon’ was very early; setfruit soon after blossoming (late July/earlyAugust) They lay on bare ground untilSeptember and I feared they might developrot but they held up well. I wonder if theymight develop rot in a wet year. The rind wasquite soft but after harvesting and curing inmy barn for a few weeks they did eventuallyharden. The fruit was the size of a soccerball and some smaller. I made pumpkin barsusing ‘Neon’ and they were great. Theycould also have a decorative use. The plantswere compact and did not have many vines.Since ‘Neon’ is a compact variety it might dobetter in a smaller garden. It truly is a smallpumpkin good for cooking or decorativeuse.

Early Scream ☺Neon ☺ SWNo comments.

Prefer ‘Neon’Early ScreamNeon ☺ MN‘Neon’ survived our storm (June 12) better.Its pumpkins were better looking and itsvines were healthier. Both varieties producednice looking pumpkins.

Bestshort-vinedpumpkinvarieties

Top choiceNeon

Strongperformers

CargoMagic Lantern

The vines ofboth varietieswere healthy

andproductive.

90 NDSU EXTENSION

‘Neon’maturedearlier andproducedhigher yields.Gardenersloved itsprecocious,bright orangecolor.

Prefer ‘Neon’ (continued)

Early ScreamNeon ☺ SE‘Neon’ seedlings emerged more evenly andshowed greater vigor. It set fruit earlier.Instant orange—very bold and attractive.‘Neon’ produced 6 fruits compared to 2 for‘Early Scream’. My grandkids harvested themon September 25.

Early Scream ☺Neon ☺ SEThis was a difficult choice. If one puts earlymaturity ahead of standard shape, then‘Early Scream’ would be preferable. If onewants a standard squatty, round shape, then‘Neon’ would be preferable. Vines producedone fruit on average and their average fruitweights were virtually identical. I did notirrigate regularly.

Early Scream ☺Neon ☺ SE‘Neon’ matured earlier and produced higheryields. Both varieties had orange pumpkinsby August 1.

Early Scream ☺Neon ☺ SC‘Neon’ produced twice as many pumpkins.We loved the bright, neon color of itspumpkins. The vines of ‘Early Scream’ wererich and dark green.

Early Scream ☺Neon ☺ SC‘Early Scream’ is a great pumpkin but ‘Neon’still is my favorite. I love its season-longbright color.

Early Scream ☺Neon ☺ SC‘Neon’ produced more.

Early Scream ☺Neon ☺ NWHonestly, we did not like the name ‘EarlyScream’. They were both excellent varietiesto grow.

Early ScreamNeon ☺ SWThey were fun to grow. Vines were healthy.‘Neon’ produced more fruits.

ConclusionsThe vines of both varieties were healthy andproductive. ‘Neon’ has always done well inour trials and it was the winner this year. Itmatured earlier and produced higher yields.Gardeners loved its precocious, bright orangecolor.


Location

Comments



Ratings(1 to 10)



NW

SW

NC NE

Pumpkin, MediumVarieties‘Early King’90 days. Deep orange, 20-pound jack-o’-lanterns with strong handles. Vines resistmildew. Early ripening.

‘Howden’115 days. A very popular pumpkin in theUSA. Its classic, 20-pound fruits are darkorange and symmetrical in shape.


EarlyTrait King Howden Same

Germinated best 38% 25% 38%Healthier plants 36 14 50Harvested earlier 50 29 21Higher yields 64 14 21Bigger pumpkins 43 29 29More attractive 54 15 31Preference 86 14Recommend (☺) 86 64Mean score1 7.93 6.71Median score1 8.00 6.50Median weight (lbs) 18 171Rated from 1 to 10; 1 = poor and 10 = excellent.

Prefer ‘Early King’Early King ☺Howden ☺ SEI appreciate the higher yields of ‘Early King’.‘Howden’ fruits turned orange earlier. Itsfruits were very attractive and larger (45pounds compared to 25 pounds for ‘EarlyKing’).

Early King ☺Howden ☺ SE‘Early King’ had a slight edge—bigger yields.Its pumpkins averaged 11 pounds; ‘Howden’pumpkins averaged 8 pounds.

Early King ☺Howden ☺ SEBoth did well. I have a pile of pumpkins anddon’t know what to do with them all.

Early King ☺Howden NC‘Early King’ pumpkins had nice orangecolor, full rounded shape and were ready topick 2 weeks earlier. Average weight for themwas 15 pounds. Its vines were nice andvigorous; they produced sooner and seemedto be more tolerant of drought than thevines of ‘Howden’. I would definitely plant‘Early King’ again. I was happy with the sizeand amount of pumpkins that it produced.‘Howden’ was later to bloom, and the heatwas hard on its blossoms setting fruits. Itsaverage weight was 11 pounds.

Early King ☺Howden ☺ NC‘Early King’ had a smoother face withoutdeep creases and wasn’t a burnt orange atmaturity. However this is a personalpreference as others might like the deepcreases and color of ‘Howden’. I also likedthat ‘Early King’ was a smaller variety (20pounds compared to 30 pounds for‘Howden’) so that I could lift and move thepumpkins without help. Lastly, ‘Early King’produced much larger yields than ‘Howden’.These were larger than I expected for“medium” pumpkin size although I knowreally big pumpkins can weigh hundreds ofpounds.

Best jack-o’-lanternvarieties

Top choiceEarly King

Strongperformers

Autumn GoldCronusEarly Dakota

HowdenGladiatorMagic Lantern

‘Early King’matured

earlier andproduced more

pumpkins. Itspumpkins

were biggerand morebeautiful.

92 NDSU EXTENSION

Prefer ‘Early King’ (continued)

Early King ☺Howden SC‘Early King’ pumpkins were round andplump. Its vines were better producers.‘Early King’ pumpkins averaged 22 pounds;‘Howden’ pumpkins averaged 18 pounds.

Early King ☺Howden SC‘Early King’ germinated better. Its pumpkinswere more attractive and uniform in shape.Its largest fruit was 18 pounds; the largestfor ‘Howden’ was 11 pounds.

Early King ☺Howden SCOnly one seed of each variety germinatedand each vine produced one pumpkin. Thepumpkins were nice in size and had niceflesh. The flesh of ‘Early King’ lookedbetter, cooked down and made nice puree.

Early King ☺Howden ☺ SC‘Early King’ had big, beautiful pumpkins.

Early King ☺Howden ☺ NW‘Howden’ pumpkins were round and similarin size. ‘Early King’ had more pumpkins onthe plant and they were bigger and differentshaped, more oblong than round. I preferredit because I like pumpkins that have morepersonality and are bigger. Both were fun tosee develop. ‘Early King’ pumpkins are bigfor being considered “medium.” Theirpumpkins ranged in weight from 25 to 38pounds, compared to ‘Howden’ pumpkinswith weights ranging from 15 to 25 pounds.I would like to try the varieties in the largepumpkin trial but I am afraid I couldn’tmove them.

Early King ☺Howden NWNo comments.

Early King ☺Howden ☺ SW‘Early King’ pumpkins were rounder.Pumpkins of both varieties were slow toturn orange.

Prefer ‘Howden’Early KingHowden ☺ NC‘Howden’ pumpkins were huge (15 poundson average) but somewhat misshaped. If youwant a pumpkin variety that produces a lotof large pumpkins, go with ‘Howden’. ‘EarlyKing’ pumpkins were smaller (8 pounds onaverage), nicely shaped and fewer in number.

Early KingHowden ☺ NW‘Early King’ never even grew; planted in thesame way as ‘Howden’ with no results. Wewaited until May 30, after the last frost inspring to sow the seed.

Conclusions‘Howden’ is one of the most popularvarieties grown in the USA, but ourgardeners clearly preferred ‘Early King’.‘Early King’ matured earlier and producedmuch higher yields. Its pumpkins were biggerat most sites and the fruits were judged to bemore beautiful.

‘Howden’ is apopular varietyin the USA, butit could notcompare to‘Early King’ inyield or fruitquality traits.


Pumpkin, LargeVarieties‘Early Giant’95 days. Dark orange, 30-pound, slightly tallpumpkins perfect for carving. Vines resistmildew. Early ripening.

‘Howden Biggie’115 days. A classic big jack-o’-lantern. Darkorange, 45-pound fruits. Productive, vigorousvines.


Early HowdenTrait Giant Biggie Same

Germinated best 46% 8% 46%Healthier plants 23 8 69Harvested earlier 46 15 38Higher yields 69 23 8Bigger pumpkins 57 43 0More attractive 58 25 17Preference 62 38Recommend (☺) 92 69Mean score1 7.46 6.69Median score1 8.00 8.00

Median weight (lbs) 28 28


Prefer ‘Early Giant’Early GiantHowden Biggie MNNeither variety was anything to get excitedabout. I didn’t get any mature pumpkins, justa few green ones.

Early Giant ☺Howden Biggie ☺ SEThe weights of the ‘Early Giant’ pumpkinsvaried greatly (4–25 pounds) but weregenerally larger and more attractive.‘Howden Biggie’ pumpkins averaged 10pounds. Slugs got into the bottom of thefruits of both varieties. It was very dry and Ihad not expected this.

Early Giant ☺Howden Biggie NC‘Early Giant’ had higher yields and itspumpkins had a more consistent orangecolor.

Early Giant ☺Howden Biggie SC‘Early Giant’ germinated better. Itspumpkins were smaller than expected(largest ‘Early Giant’ was 25 poundscompared to 19 pounds for ‘Howden Biggie’but the dry weather had something to dowith that. ‘Early Giant’ pumpkins lookednicer and were more uniform in shape.

Early Giant ☺Howden Biggie ☺ SC‘Early Giant’ had lots of big, unique lookingfruits. Great for a carving pumpkin! Its fruitsaveraged 45 pounds and its vines wereprolific. ‘Howden Biggie’ had near perfectlooking fruits. Its fruits averaged at 30pounds.

Early Giant ☺Howden Biggie ☺ SCBoth varieties produced very nice largepumpkins! We were very happy with ourpumpkin trials! We preferred ‘Early Giant’ asit had slightly better germination. Bothvarieties were very good!

Best largepumpkinvarieties

Top choiceBig Moose

Strongperformers

Captain JackEarly GiantHowden

Biggie

‘Early Giant’germinatedbetter and

produced morepumpkins.Gardeners

liked the sizeand

appearance ofits fruits.

94 NDSU EXTENSION

Prefer ‘Early Giant’ (continued)

Early Giant ☺Howden Biggie ☺ SW‘Early Giant’ had larger and more pumpkins.Its pumpkins averaged 30 pounds comparedto 20 pounds for ‘Howden Biggie’. ‘EarlyGiant’ pumpkins ripened earlier.

Early Giant ☺Howden Biggie SW‘Howden Biggie’ did not produce anypumpkins.

Prefer ‘Howden Biggie’Early Giant ☺Howden Biggie ☺ NC‘Howden Biggie’ pumpkins were so muchbigger and more beautiful. Its pumpkinsaveraged 40 pounds and one was 50 pounds.The pumpkins of ‘Early Giant’ averaged 35pounds.

Early Giant ☺Howden Biggie ☺ NC‘Howden Biggie’ had larger and strongervines. They produced larger and morepumpkins. ‘Early Giant’ pumpkins weresmaller but more symmetrical. Both maturedat the same pace.

Early Giant ☺Howden Biggie ☺ SC‘Howden Biggie’ pumpkins have a roundershape, so it looks better when you carve it.‘Early Giant’ had higher yields. Its pumpkinswere slightly bigger (average 37 poundscompared to 33 pounds for ‘HowdenBiggie’) and its stems were prettier.

Early Giant ☺Howden Biggie ☺ NW‘Early Giant’ had larger pumpkins (25pounds compared to 20 pounds for‘Howden Biggie’) but ‘Howden Biggie’ hadhigher yields. We would prefer to get morepumpkins, over larger pumpkins.

Early Giant ☺Howden Biggie ☺ SDI preferred ‘Howden Biggie’ because I likethem big! Its pumpkins averaged 60 poundscompared to 36 pounds for ‘Early Giant’.‘Early Giant’ produced a higher yield overall.

Conclusions‘Early Giant’ germinated better and producedhigher yields. Its pumpkins were judged to bemore attractive by most gardeners. ‘HowdenBiggie’ produced big pumpkins but fewer ofthem. Its performance was less consistentacross sites in our drought-stricken state.

‘HowdenBiggie’produced bigpumpkins butfewer of them.Itsperformancewas lessconsistentacross sites.


Radish, Purple (Fall)Varieties‘Amethyst’30 days. Bright purple skin makes a strikingcontrast with its white flesh. A provenperformer in North Dakota.

‘Bacchus’30 days. Deep purple roots make a nicecomplement with other radishes. White flesh.

DataGardeners at 52 sites submitted information.Trait AmethystBacchus Same





Prefer ‘Amethyst’Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ MN‘Amethyst’ plants were larger and producedlarger radishes. Either variety would work forND or MN gardeners. Plants were healthyand radishes had excellent flavor in bothcases.

AmethystBacchus NE‘Bacchus’ definitely grew better. Both had arough start because of infestations ofcabbage loopers and flea beetles. ‘Bacchus’recovered somewhat but was never reallyable to be robust. I prefer ‘Amethyst’because ‘Bacchus’ was too spicy for me.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus NEThey germinated in 2–3 days. I loved thecolor of ‘Amethyst’. It had a very crisp,snappy taste.

AmethystBacchus NEThey tasted too strong and hot to me.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SEMy trees grew so much this year and shadedmy garden area so roots were pretty small.The greens were excellent on both varieties;wonderful flavor. I would like to try these inmy spring garden. ‘Amethyst’ produced aslightly higher yield. I recommend bothvarieties as suitable for North Dakotagardens.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus SEBoth varieties came up at the same time, but‘Amethyst’ produced harvestable roots first.‘Amethyst’ had thick, dark green leaves; itsroot color was rich and consistent. It tastedmilder. ‘Bacchus’ yielded more roots but theywere smaller. ‘Bacchus’ roots were verystrong and more bitter. Both varieties wereeasy to grow and did well, however mypreference for ‘Amethyst’ came down to itsflavor.

Bestpurple radishvarieties

Top choiceBacchus

Strongperformer

Amethyst

Both varietiesgrew well and

producedflavorful

radishes. Thecontrastingpurple skin

and whiteflesh wasstriking.

96 NDSU EXTENSION

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SE‘Amethyst’ produced the first and highestyields.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SE‘Amethyst’ roots were redder in color andnot as hot.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SE‘Amethyst’ has a bit better flavor. Bothvarieties produced nice, large roots andsimilar yields.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ NCVery few ‘Amethyst’ seedlings emerged whilethe entire row of ‘Bacchus’ was up in 3 days.The greens of both varieties were smallerthan other radishes I’ve seen, but the rootshad a nice size. They were ready to harveston the same day. ‘Bacchus’ roots were largerand dark purple. ‘Amethyst’ roots werelighter and bright; I preferred its mildertaste—not too strong.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus SC‘Amethyst’ had nice big radishes and theywere more bug resistant. ‘Bacchus’ tops wereeaten by flea beetles and were located only ahand’s width apart from ‘Amethyst’. I foundboth varieties to be quite hot to taste, butthey were beautiful!

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SC‘Bacchus’ roots were deep purple and round.‘Amethyst’ varied in color from a nice purpleto light purple to red and weren’t as uniformin shape. Both have good flavor but‘Bacchus’ had more roots that were spongy(not sure if this was due to lack of water).Although I liked everything else better for‘Bacchus’, the texture of ‘Amethyst’ was somuch better that I had to choose ‘Amethyst’.It would be interesting to see if consistentwatering would change the texture of‘Bacchus’.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus SCI preferred ‘Amethyst’ for its large radishesand nice shape. Both varieties producednicely despite squirrels digging in theelevated beds.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus NW‘Amethyst’ roots had mild flavor and evenwhen they were large they were not woody.Beautiful and brilliant color. Really loved thelooks in a salad and we even roasted themon the grill. Excellent flavor.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SWThe varieties tasted the same. Caterpillarswere found in the plants.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SD‘Amethyst’ had a very slightly better taste,but both were good.

Prefer ‘Bacchus’Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ MN‘Bacchus’ had exceptional yield. Bothvarieties were delicious and among the mostflavorful radishes we have ever had! Veryzippy flavor. I would like more seeds forboth varieties for next year if possible!

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ MNI prefer ‘Bacchus’ for its milder flavor.‘Amethyst’ cracked early.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ MN‘Bacchus’ produced bigger radishes first. Itgerminated better, although neither varietygerminated well.

AmethystBacchus ☺ MNFlea beetles mowed down the ‘Amethyst’.‘Bacchus’ showed exceptional seedling vigorand half of its plants survived. ‘Bacchus’produced wonderful roots and great flavor!

‘Amethyst’roots werebrilliantpurple. Mostgardeners feltit was mild inflavor.

Prefer ‘Amethyst’ (continued)


AmethystBacchus ☺ NE‘Amethyst’ germination was about 50%, evenafter watering, and it produced small globes.‘Bacchus’ had great germination, grewalmost too fast, had nice purple color, andhad some heat in its taste. Its roots grewvery large, to the size of a crabapple. Neithervariety produced woody radishes.

AmethystBacchus ☺ SE‘Bacchus’ grew better and produced higheryields.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SEBoth varieties are outstanding, however‘Amethyst’ brings with it some heat. Themild flavor of ‘Bacchus’ is very nice andsatisfying without any residual heat. Again asin last year’s radish trial I prefer fall plantingsof radish to spring plantings. Not only canone use garden space used by a previouslyharvested vegetable, the outcome is moreassured. It is frustrating to use valuablegarden space in the spring to plant radishthat bolts and doesn’t perform. Fall radishplantings need to be better promoted in thelarger gardening community. While springplantings can bring some of the firstproduce of the garden, they often disappointand use garden space that could be put to abetter use.

AmethystBacchus ☺ SEI love the color of ‘Bacchus’. The few‘Amethyst’ that grew were very small.

AmethystBacchus ☺ SE‘Bacchus’ is very resilient. We accidentallyran the hose over the row and I thought thewhole row was destroyed, but they bouncedback and delivered consistent size, brilliantcolor radishes. Its radishes were brighter andless spicy compared to ‘Amethyst’.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SEWith lack of water, and higher temps inAugust than I was expecting, both typesgerminated well, though I would say‘Bacchus’ slightly better. However, in theend, ‘Amethyst’ was not able to withstandthe conditions, and really petered out,dwindling to almost nothing. As tempscooled these last weeks, I was pretty amazedto see how ‘Bacchus’ just picked right backup! As I have been putting my gardens tobed, I was not able to let ‘Bacchus’ fullydevelop, but enjoyed the greens in oursalads, and had several pea- to acorn-sizedradishes that had a great concentrated spiceto them, as I would have expected for theirsmall size. I will look forward to trying thisvariety again, perhaps in the spring. Thankyou!

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SEBoth varieties germinated well and at thesame time. Both had healthy plants, nice andgreen, and looked good. ‘Bacchus’ produceda bigger radish than ‘Amethyst’ and it wasready first to harvest. ‘Bacchus’ was crispand mild; a little milder than ‘Amethyst’.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SETasted the same.

AmethystBacchus NCNeither grew very big compared to othervarieties I have grown in the past. A couplegot normal size but many were very small—not sure if this is due to fall weather?‘Bacchus’ grew a little larger. (Sown August16.)

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ NCSowed on August 10 and the varietiesgerminated at the same time. The rootsnever grew larger than marbles; perhapsshould have sown sooner. There were lots ofbug holes in the leaves.

Prefer ‘Bacchus’ (continued)

‘Bacchus’germinated

well and grewvigorously. It

producedhigher yields

and was readyto harvest

earlier.

98 NDSU EXTENSION

AmethystBacchus ☺ SCBoth varieties were brutally attacked bycabbage moths. ‘Bacchus’ recovered betterand produced several sizable radishes. Theseradishes tasted pretty mild (which wasdisappointing). I preferred the peppery tasteof ‘Amethyst’ although many of its plantsdid not form bulbs.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SCBoth varieties germinated and grew very wellin pots. Both were very good tasting;however, a few of ‘Amethyst’ had a “bite.”Both had a unique outside purple radishcolor and a nice white center ... and both hada few that were red? Both were very big insize and none were hollow. The peskycabbage moths liked the leaves of bothvarieties but they didn’t affect the flavor. Weenjoyed the trial. It was a great way to trypurple radishes and a fall crop.

AmethystBacchus ☺ SC‘Bacchus’ came up a bit quicker and more ofthem grew to eating size. They both tastedfairly mild—which is good and surprising—despite the heat. Normally my springradishes get too hot.

AmethystBacchus ☺ SC‘Bacchus’ yield was lower but its roots weresweeter and did not get bitter as fast. Itsroots were uniformly purple while‘Amethyst’ had both red and purple roots.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SCBoth were really good.

AmethystBacchus ☺ SC‘Bacchus’ plants were leafier, taller andhealthier. Bacchus’ produced triple the yield,but the individual roots were small. Its rootshad a pungent, unpleasant odor afterpicking. Both varieties had some plantsrevert to red radishes. We sowed on August18 and there was not enough time for theroots to mature.

AmethystBacchus ☺ SW‘Bacchus’ was not bitter and its productionwas great. ‘Amethyst’ roots were notconsistent in color. Both varieties weretolerant of light frosts.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SWThese radishes did not do as well as my fallradishes from last year; it is drier and hotter.I have not even picked half of them yet(October 7) because they are too small(sown August 9). ‘Bacchus’ germinatedbetter.

AmethystBacchus ☺ SW‘Bacchus’ produced larger radishes, withmore flavor than ‘Amethyst’.

Amethyst ☺Bacchus ☺ SW‘Bacchus’ produced much larger roots.

ConclusionsBoth varieties grew well in fall and producedflavorful radishes. The contrast between thepurple skin and white flesh was beautiful.‘Bacchus’ germinated well and grewvigorously. It produced higher yields and wasready to harvest earlier. Its roots were deeppurple and more consistent in color.‘Amethyst’ was a redder, more brilliant shadeof purple. Many gardeners liked ‘Amethyst’for its mild flavor.

Prefer ‘Bacchus’ (continued)

‘Bacchus’roots weredeep purpleand moreconsistent incolor.


Radish, Red (Fall)Varieties‘Rover’21 days. Extra early. Very dependable evenunder heat stress. Roots are dark red, smoothand uniform.

‘Roxanne’21 days. Big crops of red, round anduniformly shaped radishes. Tolerates heat.This hybrid is reliable and grows vigorously.

DataGardeners at 47 sites submitted information.Trait Rover Roxanne Same





Prefer ‘Rover’Rover ☺Roxanne NE‘Rover’ had smaller, crack-free roots andproduced higher yields. ‘Roxanne’ was readyto harvest a day earlier.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ NE‘Rover’ had larger radishes; otherwise theyperformed the same. Both tasted spicy.Rootworms and flea beetles reduced yields.

Rover ☺Roxanne NE‘Rover’ germinated faster. Its plants wereshorter but healthier. Its roots were milder,prettier, rounder and more uniform in shape.

Rover ☺Roxanne SEBoth germinated well and at the same time.‘Rover’ plants were healthier; more leavesand fewer holes in the leaves. Both varietiesgrew at the same pace and produced similaryields.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ SEVery similar. ‘Rover’ roots were moreuniform in shape. Both varieties werefantastic, excellent.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ SE‘Rover’ germinated better.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ SEI‘ve never had radishes grow so big. Plantingin fall avoided trouble with bugs.

Rover ☺Roxanne SE‘Roxanne’ did not germinate well.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ NCI prefer ‘Rover’ because of its milder taste,although ‘Roxanne’ seemed to thrive in spiteof the dryness. Both varieties were hurt byflea beetles and drought.

Bestred radishvarieties

Top choiceRoxanne

Strongperformers

Cherry BelleRover

Both varietieswere fantastic.They grew welland their rootswere beautiful,

crisp andtasty.

100 NDSU EXTENSION

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ NC‘Rover’ and ‘Roxanne’ are truly excellentvarieties. Excellent germination. Those seedswe planted with diatomaceous earth wereexcellent ... those we didn’t were full ofrootworms as is the usual with our garden.‘Rover’ got larger faster than ‘Roxanne’.Both were nice, round, beautiful radishes. Wethought ‘Roxanne’ was milder early in theharvest when roots were small. ‘Rover’ wasmilder later in the season when roots werelarge.

RoverRoxanne NC‘Roxanne’ germinated at less than 10%.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ SCThe plants of both varieties looked good.Their roots were similar: bright red, crack-free, solid and crisp, good tasting and notpithy. Late in the season they had an earthytaste but when peeled and sliced tasted goodon a vegetable tray and in stir fry. ‘Rover’had a longer harvest season. ‘Roxanne’germinated first and more uniformly. Itsplants were slightly larger and its roots wereready to harvest earlier and all at once.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ SCWow. These were both great varieties. In thepast when I have grown fall radishes, theyget woody. These did not. A close decisionon picking a favorite. ‘Rover’ germinatedfirst and produced the first yield so I’mgiving it the vote. This was a great test andboth varieties performed very well. If youlike radishes, these are winners! We are stilleating them here in the house (October 9).

Rover ☺Roxanne SC‘Rover’ had more plants, stronger plants andhigher yield (although small radishes). Wesowed on August 18 and there was notenough time for the roots to mature.‘Roxanne’ plants were small and puny. Weonly harvested one ‘Roxanne’ radish.

‘Rover’ rootswere uniformin shape. Theyhad a classic,peppery kick.

Prefer ‘Rover’ (continued) Rover ☺Roxanne SC‘Rover’ produced higher yields and tastedvery good. Both varieties grew better whenplanted in the ground compared to in pots.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ SC‘Rover’ had beautiful, marble-sized radishes.Good, sharp flavor with the classic radishbite aftertaste—a good peppery kick.‘Roxanne’ had larger radishes and after thefrost had a beautiful sweet taste.

Rover ☺Roxanne SW‘Rover’ had greater consistency in taste andbetter production early in the season. Bothwere very frost tolerant. I wish I had spacedplanting a week apart to even out production(sowed August 25). We have had a coupleheavy frosts and both have kept producingwithout covering plants.

Prefer ‘Roxanne’RoverRoxanne ☺ MNBoth germinated at the same time. ‘Roxanne’grew a little faster and produced slightlymore yield. Its bulbs seemed to have rounderbottoms and tasted less bitter.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ MN‘Roxanne’ had a little more vigor and largerroots.

RoverRoxanne ☺ NE‘Roxanne’ did great: good germination, fastgrowth, nice round radish and good color.‘Roxanne’ is high quality. ‘Rover’ had poorgermination and small radishes.

RoverRoxanne ☺ SE‘Roxanne’ outshined ‘Rover’ by far. Its rootswere bigger and tastier. ‘Rover’ roots were alot smaller and didn’t have the nice flavor‘Roxanne’ did. We’d definitely plant‘Roxanne’ radishes again. Very pleased.


Prefer ‘Roxanne’ (continued)

RoverRoxanne ☺ SEThe roots of both looked very nice.‘Roxanne’ had higher yields and better taste.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ SE‘Roxanne’ was more robust in growth: biggerplants, faster growth and larger roots. Theleaves and roots of both varieties lookednice and were tasty.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ NCBoth varieties came up in 3 days. Plants werehealthy and were ready to harvest at thesame time. Yields were similar and theirroots were beautiful, red and healthy. Wetaste-tested them with 3–6th graders andthey chose ‘Roxanne’. It had a milder taste.Those who really like radishes would enjoythe taste of ‘Rover’ as well.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ NC‘Roxanne’ produced evenly sized radisheswith mild flavor. The roots of both varietieswere excellent in taste; not strong; mild.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ NCBoth varieties grew very well and producedbeautiful looking radishes. I enjoyed theflavor of ‘Roxanne’ better because it was abit milder. ‘Rover’ was also good but toostrong for my taste.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ NCOverall better performance.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ SC‘Roxanne’ had higher yields and better taste.Both varieties were very good.

RoverRoxanne ☺ SC‘Roxanne’ tasted excellent and lasted a longtime.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ SC‘Roxanne’ produced higher yields and wasready to harvest sooner. Harvested onSeptember 7 (sown August 9). The roots ofboth varieties tasted so much better thanradishes grown in the spring.

RoverRoxanne ☺ SC‘Roxanne’ was superior to ‘Rover’ in all traits.‘Rover had a stronger bite to its taste and theradishes were not as big. ‘Roxanne’ on theother hand had better germination rates,grew faster and bigger and was milder totaste.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ SCBoth were very good. Both were red andshiny. They were almost identical but‘Roxanne’ seemed to get bigger faster.

Rover ☺Roxanne ☺ SCI prefer the flavor of ‘Roxanne’.

RoverRoxanne ☺ SCBigger radishes.

RoverRoxanne ☺ SWBoth radishes were a bright red color whichwas eye appealing. ‘Roxanne’ roots wereuniform in size and larger than ‘Rover’. Theflavor of ‘Roxanne’ was earthy, with a littlehint of heat but not hot or pungent.

ConclusionsBoth varieties were fantastic. They grew welland their roots were bright red, crisp andtasty. ‘Roxanne’ had a little more vigor andoften produced higher yields. Its roots werelarger and milder. ‘Rover’ roots were uniformin shape and had a classic, peppery kick.

‘Roxanne’ hadhealthy plants,

faster growthand goodyields. Its

roots werelarger and

milder.

102 NDSU EXTENSION

Spinach, Savoy Leaf (Fall)Varieties‘Emperor’37 days. Dark green, semi-savoy leaves.Grows quickly and produces good yields.

‘Reflect’38 days. Medium green, oval to round leaves.Semi-savoy type suited for autumn.

DataGardeners at 44 sites submitted information.Trait Emperor Reflect Same



Prefer ‘Emperor’Emperor ☺Reflect MN‘Emperor’ germinated much better. Itsplants had larger leaves and grew faster.When I harvested it for a meal, itregenerated faster. As for taste, it was hardto tell a difference between the varieties.

Emperor ☺Reflect ☺ MNI liked the flavor of ‘Emperor’. It tasted likebeet greens; ‘Reflect’ had a mellow flavor.

Emperor ☺Reflect NE‘Emperor’ was simply superior in everyaspect. Both were pest-free and easy to grow.This was my first experience growing inpallets and ‘Emperor’ performed well.

EmperorReflect SEBoth varieties took a very long time togerminate … neither produced much forplants. The plants that came up were healthyand relatively bug-free. ‘Emperor’ lookedfuller and had slightly better looking leaves.It had a better taste—‘Reflect’ was verybitter. I don’t recommend either.

Emperor ☺Reflect SEBoth varieties did not germinate well; verysparse. Both did not have a very healthyplant. Both produced about the same, whichwas not very good. They both had nicegreen color and tasted good. ‘Emperor’ hada few more plants, but I was disappointedwith both of them.

Emperor ☺Reflect SE‘Emperor’ germinated first and hadbeautiful, large leaves; ‘Reflect’ didn’tgerminate well and had very small leaves.‘Emperor’ grew faster and produced more.The yield of ‘Reflect’ was low and slow.

Emperor ☺Reflect ☺ SE‘Emperor’ stood better after heavy rains.‘Reflect’ got a bit smooshed. Thegermination and flavor of both varieties wasvery good. Spinach is one of my favorites togrow in my garden. I would grow bothagain.

Bestsavoy-leafspinachvarieties

Top choiceEmperor

Strongperformers

BloomsdaleLongStanding

MelodyTyee

Germinationrates weresometimesdisappointing,but plantswere healthyand theharvestedleaves weredelicious.


Emperor ☺Reflect SEThey both grew very well. Overall, I reallyenjoyed ‘Emperor’ the most. ‘Reflect’ tasteda little bitter.

Emperor ☺Reflect SE‘Reflect’ germinated poorly and its seedlingshad more bug damage. ‘Emperor’ producedover 90% more.

Emperor ☺Reflect SEAll around performed best.

Emperor ☺Reflect NCBoth grew well and are still growing underrow covers now in mid-October. ‘Emperor’had better flavor; ‘Reflect’ tasted bitter.

Emperor ☺Reflect ☺ SC‘Emperor’ was somewhat more vigorous, butboth varieties were good.

Emperor ☺Reflect ☺ SCBoth germinated within 5 days. ‘Emperor’started out better and produced the firstyield. ‘Reflect’ came on later and caught up.‘Emperor’ had slightly better yield.

Emperor ☺Reflect ☺ SCThe plants of both varieties were healthyand looked very nice. ‘Emperor’ had betteryields and was ready to harvest earlier. Itsflavor was mild; great for salads.

Emperor ☺Reflect SC‘Emperor’ had higher yield. There was a bugin my garden that loved both varieties. Notmuch to yield and then it got so hot and drythat I did not have nearly as good a growthas I did the year before.

Emperor ☺Reflect SC‘Reflect’ did not produce vigorous plants.‘Emperor’ really took off !

EmperorReflect SC‘Emperor’ germinated better but not manyplants of either variety. My garden was badthis year.

Emperor ☺Reflect SC‘Emperor’ was just a nice plant and goodtasting.

Prefer ‘Reflect’Emperor ☺Reflect ☺ MN‘Reflect’ tasted better and I really liked it.

Emperor ☺Reflect ☺ MN‘Reflect’ had better germination.

EmperorReflect ☺ SE‘Reflect’ was better, hands down. Its leaveswere thick and full. ‘Emperor’ only producedone small bunch of leaves.

Emperor ☺Reflect ☺ SEThe varieties germinated at the same time.Plants looked great, although there were afew holes in some leaves of ‘Emperor’.‘Reflect’ was ready to harvest a little earlier,and the yields of both varieties were verygood. The plants were full, sturdy and darkgreen—they both looked great. Kidsthought ‘Reflect’ was milder; Mom and Dadthought both were great. We later mixedleaves of both varieties into a salad and theywere crisper and more flavorful thananything I can find in a store or farmersmarket. I would happily grow both of theseagain!

‘Emperor’germinatedbetter, grewquicker and

produced morespinach.

Gardenersenjoyed its

flavor.

Prefer ‘Emperor’ (continued)

104 NDSU EXTENSION

EmperorReflect ☺ SEI grew them in containers. ‘Emperor’ wasmore productive but ‘Reflect’ had a betterphysical appearance. This trial waswonderful. Well worth the time. Excellent.

Emperor ☺Reflect ☺ SE‘Reflect’ was tastier.

EmperorReflect ☺ NCThe ‘Reflect’ leaf was slightly more tender. Itwas fun to try these types of spinach. Weenjoy spinach as a salad, etc.

Emperor ☺Reflect ☺ SCNeither variety germinated very well and theplants were slow growing. Both of thevarieties tasted great! ‘Reflect’ producedmore of the nice, sweet, big leaves.

EmperorReflect SCThey germinated the same. Both had darkgreen leaves. ‘Reflect’ had a larger harvestearly in the season and this continuedthroughout the fall. I did not like the savoyleaf texture, but both varieties tasted okaywhen cooked. Both varieties had very brittleleaf stems and would break when cutting thewhole plant.

EmperorReflect ☺ SC‘Reflect’ was very fast coming up andproduced well.

EmperorReflect SC‘Reflect’ had a slightly better taste. Neithervariety showed much growth or vigor. Iplanted after a good rain and irrigated mygarden when needed. My spinach crop lastfall was much better.

Emperor ☺Reflect ☺ SCI prefer the leaf shape of ‘Reflect’.

EmperorReflect NWNeither of these varieties germinated well,either that or they were getting eaten as theycame out of the ground by voles. Only halfof the row of ‘Emperor’ came up. About 2/3 of the row of ‘Reflect came up. ‘Reflect’had a larger leaf.

ConclusionsGermination is always a challenge in fallspinach production and it was a problem forboth varieties this year due to our drought.Most gardeners preferred ‘Emperor’. Itgerminated better, grew quicker andproduced higher yields. ‘Reflect’ excelled inno traits and most gardeners did notrecommend it. The plants of both varietieswere healthy and delicious.

Prefer ‘Reflect’ (continued)

‘Reflect’excelled in notraits. Mostgardeners didnotrecommend it.


Location

Comments



Ratings(1 to 10)



NW

SW

NC NE

Spinach, Smooth Leaf (Spring)Varieties‘Olympia’45 days. Yields are quick and abundant.Leaves are smooth and mild in flavor. Plantsresist bolting.

‘Space’45 days. Grows vigorously and is slow tobolt. Medium-green color. Its upright habitkeeps the leaves clean.

DataGardeners at 34 sites submitted information.Trait Olympia Space Same

Germinated best 43% 18% 39%Healthier plants 24 24 52Harvested earlier 38 21 42Higher yields 29 38 33Resisted bolting better 9 50 41More attractive 17 46 38Tasted better 22 39 39




Prefer ‘Olympia’OlympiaSpace MN‘Olympia’ tasted better, but both varietiestasted really bitter.

Olympia ☺Space ☺ NE‘Olympia’ germinated better, was healthierand produced better yields. I could notirrigate the trial for 10 days after sowingand yields suffered.

Olympia ☺Space ☺ NEBoth varieties were just fair this year. Theyboth bolted very early and so the harvestperiod was short.

Olympia ☺Space NEPoor germination on both, but ‘Space’turned yellow before any leaves were largeenough to use.

Olympia ☺Space ☺ SE‘Olympia’ showed more vigor. Its firstharvest was on July 3, 5 days earlier thanthe first harvest of ‘Space’. ‘Olympia’produced higher yields. Its leaves were verylarge; a co-worker liked the shape of ‘Space’leaves. ‘Space’ resisted bolting a couple dayslonger. I pulled all plants on July 26. Bothtasted good but ‘Olympia’ was better.

Olympia ☺Space ☺ NCNeither variety germinated well under thedry conditions. ‘Olympia’ was ready toharvest first.

Olympia ☺Space NW‘Olympia’ was easy to grow. It tastedwonderful (raw and cooked) with little to nowilting. It lasted a long time in the fridge.

Olympia ☺Space ☺ NWBoth were great producers! We enjoyedboth in salads and in making pesto. I hate tochoose one over the other. ‘Olympia’produced more and larger plants. ‘Olympia’gave just a hint of pepper to the pesto.

Bestsmooth-leafspinachvarieties forspringsowing

Top choiceSpace

Strongperformer

Olympia

‘Olympia’germinated

better and wasready to

harvest earlierat many sites.

It has been areliable

performer forspringtime

sowings.

106 NDSU EXTENSION

Prefer ‘Space’OlympiaSpace ☺ SE‘Space’ outperformed ‘Olympia’ in almostevery area. It had fabulous growth while‘Olympia’ seemed very slow. ‘Space’provided a much bigger harvest while‘Olympia’ leaves never got to a good size.‘Space’ bolted later—we were harvesting inmid-July. ‘Space’ had a good “spinach”flavor while ‘Olympia’ was bland.

OlympiaSpace ☺ SE‘Olympia’ had 95% germination and grewfast. Plants grew taller but bolted after thefirst cutting. The stand of ‘Space’ was notas thick. Its plants bushed out and had largeleaves. It was cut three times and resistedbolting. It grew back faster after cutting,therefore producing higher yields. Its leaveswere larger and greener. Both varietiesproduced a lot of spinach and both tastedvery good with no bitter aftertaste.

Olympia ☺Space ☺ NCBoth varieties had very healthy plants andproduced well. I liked them both for theirnice color and smooth leaves that were easyto clean. ‘Space’ was ready to pick just alittle sooner and was much slower to bolt.‘Space’ had crisp texture—nice insandwiches—and a slightly tangy flavor.

OlympiaSpace NCYields were poor due to heat. Both tastedbitter but ‘Space’ was a little milder.

Olympia ☺Space ☺ SC‘Space’ tasted much better and was a betterplant—this year. To be fair to ‘Olympia’, Iliked it much better other years whendrought wasn’t a problem. Both varietiesbolted almost right away due to heat.

OlympiaSpace ☺ SC‘Space’ did not bolt as quickly. Its plants hada nice, dark green color and uniform shape.

Olympia ☺Space ☺ SCBoth germinated slowly due to the dryconditions. Plants were healthy andharvesting began in mid-June. Great yields.Equal in appearance and taste. ‘Space’bolted on July 4, 1 week later than‘Olympia’.

Olympia ☺Space ☺ SCThey were both great but ‘Space’ beat out‘Olympia’, especially for its superior taste.

OlympiaSpace ☺ SC‘Space’ produced more plants with moreattractive and bigger leaves. It also went toseed a few weeks later than ‘Olympia’,which made for a longer and moreproductive harvest.

OlympiaSpace ☺ NW‘Space’ had darker green, tastier leaves.

OlympiaSpace ☺ SWBoth germinated well. ‘Olympia’ was readyto harvest earlier. Space seemed a littlemore resistant to leaf miners. This was thefirst time I had smooth-leaf spinach in mygarden. Both varieties were fairly equal andI prefer this type over curled-leaf spinach.There was more overall yield than spinachI’ve tried to grow in the past.

Olympia ☺Space ☺ SWThese varieties were very similar but ‘Space’bolted a bit later.

ConclusionsBoth varieties did well but most gardenerspreferred ‘Space’. It showed remarkableresistance to bolting, leading to higher yields.More gardeners preferred the looks andtaste of ‘Space’ leaves. ‘Olympia’ germinatedbetter and was ready to harvest earlier atmany sites. ‘Olympia’ has always done well inour spring trials, but it could not match theheat tolerance of ‘Space’.

‘Space’ wasproductive andshowedremarkableresistance tobolting—evenduring anextremedrought.Gardenersliked the colorand flavor of itsleaves.


Spinach, Smooth Leaf (Fall)Varieties‘Gazelle’36 days. Dark green, oval leaves. Long stemsfor bunching. Resists downy mildew.

‘Red Kitten’34 days. Medium green leaves withdistinctive red veins. Colorful addition tosalads. Resists diseases.


RedTrait Gazelle Kitten Same



Prefer ‘Gazelle’Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ MNI really enjoyed both varieties of spinach.Both are beautiful varieties with large leafstructure. They both tasted great. Theyhandled the 28°F weather we had the othernight! Great for northern gardens. ‘Gazelle’produced more yields. It also handled theextremes much better since going fromdrought to 6 inches of rain to frozentemperatures. It germinated much better inthe arid conditions and it’s still producingwith zero plant loss! ‘Red Kitten’ is veryattractive. It looks wonderful in a garden aswell as on the dinner plate; a very showyspinach.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ MNBoth varieties produced very compactplants that had nice flavor (not bitter).Either one would make a great addition to asalad or stir fry. I prefer ‘Gazelle’ onlybecause its germination was better than‘Red Kitten’.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten MN‘Gazelle’ had bigger leaves and healthierplants. ‘Gazelle’ is delicious and such awonder vegetable. I add it to so many things(spinach on pizza is amazing). ‘Red Kitten’leaves were rubbery—very attractive butthe taste was just not there.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ NE‘Red Kitten’ germinated a little better. Bothvarieties grew to produce leaves but‘Gazelle’ had larger leaves.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ NEDue to the dry spell in August, only someof the seeds came up. Recently the rest ofthe seeds came up and I have two rows ofsmall spinach seedlings. I preferred‘Gazelle’. It looked more like traditionalspinach and had bigger leaves.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten NE‘Gazelle’ was more productive.

Bestsmooth-leafspinachvarieties forfall sowing

Top choiceOlympia

Strongperformers

GazelleRed Kitten

Both varietiesgrew well and

gardenersenjoyed fresh

salads throughmuch ofOctober.

108 NDSU EXTENSION

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten SEAlthough ‘Red Kitten’ was beautiful with itsred pigmentation, I preferred ‘Gazelle’ as ithad a better taste.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ SE‘Gazelle’ appeared slightly more robust. Thevarieties grew at the same pace but ‘Gazelle’was more productive. It tasted better. Thered veins of ‘Red Kitten’ made it moreattractive.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ SEI preferred the look of ‘Gazelle’ and don’tcare for the red color of ‘Red Kitten’. Theyield was pretty similar between the two. Ididn’t have a preference in taste, as they areboth mild in flavor.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten SEOnly ‘Gazelle’ germinated. Very few plantsthough. Good greens.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten NCThe row of ‘Gazelle’ was much thicker. Ithad higher yield and better taste.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ NC‘Gazelle’ came up first but both did verywell for a fall crop. Both tasted very goodand we made many salads.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ NCNo comments.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten SC‘Gazelle’ produced higher yields. I think‘Gazelle’ is more tolerant of drier soil. Mygarden is away from home and I didn’twater as much as I should have.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten SCHot and dry (82+°F) during first week ofplanting. ‘Gazelle’ germinated at 5–8 days;good emergence. ‘Red Kitten’ germinated at8–10 days; spotty emergence. ‘Gazelle’ hadthick, dark green leaves with tender stems.It tasted better. ‘Red Kitten’ had poorproduction. Its leaves were small and itsstems were not edible.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten SC‘Gazelle’ was healthier and hardier. Itsleaves were beautiful and large; it maturedearlier. ‘Red Kitten’ had small leaves, grewslower and had a great unique taste.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten SC‘Gazelle’ produced faster.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten SC‘Gazelle’ had higher yields and healthierplants.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten NW‘Gazelle produced larger leaves, higheryield, and was ready to pick 1 week earlier.‘Gazelle’ produced a sweeter, less dense leafthat was easier to chew. We liked its brightgreen color and fresh crispness. We felt ‘RedKitten’ added nice color to a salad mix butlacked much flavor. We grew ‘Gazelle’ lastyear and it produced a smaller plant thisyear, but there was not as much rain thisyear and we relied on irrigation water versusrain water.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten NW‘Gazelle’ had more flavor. I used it in soupsand salads and it was great. ‘Gazelle’seedlings emerged first, 6 days after theAugust 9 sowing. Both varieties are stillproducing as of October 21 even with thecool temps that we have had.

‘Gazelle’producedhigher yieldsand was readyto harvestsooner. Itsleaves werelarge, darkgreen andflavorful.

Prefer ‘Gazelle’ (continued)


Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ NW‘Gazelle’ produced a bigger, tastier leaf.More of a spinach taste.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ SWIt took 8 days for both to emerge. ‘Gazelle’had better plant vigor and double the yield.The red stems and veins of ‘Red Kitten’were attractive.

Prefer ‘Red Kitten’Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ MNGermination could have been better; ‘RedKitten’ germinated better. Both varieties hada good, mild flavor. I had two cuttings. ‘RedKitten’ had bigger leaves/plants. I loved itsred stems.

GazelleRed Kitten ☺ MNI would rather eat ‘Red Kitten’. I like theway it tastes.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ MNI had no flavor preference, but my husbandliked ‘Red Kitten’ better. It would look greatin a salad with raspberries. We would like togrow ‘Red Kitten’ next year.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ NE‘Red Kitten’ had slightly better taste. It wasunique and adds color to salad. Bothvarieties were very healthy and attractive;shiny full leaves. I would probably use both.

GazelleRed Kitten ☺ NE‘Red Kitten’ had the best flavor and bestyield. It was tasty while ‘Gazelle’ tastedbitter and “planty.”

GazelleRed Kitten ☺ SE‘Red Kitten’ leaves were healthier, fuller andthicker.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ SE‘Red Kitten’ tasted better.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ SE‘Red Kitten’ outperformed ‘Gazelle’.

GazelleRed Kitten ☺ SERed Kitten has beautiful leaves and nodisease issues. It had excellent germinationwhile ‘Gazelle’ had poor germination.Thank you—it’s great to have a fall crop ofspinach!

GazelleRed Kitten ☺ NCWe sowed the seeds in containers and‘Gazelle’ never germinated. ‘Red Kitten’germinated and was transplanted to thegarden. It was a hearty plant but the yieldwas small.

GazelleRed Kitten ☺ NCNo comments.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ SCI prefer ‘Red Kitten’ because of its redstem. My motto is “Eat your colors.” So I’mattracted to more colorful veggies. ‘Gazelle’leaves were slightly larger.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ SCI loved ‘Red Kitten’. Such a different typeof spinach. Love the look, too. Bothvarieties are perfect for salads.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ SCI liked the red veins of ‘Red Kitten’. Thankyou for introducing me to fall planting.Yields were not as good as spring plantingbut adequate.

The red veinsand stems of‘Red Kitten’leaves wereunique and

added brightcolor to salads.

Prefer ‘Gazelle’ (continued)

110 NDSU EXTENSION

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ SCI liked the presentation of ‘Red Kitten’ withits cool red stems. Its leaves looked like beetleaves. It had better taste, too. ‘Gazelle’ hadbigger leaves and greater production.

GazelleRed Kitten ☺ SC‘Red Kitten’ is a beautiful spinach! Thecolor is so attractive in salads and tastedgreat! I’m impressed with how hardy thesevarieties are. Even though it has frostedseveral times, I’m still harvesting!

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ SC‘Red Kitten’ germinated better. Bothvarieties exhibited downy mildew: yellowishareas on tops of leaves; smaller, black,fungus looking areas on the undersides. Thedisease affected the initial leaves once theybecame larger. It had minimal effect onyields. We are planning to mulch the plantsto see if they’ll survive the winter. I do thiseach year in a little plot on the south side ofhouse. We always enjoy very early spinach.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ SC‘Red Kitten’ has such interesting coloringand tastes great.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ SCI like the red stem on ‘Red Kitten’. I think itlooks a little like a baby beet leaf. Bothvarieties tasted nice and fresh.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ NW‘Red Kitten’ had very pretty red stems andveins. It was easier to see and weed around.‘Gazelle’ grew faster. Both varieties tastedabout the same and I liked them whethercooked and fresh.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ NWBoth germinated at the same time. ‘Gazelle’was healthier. Both varieties were pretty andflavorful, but I prefer the looks and milderflavor of ‘Red Kitten’.

GazelleRed Kitten SW‘Gazelle’ did not germinate. ‘Red Kitten’germinated well. ‘Red Kitten’ is growingslowly to baby spinach size. Have eatensome—tastes good. I hesitate torecommend ‘Red Kitten’ because I havegrown it previously in the spring and wasnot impressed. I have not had good luckwith fall greens but keep trying. I have hadbetter luck with sowing late and the seedsstart growing in the spring when they areready.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ SW‘Red Kitten’ had larger leaves and wassweeter than ‘Gazelle’.

Gazelle ☺Red Kitten ☺ SW‘Red Kitten’ was very attractive in thegarden and had better taste. ‘Gazelle’produced better.

ConclusionsThis was a popular trial and both varietiesgrew well. Gardeners enjoyed fresh saladsthrough much of October. ‘Red Kitten’generated a lot of excitement. The red veinsand stems of its leaves were unique andadded bright color to salads. ‘Gazelle’produced higher yields and was ready toharvest sooner. Its leaves were large, darkgreen and flavorful. It’s interesting that mostgardeners preferred the colorful ‘Red Kitten’but felt more comfortable recommending‘Gazelle’, a more productive and traditionalspinach.

Prefer ‘Red Kitten’ (continued)

Mostgardenerspreferred thecolorful ‘RedKitten’ but feltmorecomfortablerecommending‘Gazelle’, amoreproductive andtraditionalspinach.


Squash, StraightneckVarieties‘Fortune’45 days. Smooth, bright yellow fruits. Sturdynecks. Yellow gene masks green streaking.

‘Multipik’50 days. Bright yellow fruits. No greenstreaking. Amazing yields. Great for grilling.


Multi-Trait Fortune pik Same

Germinated best 38% 0% 63%Healthier plants 0 13 88Harvested earlier 38 25 38Higher yields 38 25 38More attractive fruits 38 13 50Tasted better 38 0 63


Prefer ‘Fortune’Fortune ☺Multipik SE‘Fortune’ germinated faster. It had prettierfruits with less tough skin. Also tasted betterand seemed less seedy inside. The vines of‘Multipik’ were darker green. Its fruits hada bumpy skin that looked unattractive.

Fortune ☺Multipik ☺ SCBoth varieties produced lots of squash. Haildamaged the plants in early July and I wasvery pleased with how the plants bouncedback from that. ‘Multipik’ tasted good, but‘Fortune’ had a much more amazing taste!

Fortune ☺Multipik SC‘Fortune’ had higher yield.

Fortune ☺Multipik ☺ SC‘Fortune’ fruits were longer, slimmer (not asbulb shaped) and had thinner skin.

Fortune ☺Multipik ☺ NWThese are excellent varieties, especiallywhen picked small and roasted on the grill.Both varieties produced like crazy. I gaveaway hundreds of squash.

Prefer ‘Multipik’FortuneMultipik SENo real difference between the two. Theywere underwhelming. I got a few more‘Multipik’ squash. I grew 2 plants of eachand got less than 10 squash all together.

Fortune ☺Multipik ☺ NCBoth varieties produced very heavy yields.

FortuneMultipik ☺ SWDrought was hard on these!

ConclusionsThe varieties were similar in many respectsand both produced an amazing amount ofsquash. Most gardeners preferred ‘Fortune.’They hailed ‘Fortune’ for its superior tasteand its thin, smooth skin.

Beststraightnecksquashvarieties

Top choiceZephyr

Strongperformers

FortuneMultipik

Both varietiesproduced an

amazingamount of

squash.Gardenerspreferred

‘Fortune’ for itstaste and itsthin, smooth

skin.

112 NDSU EXTENSION

Squash, Dark Green ZucchiniVarieties‘Dunja’47 days. High yields of straight fruits. Openplants and short spines make harvestingeasy. Vines resist powdery mildew.

‘Raven’48 days. Dark green, smooth, glossy fruit.Vines have an open habit. Big yields but itsharvest season is short.

DataGardeners at 9 sites submitted information.Trait Dunja Raven Same





Prefer ‘Dunja’Dunja ☺Raven ☺ SE‘Dunja’ produced more.

Dunja ☺Raven SC‘Dunja’ fared very well in the hot weather.Its fruits were very tender and juicy.

Prefer ‘Raven’Dunja ☺Raven ☺ NE‘Raven’ germinated faster and had morevigorous seedlings. It produced the firstyields.

Dunja ☺Raven ☺ SEBoth varieties were good long-termproducers. ‘Raven’ fruits were healthier andbetter. ‘Dunja’ had more curved/twistedfruits.

DunjaRaven SEThese varieties were okay. I got some reallynice zukes but the fruits are harder than Ilike. Yields were moderate.

DunjaRaven ☺ SC‘Raven’ had lots more yield.

DunjaRaven ☺ NW‘Raven’ fruits last longer off the vine andtaste better. The fruits have a darker greenskin, which I like. Some of the smaller‘Dunja’ fruits rotted at the blossom end.

ConclusionsMost gardeners preferred ‘Raven’. Thesegardeners reported that ‘Raven’ germinatedbetter and matured faster. They liked itsdark, glossy skin and the straightness of itsfruits. For years, ‘Raven’ has beenunsurpassed at producing a fast crop. This isa valuable trait in North Dakota, where ourgrowing season is cool and short.

Best zucchinivarieties

Top choiceRaven

Strongperformers

PayloadSpineless

Beauty

Mostgardenerspreferred‘Raven’. Theyreported itgerminatedbetter, maturedearlier andproduced dark,glossy fruits.


Squash, Green ZucchiniVarieties‘Payload’44 days. Shiny, cylindrical fruits. Vines areopen and nearly spineless, making harvestingeasy.

‘Spineless Perfection’45 days. Straight, attractive fruits form onspineless vines. Its resistance to diseasesleads to a long and productive harvest.


SpinelessTrait Payload Perfect. Same


Preference 63 38Recommend 67 78



Prefer ‘Payload’Payload ☺Spineless Perfection ☺ SE‘Payload’ pulled ahead in yield at the end ofthe year. Both produced well into October!Fruits of both varieties were equally tasty.

Payload ☺Spineless Perfection NC‘Spineless Perfection’ vines turned yellowduring fruiting stage, while ‘Payload’ vinesstayed green throughout multiple harvests.‘Payload’ produced bigger yields.

PayloadSpineless Perfection SC‘Payload’ produced first. Yields of bothvarieties were poor. Plants got white spots.

Payload ☺Spineless Perfection ☺ NW‘Payload’ had a softer, more palatable skin.‘Spineless Perfection’ was dark and tough.

Payload ☺Spineless Perfection ☺ SW‘Payload’ produced less but I loved theshape and texture of its fruits.

Prefer ‘Spineless Perfection’PayloadSpineless Perfection ☺ SE‘Spineless Perfection’ was an outstandingproducer, good through October 3.

Payload ☺Spineless Perfection ☺ SC‘Spineless Perfection’ produced higher yieldsand its small fruits were well shaped. Bothvarieties were strong performers andproduced an abundance of zucchini.

PayloadSpineless Perfection ☺ SCBoth produced near identical results. Slightedge to ‘Spineless Perfection’ since itgerminated earlier and had more vigor.

Conclusions‘Payload’ matured earlier and producedgood yields. Its fruits were more attractive,uniformly shaped, delicious, and had asofter, more palatable skin. Gardeners likedthe strong germination and vigor of‘Spineless Perfection’.

Mostgardenerspreferred

‘Payload’ for itsoutstandingfruit quality.

They liked‘Spineless

Perfection’ forits superior

germinationand plant vigor.

Best zucchinivarieties

Top choiceRaven

Strongperformers

PayloadSpineless

Beauty

114 NDSU EXTENSION

Swiss Chard, WhiteVarieties‘Barese’45 days. Dwarf type can be grown for babyleaves or harvested as a whole plant likecelery at 8 inches.

‘Silverado’60 days. Crinkly, dark green leaves withbroad white stems. Flavorful. Slow to bolt.

DataGardeners at 11 sites submitted information.Trait Barese Silverado Same

Germinated best 11% 67% 22%Healthier plants 22 44 33Harvested earlier 11 78 11Higher yields 22 78 0More attractive 11 89 0Tasted better 11 56 33Preference 11 89Recommend 67 89



Prefer ‘Barese’Barese ☺Silverado NC‘Barese’ matured later but kept healthylonger—less insect damage. It kept growingeven after our first frost and then deer atethem.

Prefer ‘Silverado’BareseSilverado ☺ MNGermination was about 75% for bothvarieties. Initially it appeared ‘Barese’ plantsgerminated far better than ‘Silverado’, but‘Silverado’ rallied and plants looked greatafter a couple weeks. I absolutely preferred‘Silverado’ over ‘Barese’. The appearance,flavor and yield of ‘Silverado’ were allsignificantly better compared to ‘Barese’.

BareseSilverado ☺ SE‘Silverado’ is more traditional looking—lotsof wrinkles. It produced the first yield ofthe trial on July 20. ‘Barese’ has smoothleaves and is easier to clean. It had a thickerleaf, but cooked it up nice and tender. Thevarieties tasted the same.

Barese ☺Silverado ☺ SE‘Silverado’ germinated better (72% versus35% for ‘Barese’). It was ready for harvestearlier. The plants were taller and lookedhealthier. Both varieties had attractive plantsand were delicious. Both regrew well aftercutting.

Barese ☺Silverado ☺ SE‘Silverado’ tasted better and held up better.

Barese ☺Silverado ☺ SC‘Barese’ bolted by early July. I cut bothvarieties back and by the end of August allthe way through mid-October I was pickinga second crop of leaves. ‘Silverado’ had themore familiar ruffled leaves. They wereeasier for me to use in what I normallycook. I used them in fresh salads or verylightly wilted with butter and garlic as a side.The thicker glossy leaves of ‘Barese’ heldup to longer cooking better. I used them asa substitute for spinach in my recipes fordips and soups.

Best Swisschardvarieties

Top choiceBright Lights

Strongperformers

FlamingoLucullusOriolePeppermintRhubarbSilverado

‘Barese’ leaveswere thicker,smoother,easier to clean,and resistedinsect pests.


BareseSilverado ☺ SC‘Silverado’ was abundant, beautiful andcrunchy—loved it. The bugs preferred ittoo. ‘Barese’ was pathetic and waxy.

Barese ☺Silverado ☺ SW‘Silverado’ had more tender leaves. ‘Barese’resisted insect damage better.

Barese ☺Silverado ☺ SWThe flat leaves of ‘Barese’ are nice, but theleaves of ‘Silverado’ are larger so I pickedthose most. I sort of liked both varietiesbut liked ‘Silverado’ best.

Prefer ‘Silverado’ (continued) ConclusionsGardeners strongly preferred ‘Silverado’.They liked its crinkly leaves, superior flavorand higher yields. ‘Barese’ leaves werethicker, smoother and easier to clean. Itseemed that insect pests—and a fewgardeners—resisted eating it.

‘Silverado’ wasthe clear

winner.Gardeners

liked itscrinkly leaves,superior flavor

and higheryields.

116 NDSU EXTENSION

Location

Comments



Ratings(1 to 10)



NW

SW

NC NE

Watermelon, RedVarieties‘Sangria’90 days. Very high quality. Deep red flesh isvery sweet and refreshing. Melons grow 20pounds.

‘Sweet Dakota Rose’85 days. Sweet flesh with few seeds.Developed in North Dakota. Melons grow10–20 pounds. Proven performer.


Sweet DakotaTrait Sangria Rose Same

Germinated best 24% 18% 59%Healthier plants 14 21 64Matured earlier 33 33 33Higher yields 46 31 23More attractive fruits 50 8 42Tasted better 50 25 25Preference 71 29Recommend (☺) 63 44Mean score1 6.60 6.27Median score1 8.00 7.001Rated from 1 to 10; 1 = poor and 10 = excellent.

Prefer ‘Sangria’Sangria ☺Sweet Dakota Rose ☺ MNWe got multiple ‘Sweet Dakota Rose’melons and only one ‘Sangria’ melon—but itwas delicious.

Sangria ☺Sweet Dakota Rose ☺ SEThese are both excellent watermelons; greattaste and large producers. The oblong fruitof ‘Sangria’ fits in the refrigerator better.‘Sangria’ produced 6 melons with a totalweight of 68 pounds while ‘Sweet DakotaRose’ produced 6 melons with a total weightof 96 pounds. I did not irrigate them. Ididn’t expect anything in this drought year.

Sangria ☺Sweet Dakota Rose SE‘Sangria’ melons were larger with goodflavor. Germination of the trial was poordue to the weather conditions.

Sangria ☺Sweet Dakota Rose SE‘Sangria’ showed 85% germination andvigorous seedling growth. Its vines grewfaster and vined out more. These vinesproduced higher yields of larger, matureand fully developed melons. It maturedearly enough to enjoy throughout latesummer and fall. The flesh of ‘Sangria’ wasredder with few seeds; the shape of itsmelons was more uniform and elongated.Superior taste! Best tasting watermelon andbest watermelon by far! ‘Sweet DakotaRose’ showed 50% germination and weakseedling vigor. Its vines later came on andlooked healthy. The first melon of bothvarieties ripened on the same date.

Sangria ☺Sweet Dakota Rose ☺ SE‘Sangria’ was very sweet and tasted great.Melons of both varieties had a lot of seeds.

Sangria ☺Sweet Dakota Rose SCBoth varieties were slow to get growing anddidn’t produce melons until quite late. Therewere far more melons of ‘Sangria’ butflavor did lack this year in both. I think ourgrowing season wasn’t favorable to themthis year. The melons were not very sweet.

Bestredwatermelonvarieties

Top choiceSangria

Strongperformers

Sugar BabySweet Dakota

Rose

Gardenersraved over thedelicious, deepred flesh of‘Sangria’. Itsvines wereproductive.


Sangria ☺Sweet Dakota Rose ☺ SCBoth varieties produced very nice melons.We chose ‘Sangria’ as best because of bettergermination (only one seed of ‘SweetDakota Rose’ germinated) and its melonswere larger and tasted slightly better. Themelons of ‘Sweet Dakota Rose’ were moreround; the melons of ‘Sangria’ were moreoblong. We had more melons from ‘Sangria’,but we also had more seeds that hadgerminated. One drawback on ‘Sangria’ wasthat it seemed to be more difficult to cutthrough the rind of this melon. But overall,both were fantastic melons!

SangriaSweet Dakota Rose SW‘Sangria’ had superior taste, texture andsugar content. Its largest melon was 17pounds compared to 23 pounds for ‘SweetDakota Rose’. With an October 3 freeze,some of these melons barely got ripe; themajority did not get ripe. I will not growthese varieties in North Dakota because ofthis. Both varieties would make a greatmelon in South Dakota.

Sangria ☺Sweet Dakota Rose SW‘Sangria’ had long, oblong watermelons thatwere heavier than the nearly round fruits of‘Sweet Dakota Rose’. Both varieties hadsweet, juicy, flavorful fruit. ‘Sangria’ hadmore fruit reach maturity before first frost,was first to have a mature melon, and hadlarger melons at maturity. I was impressedwith the excellent germination of bothvarieties. I was very impressed with the sizeand quality of the ‘Sangria’ watermelons.

Prefer ‘Sweet Dakota Rose’SangriaSweet Dakota Rose ☺ SCThe melons of ‘Sweet Dakota Rose’ had abetter size and better flavor.

Sangria ☺Sweet Dakota Rose ☺ SCBoth are juicy and sweet. There were more‘Sweet Dakota Rose’ melons but the‘Sangria’ were larger so the yields weresimilar. ‘Sweet Dakota Rose’ seemed a littlesweeter (but not much!). All ‘Sweet DakotaRose’ melons ripened whereas there werequite a few ‘Sangria’ that did not mature. Iwas surprised how juicy and crisp both werewith the drought. Although we did water, Ididn’t think we had watered enough for theentire season. The largest ‘Sangria’ weharvested was 21 pounds. The largest‘Sweet Dakota Rose’ melon was smaller butdid not get weighed (my husband ate itbefore I could weigh it). Quantities of seedsinside the melons were similar but those in‘Sweet Dakota Rose’ melons were closertogether and could be removed easier.

SangriaSweet Dakota Rose SWI did not get fully vine ripened melons fromeither of these varieties. I picked all themelons before the first hard frost at the endof September and let them ripen anotherweek indoors. Neither was fully ripe whencut into, but in this partially ripened state‘Sweet Dakota Rose’ tasted sweeter.

SangriaSweet Dakota Rose ☺ MT‘Sweet Dakota Rose’ was the best.

OtherSangriaSweet Dakota Rose SCI am waiting for a ripe melon. The melonson the vine are only 4 inches in diameter.

ConclusionsMost gardeners preferred ‘Sangria’. Theywere especially impressed with its sweet anddelicious, deep red flesh. The vines of‘Sangria were more productive and its firstmelons ripened at the same time as those of‘Sweet Dakota Rose’. ‘Sweet Dakota Rose’has always done well in our trials. Itproduced sweet, juicy melons again this year,but it could not match ‘Sangria’ for yield orfruit quality.

Prefer ‘Sangria’ (continued)

‘Sweet DakotaRose’ has

always donewell in our

trials. Itproduced

sweet, juicymelons again

this year.

118 NDSU EXTENSION

Watermelon, Red IceboxVarieties‘Jade Star’75 days. ‘Sugar Baby’ type with reportedhigher yields, larger fruits and sweeter flesh.

‘Sugar Baby’75 days. Popular early melon. Deep red,crisp flesh. Small seeds. Dark green rind.Melons grow 8 pounds.


Jade SugarTrait Star Baby Same

Germinated best 11% 56% 33%Healthier plants 33 56 11Matured earlier 22 56 22Higher yields 33 56 11More attractive fruits 25 50 25Tasted better 0 86 14Preference 33 67Recommend (☺) 22 56



Prefer ‘Jade Star’Jade Star ☺Sugar Baby SCWe had to constantly water due to drought.‘Jade Star’ melons were more fleshy.

Jade Star ☺Sugar Baby SC‘Jade Star’ had twice as many seedlings. Itsvines grew very well and produced soccerball-sized melons. ‘Sugar Baby’ producedonly baseball-sized melons.

Jade StarSugar Baby SC‘Jade Star’ seedlings looked sickly but theylived while those of ‘Sugar Baby’ died. ‘JadeStar’ plants were very slow to grow. Themelons tasted okay, not great.

Prefer ‘Sugar Baby’Jade StarSugar Baby ☺ SEBoth varieties had very small melons.

Jade StarSugar Baby ☺ SE‘Sugar Baby’ did better in all traits but bothvarieties produced low yields.

Jade StarSugar Baby ☺ NC‘Sugar Baby’ produced first.

Jade StarSugar Baby ☺ NC‘Sugar Baby’ had substantially more melons.

Jade StarSugar Baby ☺ SC‘Sugar Baby’ tasted better.

Jade StarSugar Baby NWWe watered frequently but both varietiesperformed poorly. ‘Jade Star’ produced nomelons and died early. ‘Sugar Baby’produced two melons that were very small.

ConclusionsYields of both varieties were poor andgardeners were not happy. ‘Sugar Baby’ hadbetter germination, healthier vines, higheryields and better quality fruits. The hybrid‘Jade Star’ was a disappointment.

‘Sugar Baby’performedbetter in allmeasuredtraits, but bothvarietiesproduced lowyields.

Bestredwatermelonvarieties

Top choiceSangria

Strongperformers

Sugar BabySweet Dakota

Rose


Watermelon, YellowVarieties‘Gold in Gold’80 days. New award winner with distinctivegold rind. Elongated, 12 pound melons.

‘Lemon Krush’85 days. Bright yellow flesh is crisp and sweet.Oval, striped melons grow 16 pounds.


Gold LemonTrait in Gold Krush Same

Germinated best 12% 50% 38%Healthier plants 25 50 25Matured earlier 33 50 17Higher yields 50 50 0More attractive fruits 0 80 20Tasted better 50 50 0Preference 50 50Recommend (☺) 57 43



Prefer ‘Gold in Gold’Gold in Gold ☺Lemon Krush NE‘Gold in Gold’ germinated better and itsvines were more vigorous. The varietiesproduced the same number of fruits, but thefruits of ‘Gold in Gold’ ripened first andwere larger. Both varieties tasted good, but‘Gold in Gold’ was slightly sweeter.

Gold in Gold ☺Lemon Krush SE‘Gold in Gold’ had a fun yellow rind, greattaste, earlier ripening and fewer seeds. Itsrind was a two-tone yellow while the rind of‘Lemon Krush’ was green—both attractive.

Gold in Gold ☺Lemon Krush SC‘Gold in Gold’ had better flavor; fewer seeds.

Prefer ‘Lemon Krush’Gold in GoldLemon Krush ☺ SE‘Lemon Krush’ ripened one week earlierand produced many more big, maturemelons. Its green rind, yellow flesh andround shape were attractive! The yellowtexture was nice and its rind held up betterthan other yellow-flesh melons when ripe.Its melons stored well after harvest. Ipreferred its flavor; maybe had a hint oflemon flavor. ‘Gold in Gold’ germinatedslowly; its vines died before melons ripened.

Gold in GoldLemon Krush ☺ NC‘Lemon Krush’ is the only one that grewwell for me. Its vines were strong andproduced about 15 melons with a goodflavor. My friends and family enjoyed it.

Gold in Gold ☺Lemon Krush ☺ SCVines grew well and their first melonsripened at the same time. ‘Lemon Krush’had more decent-sized melons. It wasdifficult to get kids to eat ‘Gold in Gold’because of its yellow rind. Both varietiesdid better than my red-flesh watermelons.

Conclusions‘Lemon Krush’ rated higher for most traits.Its striped green rind was judged moreattractive than the distinctive yellow rind of‘Gold in Gold.’ Neither variety gained a highnumber of recommendations.

Bestyellowwatermelonvariety

Top choiceEarly

Moonbeam

‘Lemon Krush’rated higher formost traits. Its

striped greenrind was

judged moreattractive thanthe distinctiveyellow rind of‘Gold in Gold’.

120 NDSU EXTENSION

Basil, ItalianVarieties‘Eleonora’65 days. Its open habit and slightly cuppedleaves reduce mildew problems. Its flavor isslightly spicier than others.

‘Genovese’

70 days. Classic flavor and appearance. Darkgreen leaves. Height 30 inches.


Eleo-Trait nora Genovese Same





Prefer ‘Eleonora’Eleonora ☺Genovese ☺ SE‘Eleonora’ had a more compact plant. Bothvarieties had excellent plants and tastedgreat.

Eleonora ☺Genovese ☺ SE‘Eleonora’ was more productive.

Eleonora ☺Genovese ☺ SC‘Eleonora’ was milder for pesto recipes andhad a higher yield due to its superiorgermination. ‘Genovese’ grew faster and itsleaves had a dull, earthy flavor. Seeds weresown June 1, germinated on June 23, and thefirst harvest was on July 22.

‘Eleonora’started slowlybut grew welllater in theseason.

Eleonora ☺Genovese ☺ SC‘Eleonora’ had bushy plants and produced ahigher yield. The taste of ‘Genovese’ wasstronger and better.

Eleonora ☺Genovese SC‘Eleonora’ had a nicer plant.

Eleonora ☺Genovese ☺ NW‘Genovese’ started out leaps and boundsahead of ‘Eleonora’ with a highergermination rate. My kids all commentedthat I picked a boring trial this year that itwas obvious which one was better. Midwaythrough the summer, ‘Eleonora’ came aliveand ended up not quite double the size of‘Genovese’. ‘Genovese’ didn’t bolt, but it justquit growing. We prefer ‘Eleonora’ becausemore leaves means more pesto!

Eleonora ☺Genovese ☺ SWNo comments.

Prefer ‘Genovese’EleonoraGenovese ☺ MN‘Genovese’ germinated better. Its plants werenice and full. Its yields were very prolificearly in the season. This is an excellent basil.‘Eleonora’ grew better later in the seasonand it was hardy longer. I liked the taste ofboth varieties.

Best basilvarieties

Top choiceGenovese

Strongperformers

Mrs. BurnsLimeSiam Queen


EleonoraGenovese ☺ MNI had a beautiful, well producing row of‘Genovese’ that lasted until frost. I made lotsof pesto! Only had a couple plants of‘Eleonora’. It was very unproductive andblah tasting.

Eleonora ☺Genovese ☺ SE‘Genovese’ had better yield and healthierplants.

EleonoraGenovese ☺ SE‘Genovese’ was beautiful and delicious. Itproduced much higher yields and its plantswere two times taller. It is just now going toseed. ‘Eleonora’ germinated poorly.

Eleonora ☺Genovese ☺ SE‘Genovese’ had taller, bushier and healthierplants.

Eleonora ☺Genovese ☺ SEI loved the taste and growth of both ofthese! A few leaves on ‘Genovese’ plantswere slightly sunburned during the hottestdays of summer. Other than that, bothvarieties were super healthy! ‘Genovese’ hadlarger leaves and a classic basil flavor that welove! ‘Eleonora’ was an excellent performer,but we preferred ‘Genovese’. I have alwaysgrown my basil in pots but this time I sowedthem directly into the garden. Wow!Fabulous growth on both! It is October 24and both are still lush! I had other basilplants in pots and the cooler temps wipedthem out.

Eleonora ☺Genovese ☺ SEI have grown ‘Genovese’ in the past and waspleased to see how it performed comparedto another variety.

Eleonora ☺Genovese ☺ NC‘Genovese’ has always been an excellentproducer—love it!

EleonoraGenovese ☺ SC‘Genovese’ tastes the best.

Eleonora ☺Genovese ☺ NWBoth varieties produced very well in thegarden and in containers until the frost.‘Genovese’ continues to be my basil ofchoice. The taste is great and the plantsproduced very well. We just dehydrated someplants for use this winter and the scent whenopening the jars is still very fresh.

EleonoraGenovese ☺ SW‘Genovese’ had nicer plants that were moreuniform in size and color. Its leaves werefull, rounder and dark green. ‘Eleonora’ hadnarrower leaves that were more yellowish.

EleonoraGenovese ☺ SW‘Genovese’ was a larger, fuller plant.‘Eleonora’ was a little scraggly.

EleonoraGenovese ☺ SWI had to sow the seeds twice. Nonegerminated the first round; only ‘Genovese’germinated well in the second round.

Eleonora ☺Genovese ☺ SW‘Genovese’ had more plants.

ConclusionsBoth varieties grew well at most sites andgardeners enjoyed their flavor. Mostgardeners preferred ‘Genovese’ and almostall recommended it. It germinated better. Itsplants were larger, fuller and healthier.‘Eleonora’ got off to a slow start but grewwell later in the season.

‘Genovese’germinated

better. Itsplants werelarger, fuller

and healthier.

Prefer ‘Genovese’ (continued)

122 NDSU EXTENSION

Basil, ThaiVarieties‘Cardinal’80 days. Beautiful plant with showy red-purple flowers. Leaves are large withcinnamon/clove scent.

‘Siam Queen’72 days. Purple flowers adorn plants withbright green leaves. Leaves are licoricescented and very flavorful.


SiamTrait Cardinal Queen Same




Prefer ‘Cardinal’Cardinal ☺Siam Queen NC‘Siam Queen’ never germinated but‘Cardinal’ was amazing in every way. I hadtoo much and gave it to young girls sellingveggies at their roadside market.

Cardinal ☺Siam Queen ☺ SW‘Cardinal’ had two times more seedlingsemerge. Its plants were taller and had moreleaves. The plants of both varieties werehealthy—no problems.

Mostgardenerspreferred‘Siam Queen’for its milderflavor.‘Cardinal’germinatedbetter andgrew morevigorously.

Prefer ‘Siam Queen’Cardinal ☺Siam Queen ☺ SC‘Siam Queen’ had a smaller yield but Ipreferred its milder taste. ‘Cardinal’ grewquicker and taller, but I didn’t care for thedark, woody stems and strong licorice flavor.Seeds were sown June 1, germinated on June20, and the first harvest was on July 22.

Cardinal ☺Siam Queen ☺ SCThese varieties were comparable in manytraits and both were delicious.

CardinalSiam Queen ☺ SW‘Siam Queen’ had fuller, bushier plants. Itstaste was milder, which I prefer. ‘Cardinal’had a much stronger, overwhelming taste.

ConclusionsMost gardeners preferred ‘Siam Queen’ forits milder flavor. ‘Cardinal’ germinated muchbetter across sites. ‘Cardinal’ grew morevigorously, produced more leaves and wasready to harvest earlier in the season. Best basil

varieties

Top choiceGenovese

Strongperformers

Mrs. BurnsLimeSiam Queen


Calypso ☺Cruiser NC‘Cruiser’ bolted much earlier.

Calypso ☺Cruiser SC‘Calypso’ had bigger leaves and had a“stooling” habit, growing outwards and notupwards. ‘Cruiser’ germinated better, grewmore upright, produced higher yields andbolted sooner.

Calypso ☺Cruiser SC‘Calypso’ had fuller plants.

Calypso ☺Cruiser SCThis trial was planted in pots. ‘Cruiser’germinated poorly and its plants went toseed quickly. ‘Calypso’ grew better in everyrespect.

Calypso ☺Cruiser ☺ SWI cannot believe how long ‘Calypso’ lasted. Itis just flowering now on some plants. Somehave green seeds (September 30, 2017).‘Cruiser’ showed 25% better germination. Itstarted to bolt in late August—still verygood—better than any other variety I’vegrown in the past.

CilantroVarieties‘Calypso’52 days. Easy to grow. Bushy plants and goodyields. Slow to bolt. Enhances salsas andcurries.

‘Cruiser’52 days. Upright, bushy plants are extremelyslow to bolt. Large leaves and sturdy stems.

DataGardeners at 13 sites submitted information.Trait Calypso Cruiser Same

Germinated best 45% 27% 27%Healthier plants 30 20 50Harvested earlier 50 20 30Higher yields 50 40 10Resisted bolting better 60 20 20More attractive 30 30 40Tasted better 40 10 50

Preference 70 30Recommend 80 50Mean score1 7.90 6.30Median score1 8.50 6.501Rated from 1 to 10; 1 = poor and 10 = excellent.

Prefer ‘Calypso’Calypso ☺Cruiser ☺ SE‘Calypso’ germinated first but ‘Cruiser’caught up a few days later. ‘Calypso’ grewfaster at first but ‘Cruiser’ eventually grewbigger. Both were very healthy andphenomenal at resisting bolting. In a freshtaste test, we preferred the milder flavor of‘Calypso’ but did not dislike the flavor of‘Cruiser’. When used in recipes, we could nottell the difference in their flavors.

Calypso ☺Cruiser NC‘Calypso’ did very well even in drought.

‘Calypso’showed

remarkableresistance to

bolting. It wasproductive and

gardenersenjoyed itsmild flavor.

Best cilantrovariety

Top choiceCalypso

124 NDSU EXTENSION

Prefer ‘Cruiser’Calypso ☺Cruiser ☺ NCYields of both varieties were too much andnot enough people like cilantro. Both tastedwonderful. Their aromas were amazing andstrong. I always liked picking it—my handssmelled good! Both varieties produced a longtime before either bolted.

CalypsoCruiser ☺ SCCilantro bolts so quickly; ‘Cruiser’ resistedbolting longer so that is why I prefer it.

CalypsoCruiser ☺ SW‘Cruiser’ outperformed ‘Calypso’ in everyway. The yield of ‘Cruiser’ lasted longer.‘Calypso’ had very poor germination. I gotvery little of ‘Calypso’ to try.

ConclusionsBoth varieties were healthy and producedgood yields. Most gardeners preferred‘Calypso’. It showed remarkable resistance tobolting. Its plants were full and bushy, andgardeners enjoyed its mild flavor. ‘Cruiser’also grew well and resisted bolting. Itproduced lots of flavorful leaves.

‘Cruiser’ grewwell, resistedbolting andproducedmany flavorfulleaves.


Location

Comments



Ratings(1 to 10)



NW

SW

NC NE

Cosmos, NoveltyVarieties‘Cupcakes Mix’95 days. Blooms are light; fluted as cupcakewrappers. Height: 45 in.

‘Double Click Mix’82 days. Tall (44-inch) plants filled withdouble and semidouble blooms. Great cutflower.


DoubleTrait Cupcakes Click Same

Germinated best 32% 32% 37%Healthier plants 29 24 47Bloomed earlier 12 65 24More blooms 6 65 29Prettier in garden 18 41 41Better cut flower 15 38 46




Prefer ‘Cupcakes’Cupcakes ☺Double Click ☺ MNHad nearly 100% germination from ‘DoubleClick’, about 75% from ‘Cupcakes’. I reallyliked the large flowers of ‘Cupcakes’. Itsplants were very tall which made them fun tohave in the garden. ‘Double Click’ plantsappeared very healthy. Both varieties werevery attractive to bees! Great for pollinators!

Cupcakes ☺Double Click ☺ NENo comments.

Cupcakes ☺Double Click ☺ SE‘Cupcakes’ had nicer flowers and requiredless maintenance. ‘Double Click’ flowersneeded deadheading much more often asthey wilted faster. Both varieties had verybeautiful flowers and plants.

Cupcakes ☺Double Click NC‘Cupcakes’ outperformed ‘Double Click’. Itsplants stood taller.

Cupcakes ☺Double Click ☺ SCBoth varieties performed very similar in mygarden. Both bloomed very late in theseason. ‘Cupcakes’ had a more attractivecolor.

Cupcakes ☺Double Click ☺ SCSeedlings emerged slowly due to the dryweather. Plants were healthy. ‘Cupcakes’ hadlarge numbers of beautiful blooms that werelarger. I liked the larger blooms as they weremore striking from a distance. ‘Double Click’bloomed on July 30, 1 week earlier than‘Cupcakes’. Its blooms were smaller but thedouble petals were beautiful.

Best cosmosvarieties

Top choiceSonata

Strongperformers

Double ClickPicoteePsycheRubenza

‘Cupcakes’had large,

long-lastingflowers. Its

plants weretall andhealthy.

126 NDSU EXTENSION

Prefer ‘Double Click’Cupcakes ☺Double Click ☺ MN‘Double Click’ plants had more branching. Iloved its mixed colors and double flowerpetals. ‘Cupcake’ germinated earlier and at ahigher percentage. I will grow both of theseagain—so pretty! Both looked great in abouquet and long lasting as a cut flower. Idid have to tie the plants up because theystarted to fall over.

Cupcakes ☺Double Click ☺ SE‘Double Click’ had more flowers.

CupcakesDouble Click ☺ SEWhile the germination period on cosmos isquite long, I almost gave up hope on‘Cupcakes’ making it out of the ground. Itlagged behind all summer. ‘Double Click’became established first and continued tooutperform ‘Cupcakes’ throughout the entiregrowing season. While ‘Cupcakes’ producessome nice blooms, ‘Double Click’ does itbetter.

CupcakesDouble Click ☺ SENo comments.

Cupcakes ☺Double Click ☺ SC‘Double Click’ produced more flowers.‘Cupcakes’ produced some really beautifulwhite blooms.

Cupcakes ☺Double Click ☺ SCI loved the color of ‘Double Click’ flowers.Its petals were uniquely shaped. Its plantsgot pretty tall and leggy in the garden.

Cupcakes ☺Double Click ☺ SC‘Double Click’ plants were taller and hadstronger stems. They bloomed several daysearlier. ‘Cupcakes’ germinated better. Itsplants had flower buds a long time beforeblooming.

Cupcakes ☺Double Click ☺ SWThey both were beautiful and grew to veryhealthy plants. It is hard to choose the bettervariety because they were both great.

CupcakesDouble Click ☺ SWThey are still blooming (October 8)! Theydid the best in my garden this year. Theyhave held up really well.

Cupcakes ☺Double Click ☺ SW‘Double Click’ had shorter plants but moreflowers.

ConclusionsGardeners enjoyed the beauty of both ofthese novelty cosmos. Most gardenerspreferred ‘Double Click’. It bloomed earlierand produced many more flowers. ‘DoubleClick’ grew consistently well across sites.‘Cupcakes’ had larger and long-lastingblooms. Its plants were tall and healthy.

‘Double Click’bloomedearlier andproducedmany moreflowers.


Sunflower, Gold CuttingVarieties‘Pro Cut Gold’50 days. One bloom per plant; perfect forcutting. Pollenless.

‘Vincent’s Fresh’60 days. Extra ring of rounded petals makesblooms look fuller. Single bloom per plant;for cutting.


Pro CutVincent’sTrait Gold Fresh Same

Germinated best 18% 36% 45%Healthier plants 43 19 38Bloomed earlier 20 60 20More blooms 39 17 44Prettier in garden 33 14 52Better cut flower 42 33 25Preference 57 43Recommend 76 71Mean score1 7.86 7.48Median score1 8.00 8.00


Prefer ‘ProCut Gold’ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh ☺ MN‘ProCut Gold’ flowered a little later but hada stronger plant.

ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh MNI loved the vigor and beauty of ‘ProCutGold’. The only thing that would be better isa dark center. ‘Vincent’s Fresh’ flopped dueto weak stems. It bloomed earlier. Theflowers of ‘Vincent’s Fresh’ were a tadprettier but had some random defects(unsymmetrical flower head, deformed ordouble flowers).

ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh ☺ NCI was disappointed as I thought I was gettingan ornamental sunflower rather than onethat produced seeds. These varieties weregreat if you wanted sunflower seeds forbirds. Birds were on the heads all the time.‘ProCut Gold’ had bigger heads so itproduced more seeds. I used them for falldecorations outdoors. I tied them to severalfences and they looked nice for a long time.

ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh NCThe plant and flower of ‘ProCut Gold’ weresuperior. Its flower lasted longer. Bothvarieties produced flowers even when theplants were eaten off by deer when headswere being developed.

ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh NC‘ProCut Gold’ was a larger, healthier lookingplant. Much thicker stalks. Seemed to be lessaffected by the drought. Its flowers werevery large and beautiful—just more striking.‘Vincent’s Fresh’ bloomed earlier but lookedscraggly all summer. Its heads were verysmall with weak stalks.

ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh SC‘ProCut Gold’ plants were more vigorousearly in the season. Its blooms were prettierand more symmetrical. ‘Vincent’s Fresh’ haduneven, ragged petals. Some of its plantshad multiple flowers.

Bestsunflowersfor cutting

Top choiceProCut

Strongperformer

Sunrich

‘ProCut Gold’stalks were

healthier. Itsflowers were

large,symmetrical

and beautiful.

128 NDSU EXTENSION

‘Vincent’sFresh’bloomedearlier. Itsblooms werebeautiful butless uniform.

ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh ☺ NWBoth varieties did extremely well. ‘ProCutGold’ had a few more heads.

ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh SWBoth these varieties had such large flowerheads that the stems could not hold themup. ‘ProCut Gold’ produced more flowersand the flowers had more petals around thelarge central disk. I would not recommendeither variety for cut flowers or landscaping.Either could be used to attract birds.

ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh ☺ SW‘ProCut Gold’ seemed hardier in the droughtconditions. It bloomed a few days earlier andits flowers were bigger.

ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh ☺ SW‘ProCut Gold’ had massive flowers/headscompared to ‘Vincent’s Fresh’, although theywere spaced only one foot apart within row.

ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh ☺ SWNo comments.

Prefer ‘Vincent’s Fresh’ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh ☺ NEBoth varieties were absolutely gorgeous.

ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh ☺ SEWe had dry conditions and watered seldom,but both performed well.

ProCut GoldVincent’s Fresh ☺ SE‘Vincent’s Fresh’ was very pretty. ‘ProCutGold’ flowers were larger and drooped.

ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh ☺ SENo comments.

ProCut GoldVincent’s Fresh ☺ SE‘Vincent’s Fresh’ germinated better. It wasmore attractive in the garden.

ProCut GoldVincent’s Fresh ☺ SC‘ProCut Gold’ grew taller and had biggerheads but fewer petals. ‘Vincent’s Fresh’ hadsome really nice flowers.

ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh ☺ NCBoth germinated extremely well (near 100%).‘Vincent’s Fresh’ grew slightly taller andbloomed a couple of days earlier. ‘ProCutGold’ heads were a bit bigger. They bothwere really quite large. Very nice, healthyplants. My guests loved the bouquets ... butthe heads were huge!

ProCut GoldVincent’s Fresh NCWhen I was choosing a cut flower to test, Ididn’t realize these would be huge!

ProCut GoldVincent’s Fresh ☺ SCGermination was slow due to dry spring.Plants were very healthy. ‘Vincent’s Fresh’bloomed 1 week earlier (July 24), had a tallerplant and much larger blooms.

ProCut Gold ☺Vincent’s Fresh ☺ SCI thought these plants would stay small likethe roadside sunflowers I love so much.They did not! They grew taller than thegarage and I had to brace them.

Conclusions‘ProCut Gold’ had healthier stalks andseemed to tolerate the drought better. Itsblooms were large, symmetrical andattractive. ‘Vincent’s Fresh’ bloomed earlier.Its flowers were beautiful but not assymmetrical. Several gardeners wereexpecting shorter plants with smaller heads.This can be achieved to some degree bygrowing stalks closer to each other.

Prefer ‘ProCut Gold’ (continued)


Zinnia, ScarletVarieties‘Benary’s Giant Scarlet’82 days. Double, 4–6 inch blooms on sturdystems. Resists mildew.

‘Giant Dahlia Scarlet’82 days. Large, 4–6 inch blooms for cutting.Includes single, semidouble and double types.


Benary’s GiantTrait Giant Dahlia Same

Germinated best 32% 26% 42%Healthier plants 31 22 47Bloomed earlier 27 50 23More blooms 39 29 33Prettier in garden 24 31 45Better cut flower 31 23 46

Preference 48 52Recommend 88 84Mean score1 8.08 8.20Median score1 9.00 9.00


Prefer ‘Benary’s Giant Scarlet’Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ MNBoth varieties were great performers. Theyhad nice tall plants with strong stems. Inever had to tie them up or brace them. Verybright flowers. ‘Benary’s Giant’ flowers werelarger and more attractive with thicker stemsand more branching.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ MNOverall I liked ‘Benary’s Giant’. Bothvarieties had beautiful, large plants/flowers.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ NENo comments.

This was ourmost popular

trial in spring.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SEWe only had 20% germination. The bloomsof ‘Benary’s Giant’ were more uniform insize, formation and color. ‘Giant Dahlia’bloomed first.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SE‘Benary’s Giant’ grew so much taller and hadmore blooms.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ NCBoth varieties had excellent germination.‘Benary’s Giant’ emerged a little bit earlier,but ‘Giant Dahlia’ bloomed about a weekearlier. Both varieties had a ton of bloomson each plant. When I went to cut some tosell at the local Farmer’s Market, it was mucheasier to find ‘Benary’s Giant’ blooms withthe long stems desired for marketingpurposes. Also, not all of ‘Giant Dahlia’blooms were scarlet. There were severalplants with various pink colors that weren’tscarlet at all. Each ‘Benary’s Giant’ plant hadtrue scarlet, beautiful blooms. I will definitelyplant this variety in years to come!

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ NCGermination was great and both had veryhealthy plants. Both varieties had very brightand showy flowers. The blooms of ‘Benary’sGiant’ were large and had staying power—lasted when cut also.

Best zinniavarieties forcutting

Top choiceBenary’s Giant

Strongperformers

BurpeeannaGiants

Cut and ComeAgain

Giant DahliaOklahomaUproar RoseZowie! Yellow

Flame

130 NDSU EXTENSION

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia NC‘Benary’s Giant’ had more consistentblooms. The plants were taller and they werebeautifully perfect! All blooms were scarlet.‘Giant Dahlia’ plants were shorter but stillhealthy. Its blooms came in shades of pink,orange and scarlet.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ NC‘Giant Dahlia’ germinated better in the drysoil. The plants of ‘Benary’s Giant’ were alittle bushier, which led to a few moreflowers. The blooms of both varieties werebeautiful in the garden and as cut flowers.This trial was a bright spot in a very pooryear!

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia SCGermination was slow due to the very dryspring. Plants were healthy. First bloomscame at the same time. ‘Benary’s Giant’ wasmore vigorous, had slightly larger blooms,and slightly more blooms.

Benary’s GiantGiant Dahlia SC‘Benary’s Giant’ had large blossoms andbright color.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia SC‘Benary’s Giant’ did really well; grew tall andproduced wonderful flowers. I didn’t waterthese much and if I had, ‘Giant Dahlia’ mayhave done better.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SCBoth varieties had healthy plants andbeautiful flowers. ‘Benary’s Giant’ had morebranching which resulted in more flowers.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SC‘Giant Dahlia’ bloomed 1 week earlier.‘Benary’s Giant’ had huge flowers, muchlonger stems and lasted longer in a vase.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia SC‘Benary’s Giant’ performed much better. Itcame up well and produced lots of beautiful,huge flowers. Although I irrigated the trial,‘Giant Dahlia’ came up sparsely and soproduced fewer flowers. Its flowers wereslightly smaller. The blooms of bothvarieties were beautiful and bright.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia SC‘Benary’s Giant’ bloomed longer.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SCBenary’s Giant’ stood up to bad weatherbetter. Nice bright red color. Its flowers hada striking appearance.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia SC‘Benary’s Giant’ produced big flowers on tallplants. I will save the seed. ‘Giant Dahlia’was sown 3 feet away but did not come up.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ NW‘Giant Dahlia’ blooms were bigger but theplants were more susceptible to mildew. Iused copper fungicide to control it. Theplants of ‘Benary’s Giant’ were taller, bushierand had nicer foliage. Both varieties were abeautiful red color. Both of these varietieswere so nice. I would definitely grow themagain. They both produced long lastingflowers, beautiful red flowers.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ NWI liked the color of both varieties but likedthe larger flower of ‘Benary’s Giant’.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ NW‘Benary’s Giant’ plants grew 3 inches taller;flowers of the two varieties were identical.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SW‘Giant Dahlia’ had more color variety but‘Benary’s Giant’ had larger flowers.

The flowers of‘Benary’sGiant’ wereslightly larger,all with doublepetals, andmore uniformin color. Itswell-branchedplantsproduced lotsof flowers. Itslong, thickstems weregreat forcutting.

Prefer ‘Benary’s Giant’ (continued)


Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia SWI was very impressed with ‘Benary’s Giant’!Its flowers were larger, bloomed earlier andhad double petals. ‘Giant Dahlia’ had manysingle-petal flowers and was less showy. Also,there were some orange flowers mixed withthe red in the row of ‘Giant Dahlia’.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SW‘Benary’s Giant’ had slightly bettergermination and bloomed first. The bloomsof the varieties were essentially the same sizeand shape.

Prefer ‘Giant Dahlia Scarlet’Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ MN‘Giant Dahlia’ was healthy and bloomed afew days earlier. It had beautiful, big bloomswith lovely color, shape and size. ‘Benary’sGiant’ had better germination and healthierplants. Both varieties produced beautifulflowers. Gorgeous!

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ MN‘Benary’s Giant’ was a rich consistent, darkred color. Its flowers were not as abundant.‘Giant Dahlia’ was impressive but lackedconsistency. Colors ranged from light pink toburnt sienna to lipstick red. The beespreferred ‘Giant Dahlia’. I liked it, too.

Benary’s GiantGiant Dahlia ☺ MN‘Giant Dahlia’ produced bright red flowers.‘Benary’s Giant’ had some “pinkish”flowers—not attractive.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SEBoth were very attractive and continuedproducing until frost. Neither variety lastedlong as a cut flower.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SE‘Giant Dahlia’ produced more flowers.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SE‘Giant Dahlia’ had nice and full but compactflowers which lasted longer. The flowers ofboth varieties were loved by butterflies andbees.

Benary’s GiantGiant Dahlia ☺ SE‘Benary’s Giant’ plants were not very healthy.They wilted and had to be pulled. One ofthe ‘Giant Dahlia’ flowers was pink.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SE‘Benary’s Giant’ had 67% germination while‘Giant Dahlia’ had 50%. ‘Giant Dahlia’bloomed first with ‘Benary’s Giant’blooming a few days later. Both varietieswere attractive, but ‘Giant Dahlia’ producedmore flowers on each plant and biggerflowers. Its flowers had a rounder, fullerlook; I loved how they looked in the garden!

Benary’s GiantGiant Dahlia ☺ SEGermination was slower and spottier with‘Benary’s Giant’. They also seemed tostruggle more and were not as tall. ‘GiantDahlia’ was a wonderful zinnia all around. Ithad taller plants, lots of blooms and re-blossomed better after cutting. It was nice tosee that deer do not like zinnias.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SE‘Giant Dahlia’ germinated slightly better andhad slightly healthier plants. Both varietiesproduced nice cut flowers with beautiful,vibrant colors.

Benary’s GiantGiant Dahlia ☺ NCI wasn’t really pleased with the germinationof either. ‘Giant Dahlia’ germinated better.The blooms of both varieties were pleasing.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SCBoth were absolutely beautiful. ‘GiantDahlia’ produced more. There were pink andorange blossoms among ‘Giant Dahlia’.

Prefer ‘Benary’s Giant’ (continued)

‘Giant Dahlia’bloomed a few

days earlier.Its flowerswere less

uniform butjust as vibrantand beautiful.

132 NDSU EXTENSION

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SCPlants of both varieties were very healthyand produced beautiful flowers. ‘GiantDahlia’ featured stronger color.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SC‘Giant Dahlia’ flowers were fuller, redder andstood out to me. Very pretty. ‘Benary’s Giant’bloomed 2 weeks earlier.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SC‘Giant Dahlia’ plants were taller and themultiple colors of its blooms made mehappy!

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SC‘Giant Dahlia’ bloomed earlier, had tallerplants and more flowers.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SCBoth were great for cut flowers. ‘GiantDahlia’ produced slightly better.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ NWWow! These plants were gorgeous. Peoplestopped on the street to look in the yard atthese flowers when they began to bloom.Once they did start, they didn’t stop until thefreeze. The blossoms were huge (3–4 inchesacross). They were both gorgeous. Theseplants were tall, strong, showy, glorious reds.I planted them with some smaller varietiesfrom Burpee, and the beds were fabulous.‘Giant Dahlia’ produced a few more plants,and the heads had some different colorranges. Some of the flower heads even haddoubles. I’m picking the seeds off some ofthe plants tomorrow.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ NWThese flowers were beautiful and full ofblooms that lasted a long time. ‘GiantDahlia’ plants were a little taller.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ NWThese were beautiful plants. The blooms onboth plants lasted a really long time. Iplanted in my boxes but I would plant themin the front yard if I do this again. I lovedthese flowers. ‘Giant Dahlia’ blooms lasted along time. Its plants were tall and the bloomssmelled good.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ NW‘Giant Dahlia’ produced more flowers,although both varieties were attractive.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SW‘Giant Dahlia’ had huge blossoms.

Benary’s GiantGiant Dahlia ☺ SW‘Giant Dahlia’ started blooming in mid-July;‘Benary’s Giant’ started at the end ofAugust.

Benary’s Giant ☺Giant Dahlia ☺ SWThey did take longer this year to fully growdue to the drought. When they did, bothvarieties had strong and healthy plants.

Benary’s GiantGiant Dahlia ☺ MT‘Giant Dahlia’ produced many and beautifulflowers. Drought was a factor.

ConclusionsGardeners gave very high ratings to bothvarieties. The plants were healthy and filledwith huge blooms. The flowers of ‘Benary’sGiant’ were slightly larger, all with doublepetals, and more uniform in color. Its plantswere well branched and produced lots offlowers. Its long, thick stems were well suitedfor cutting. ‘Giant Dahlia’ bloomed a fewdays earlier. Its flowers were less uniform incolor and petal number, but nonetheless justas vibrant and beautiful in the garden. Thesuperior disease resistance of ‘Benary’sGiant’ was not a major factor in this dry year.

Prefer ‘Giant Dahlia’ (continued)

The plants ofboth varietieswere healthyand producedan abundanceof huge, showyflowers.


Appendix 1

Welcome Letter

space for 10-foot rows, but try to get afair look at both varieties.

6. Use the plot labels that are enclosed.This will help you remember whichvariety is which. I strongly encourage youto make a plot diagram after you aredone planting for your future referencein case the plot labels get removedaccidentally (this happens with kids).

7. An example of a completed evaluationform is enclosed. Use this as a guide tohelp you when evaluating the varieties.

Let me know if you have any questions.I’ll be happy to help.

Sincerely,

Tom KalbExtension Horticulturist2718 Gateway Ave., Suite 304Bismarck, ND [email protected]

Spring 2017

Dear Gardener,

Welcome to our research team! It will be funto work with you this summer. Enclosed arethe seeds you ordered. If you are missinganything, please let me know. Let’s go oversome key points:

1. Each trial compares two varieties. Youmust plant both varieties.

2. To make it a fair comparison, you need totreat both varieties in the samemanner. They must get the same amountof sunlight and general care (watering andfertilizing).

3. We want to see how these varietiesperform under real home gardensituations. The packets have instructionson how to sow your seeds, but you mayuse your own gardening practices. Forexample, I sow my cucumber seeds in arow but you can plant them in hills if youwish. It’s up to you.

4. When possible, grow the varieties foreach trial in rows near each other.Look at the diagram (top right). Noticethe varieties being compared in the lettuceand beet trials are grown next to eachother. In this way, they are most likely toget the same amount of sunlight and care.

Cucumber, melon and pumpkin vines can“run” and become intertwined. Try tokeep the vines of each variety within therow so you do not get confused whenharvesting and evaluating each variety.

5. You have enough seeds to grow at least10 feet of each variety. We’ve enclosed arow marker with string. There is a 10-footspace between the two marks on thestring. It’s okay if you don’t have enough

Welcometo ourresearchteam!

More InfoMore InfoMore InfoMore InfoMore InfoGo to the NDHome GardenVariety Trialswebsite: www.ag.ndsu.edu/homegardenvarietytrials/

Lettuce 1Lettuce 2

Beets 1Beets 2

10 feet

134 NDSU EXTENSION

Appendix 2

Example of Evaluation Form

Germinated best?

Had healthierplants?

Produced the firstripe melons?

Produced higheryields?

Had more attractivemelons?

Tasted better?

Please write any additional comments on back. They are very helpful!

Which variety? Comments

Overall Performance Rating Apollo Zeus

Rate each variety on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = poor and 5 =good and 10 = excellent. Don’t give both a “10”. Be very critical!

Circle the varieties you recommend for North Dakota gardeners:

Apollo Zeus Both Neither

Recommendation

Preference

Circle the variety you prefer. Don’t circle both—make a choice! Apollo Zeus

Please state the reason(s) for your preference:

Trial #00Gardener Name: ____________________________

County: ___________________________________Date Sown: ________________________________

CantaloupeVariety Trial

Apo

llo

Zeus

Sam

e

Jenny Gardener

Golden Valley

May 30

Both had near 100% germination, but Zeus seedlingsshowed more vigor

Zeus produced 10 good melons; Apollo produced only 6

Zeus had larger fruits and brighter orange flesh

Three days earlier than Zeus

Apollo vines turned gray in fall

Zeus was heavenly; Apollo was not quite as sweet

Zeus was outstanding. Good yields of large, sweet fruits. The vines lookedhealthy all summer. Apollo ripened early, but the vines were weak and the melonstasted bland.

x

x

x

x

x

x

5 9


Appendix 3

Seed SourcesThe following are a few sources where seeds of the varieties tested in 2017 may be found.This list is not meant to be a complete list; many other seed companies offer these varieties.The information given herein is for educational purposes only. References to a company aremade with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by theNorth Dakota State University Extension Service is implied.

Key:BC = Baker Creek Bu = Burpee EB = Eden Brothers Fe = FedcoGu = Gurney’s Ha = Harris HF = Henry Field’s HP = HPSJh = Johnny’s Jr = Jordan Ju = Jung Kz = KitazawaMV = Mtn Valley NE = NE Seed Os = Osborne Pa = ParkPi = Pinetree PR = Prairie Road Re = Reimer SS = Seed SaversSt = Stokes Sw = Swallowtail Te = Territorial TT=TotallyTomatoesTw = Twilley VB = Vermont Bean Vs = Veseys

BEAN. Bush Blue Lake 274: BC, Bu, EB,Fe, Gu, Ha, HF, HP, Jr, Ju, MV, NE, Os,Pa, Pi, Re, St, Tw, VB. Inspiration: Bu, Ju,Pa, VB. Crockett: Ha, Os, Te, VB. Pike:Ha. Purple Queen Improved: Gu, HF, Ju,VB. Royal Burgundy: EB, Fe, Jh, Jr, Ju,MV, NE, Os, Pi, Re, St, Te, Tw, Vs. Carson:Ha, Jr, Pi, Te, VB. Gold Rush: Fe, MV, NE,Pi, St, VB. Kentucky Blue: Bu, Ha, Jr, Ju,MV, Pa, Pi, Re, Te, Tw, VB, Vs. MonteCristo: Te. Envy: BC, Jh, Pi, Re, SS.Tohya: Gu, Jh, Kz, Os.

BEET. Boldor: Fe, Gu, HF, Jh, Te, Vs.Touchstone Gold: Fe, Gu, Ha, Jh, Os, Pa,Pi, St, Sw, Te, Tw. Merlin: Bu, Ha, Os, Pa,Re, St, Tw, Vs. Red Ace: Fe, Ha, Jh, Jr, Ju,MV, NE, Os, Pa, Pi, Re, St, Sw, Te, VB, Vs.

CARROT. Hercules: Jh, Re. RoyalChantenay: EB, Ha, MV, Re, St, Te.Goldfinger: Ha, Os, St, Vs. Mokum: Bu,Fe, Jh, Pi, Sw, Te, VB, Vs. Bolero: Jh, Ju,Os, St, Sw, Te, VB, Vs. Kuroda (includingShin Kuroda): BC, Fe, Ha, Kz, Pi, Re, VB.Chablis Yellow: Kz. Solar Yellow: Ed, Jr,Kz, NE.

CORN. Ambrosia: Bu, EB, Fe, HP, Jr, MV,NE, Pa, Re, Tw, VB. Peaches & Cream:Bu, EB, HP, Jr, MV, Os, Re, Tw. AnthemXR: Ha, Jr, Tw. Xtra-Tender 274A: Ha, Jr,Os, St, Tw. Bodacious RM: EB, Fe, Gu,

HF, HP, Jr, Ju, MV, Os, Pa, Re, Sw, Te, Tw,VB. Inferno: Fe, Gu, Ha, HF, Te, Tw, Vs.Fiesta: Ha, HP, Jr, Ju, NE, Pa, Tw. PaintedMountain: Fe, Gu, HF, Jh, Ju, Os, St.Autumn Explosion: HP, Jr, Ju, Re, VB.Glass Gem: Fe, Jh, MV, Pi, Te. CherryBerry: Ha, St. Strawberry: BC, EB, Jr, Ju,NE, Os, Pa, SS, Tw.

CUCUMBER. Summer Dance: Bu, Ju,Kz, Os, Pi, Re, Te, TT, VB, Vs. Sweet Slice:Re, Te, TT, VB. Homemade Pickles: EB,HP, Jr, Ju, NE, Pa, Pi, PR, Re, Sw, Te, TT,VB. Regal: Jr. General Lee: Fe, Ha, Jh, Jr,Pi, Re, Te, TT, Tw. Stonewall: Ha, Jr, Re,St. Mercury: Os, Vs. Muncher: BC, HP,Ju, MV, Pi, Re, TT. Martini: Os, TT, Tw,Vs. Silver Slicer: Fe, Ha.

GREENS. Miz America: Bu, Jh, Pa, Tw.Red Kingdom: Jh. Koji: Jh. Tatsoi: BC,EB, Fe, Ha, Jh, Jr, Kz, MV, Os, Pi, SS, Vs.

LETTUCE. Adriana: Jh. Buttercrunch:BC, Bu, EB, Fe, Gu, Ha, HF, Jh, Ju, MV,NE, Pa, Pi, Re, St, Sw, Te, Tw, VB.Bergam’s Green: Jh, Os. Tropicana: Gu,HF, Jh, Os. Coastal Star: Jh, Os, Te.Fusion: Jh. Muir: Jh. Nevada: Ha, Jh, Sw,Te, VB.

MELON. Aphrodite: Bu, Ha, HP, Jr, Ju,Os, Pa, Tw, VB. Athena: Fe, Gu, Ha, HF,HP, Jh, Jr, Ju, MV, NE, Os, Pa Pi, St, Te,

136 NDSU EXTENSION

Tw. El Gordo: Bu, Gu, HF, Ju, NE, Tw, VB.Solstice: Ha, Jr, Ju. Arava: Fe, Jh.Diplomat: Fe, Jh.

OKRA. Candle Fire: Ju, Pa, Te, Tw.Carmine Splendor: Jh, Ju.

PEA. Lincoln: BC, Bu, EB, Fe, Gu, Ha,HF, Jr, Ju, MV, NE, Pa, Pi, Re, St, Te, VB.Sienna: Jh. Sugar Magnolia: BC, Bu, Pi,Te. Super Sugar Snap: Bu, Fe, Ha, HP, Jh,Jr, Ju, MV, Pi, Re, Te, Tw, VB, Vs.

PUMPKIN. Early Scream: Jr (2017).Neon: Ha, Jr, Te, Tw, Vs. Early King: Ha,Tw, Vs. Howden: BC, Fe, Ha, Jh, Jr, Ju,MV, NE, Os, Pa, Pi, Re, Te, Tw, VB, Vs.Early Giant: Jh, Jr, Pi, Tw. HowdenBiggie: Ha, Jr, Ju, MV, Re, St, Tw.

RADISH. Amethyst: Ha, Jh. Bacchus: Jh.Rover: Jh, Ju, VB, Vs. Roxanne: Bu, Jh, Pa,St, Te, Tw, Ve.

SPINACH. Emperor: Jh. Reflect: Jh, Ju,Pi, Tw. Olympia: Fe, Gu, Ha, HF, Ju, Os,Sw, Te. Space: Fe, Jh, Ju, Pa, Sw, Tw, VB,Vs. Gazelle: Jh. Red Kitten: Jh.

SQUASH. Dunja: Jh, Os. Raven: Fe, Jh,Pa, Pi, Te. Payload: Ha, St. SpinelessPerfection: Ha, Jh, St, Tw. Fortune: St, Te,Tw. Multipik: Gu, Ha, HF, Jh, Jr.

SWISS CHARD. Barese: BC, Jh, Re.Silverado: Os, Re, St.

WATERMELON. Sangria: Fe, Gu, HF, Jr,MV, Pa, Pi, Sw, Te, Tw. Sweet DakotaRose: Fe, PR. Jade Star: Jr, Tw. SugarBaby: BC, Bu, EB, Fe, Gu, Ha, HF, HP, Jh,Jr, Ju, MV, NE, Pi, Sw, Te, Tw, VB. Gold inGold: HP, Os, TT, Tw. Lemon Krush: NE,Tw.

Seed Sources (continued)HERBS. Eleonora: Jh, Os, St, Te.Genovese: BC, Bu, EB, Fe, Jh, Jr, MV, Os,PR, Re, SS, St, Tw. Cardinal: Jh, Pa. SiamQueen: BC, EB, Ha, Ju, Kz, MV, Pa, Pi,Re, Te, Tw. Calypso: Bu, Jh, Ju, Os, Pa, Vs.Cruiser: Jh, St, Te.

FLOWERS. Cupcakes: Jh, Pa, Pi. DoubleClick: Fe, Gu, Ha, HF, Jh, Ju, Pa, St, Sw,Te, Tw. ProCut Gold: Ha, Jh, Os, Sw, Tw.Vincent’s Fresh: Ha, Sw, Tw. Benary’sGiant: Fe, Ha, Jh, Ju, Os, Pi, St. Te, Tw.Giant Dahlia: Jh, Tw.


Researchers

North Dakota State University Extension Service is very thankful to the following gardeners who provided results fromtheir research plots:

Dawn AberleArnie AdamMarlys AlbrightAnnell AlgerLinda AltonChelsey AndersonJennifer AndersonKen AndersonMichele Anderson and FamilyOrren AndersonElla Mae AuneDillys BachNolan BatemanVirginia BeckerFelixe BeckerLyle BellequeAbby, Greta, Jack, John, Kate,

Luke, Mattson, Ron and TorenBeneda

Duane BentzKen Jerome BentzVicki BenzmillerBill BergChristine Berg and Tyler FranklinSarah BillingBrenda BjugstadAnne BlankenshipRoyann BoldHarriet BrackenKathleen BrandtBernadette BraunDavid and Jan BrekerMary BrendenAlison BrennanDenise BrorbyEmma BrownKay BrubakkenKaren BueeAustin BurkettCaleb and Olivia BurrerWanda BurrerDiane ByrumMeigan CameronBob CarlsonTabitha CarlsonPatricia CayleyDeb Chambers

Appendix 4

Acknowledgements

Anitha ChirumamillaJessica ClemensJoAnne ColebankCecelia CollinsA. CombsPamela CopenhaverCatherine CuteCarol DahlstromRebecca DarlingChristy DauerBarb DelaneyDonna DeplazesLaura DevickThelma DiMattioSarah DoveAva, Halle, Nancy, Rachel and

Ryker DunlopDarylanna DurkeeCornelius DykePauline EconomonErik and Kerry EggertGerry EicheleCeleste ErteltHeidi EslingerLora and Ryan FisherLori FlatenFlickertail 4-HCari FloresNadine FlorhaugLindsay FoyFlo and Jackie FriedtJames and Lydia FruehBernice GagnonPatricia GarrityGeraldine GeigerShirly GenterLisa GervingSherwood GibbsAllen GieseEmma and Lyla GillespieRuth GlenEmily GoffDeb GoplenMona GranrudMindy GrantMindy GraultySusan Gronhovd

Shannon GroveShabnum Gupta and Anushka

NagpalAnita HaakensonLinda HalliseySue HamiltonSylvia HansenAugust, Clara, Edison and Jessica

HarmsBernie HarscheCharles HartSheri Hatten and Aubrey

HammondJennifer HaugeTom and Becky HaugeKristina HausauerRay and Roxanne HawleySusan HeckJames HelblingLinda HelgelandSteven HellLori HelmLila HlebichukKeith HochhalterAlicia HoffarthKimberly HoffmanLiana HoffmanJackie HopeLinda HovdaAlecia HultgrenAshley HutchisonKristina HyltonIan and Isaac IdsoMary IszlerKris JacobsonJenny JaggiClark JahnkeJoyce JamesJudy JelsingDeb JochimAnthony JohnsonGlenna JohnsonJill JohnsonKathleen JohnsonDurand JonesSharon JorschumbKevin Kading

138 NDSU EXTENSION

Joe and Maria KalbGail KartesCheryl KellerSamuel KerrJon KilberAllison KirkGenevieve KirmisLaureen KleinChad KlindtworthAnnette KostKaren KosteleckyKim KosteleckyCade, Cody, Kara and Keegan

KostohryzRachel KrappBonnie KrauseKelsey and Tristan LakoCurt LarsonMary LassKathleen LawlerRuby LawlerSharon LehmanSharon LeinenAmy LeonardCheryl LeppRebecca LimkeEllin LindeeMichael LuckenbillRae Ann LynneKaren MacDonaldMargaret MarcusenJeffrey MartianJanell MartinJudy MartinsonJan McCarthyMichael McDanielMcDaniel’s Second Grade ClassCindy McLeanEden McLeodMcMillan FamilyAlena, Ingrid and Peter MebergJanice MillsSara MittelsteadtJayma Moore and David RiderDiane MoranElizabeth and Taylor MoricalJulie MosherMr. L’s ClassAlice, Dora and Terry MusumbaEli, Logan, Katie and Madison

MuthNicholas NadeauJuliana and Susan NelsonLinda NessPenny Nester

Emily and Forrest NielsenLori NienhuisSally NiessenMonica NorbyVivian NovotnyCindy and Dan OlsonEvan and NaTanya OlsonJamie, Jamison and Wyatt OppLinda OpstadJoel and Kim OwenJudy PacellaParkers Prairie Second GradersSeason ParlierCory and Pam PaulsonAudrey PedersonLeigh Ann PerdueKari PerreaultCharles PetersonDonna PetersonJodi PetersonHannah PlanteenShelley PorterAngie QualAugust RahlfDiane RandleTim RasmussenCarmen Rath-WaldMary RebenitschKatie ReindlKristie ReinkeBecky ReisBillie Jo ReutterLeAnn RindtJennifer RohrichRena RustadJudy RyenSumyya SaddiqJohn SalvevoldRanka SamardzicAmy SandMarilyn SchlosserSusan SchmidtYolanda SchmidtGordon SchmittSusan SchmittMichelle Schmitz-Bohrer and

Darnell BohrerArthur SchroderDarla SchroederSandra SchumacherMark SchumakerEmily SchwartzJennifer SeamandsBecky SerrNicole Severance

More Researchers

Anna, Daniel, Deborah, Grace,Olivia and Rose Shelton

Cole ShotleyTish SkarlokenJennifer SkoogDeb SlackMarsha SmaaladenShauna Sniegowski and Jason,

Jessica and Ryann HarkisonLuci SnowdenCourtney SprengerJennifer St. ClairePatricia StockdillChauntel SullivanDawn SummerallLee SvangstuStacey SwansonDave and Ruthie SwensonSusan SyversonDonald TanakaTrish TewsSally ThoeleAlan ThomasSusan TidballKathy TokachAndrew, Elizabeth, James,

Katelynn and Maria ToomeyJennifer TschaekofskeErica Turnquist and FamilyMargaret VellengaEileen VetterMegan VigLillian VolochenkoSheyenne WaletzkoDebra WallaceTami WareMarlys WeichelTodd WeinmannDana WeiskopfJan WildCeleste and Monty WilfongMartha WillandElaine WillenbringMarie WilliamsSue WilliamsKara WinklerBrian WolfJulie WoodburyCarrie WoodruffHolly WymanJenny YearousErin Yellow BirdCarrie ZimmerDan, Lori, Randy and Regina

ZimprichEdward Zimprich


Photo CreditsPhotos in this document areadapted from photos madeavailable under CreativeCommons licenses specified bythe photographer, all allowing foradaptation, modification orbuilding upon. Photos start withthe URL www.flickr.com/photos/: Photos in this documentare adapted from photos madeavailable under CreativeCommons licenses specified bythe photographer, all allowing foradaptation, modification orbuilding upon. Photos start withthe URL www.flickr.com/photos/:jjjj56cp, .../25171569@N02/36091782603; Adam Fagen, …/51035749109@N01/8045984412/; gravity_grave, …/laureenp/5042670724/; KateWare, …/katewares/6066980041/;www.produceblog.co/2011/06/how-to-buy-green-beans.html; JillClardy, …/jillclardy/4705352658/; Hiroshi Yoshinaga,…/parallel_yoshing/5064675849/; Niccie King, …/whatniccieate/9428003125/;Seattle City Council, …/seattlecitycouncil/9353987792/;Elizabeth Thomsen, …/ethomsen/2690055049/; DanKlimke, …/dklimke/3630474098/; looseends, …/lunaspin/2747161451/; NationalGarden Bureau; Julie Falk, …/piper/40997461/;shannonpatrick17, …/shannonpatrick17/2741977165/;Greg Bishop, …/konabish/7052199675/; Chiot’s Run, .../chiotsrun/4037810635/; hthrd, /hthrd/9759427076/; Chiot’s Run,.../chiotsrun/4016464029/;Timothy Takemoto, …/

nihonbunka/12878137/; NationalGarden Bureau (2); Darya Pino,…/summertomato/4508709949/; National GardenBureau; All-America Selections;Millenialab; Dwight Sipler, …/photofarmer/4988502260/;Jeremy Bronson, …/jbrons/4686922342/; Mercedes, …/lawrencefarmersmarket/2529145266/; Dwight Sipler, …/photofarmer/4988502522/; JudyKnesel, …/jknesel/4476564138/;Alice Henneman, …/alicehenneman/6042912446/;Richard North, …/richardnorth/7704638642/; Joel Luks, …/joelluks/5201837028/; DaveGunn, …/shelley_dave/2696663858/; Søren Holt,…/10348212@N07/4783630099/;cobalt123, www.flickr.com/photos/cobalt/273212143/;jjjj56cp, …/25171569@N02/10054547606/; Cindy Funk, …/84858864@N00/1478356424/;Rain Barrel Garden,rainbarrelgarden.blogspot.com/2012/07/first-radish-and-lettuce-harvests-of.html; All-AmericaSelections; Robb & Jessie Stankey,…/robbplusjessie/3639148843/;Robin, …/goofygouda/4670222381/; michelle@TNS,…/25904307@N08/6838951531/;NotionsCapital.com, …/notionscapital/12736528224/;ilovebutter, …/jdickert/852904568/; Katie Harbath, …/katieharbath/4817646745/; davidsilver, …/davidsilver/8558076067/; Still Burning, …/stillburning/190685771/; TheresaO’Connor, .../hober/168648375/; Greg Hirson, …/ghirson/42770867/; Amanda Slater, …/pikerslanefarm/2650630412/;

Acknowledgements (continued)

proteinbiochemist, …/proteinbiochemist/5990668572/;Henrique Pinto, …/henriquev/41333668/; Sally Nex, //sallynex.com/category/new-plants/; tanakawho, …/28481088@N00/2734358442/;Lotus Johnson, …/ngawangchodron/29736237652/;Angie Waletzko.

Variety DescriptionsThis is an academic reportpublished for educationalpurposes only. The authorgratefully acknowledges thesources of the descriptions of thevarieties tested in this project:Fedco Seeds, Harris Seeds,Horticultural Products andServices, Kitazawa Seed, Johnny’sSelected Seeds, Jung Seed,Osborne Seed, Prairie RoadOrganic Seed, Reimer Seeds, SeedSavers Exchange, Seeds ofChange, Stokes Seeds, SwallowtailGarden Seeds, Territorial Seed andVeseys Seeds.

140 NDSU EXTENSION

County commissions, North Dakota State University and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. NDSU does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of age, color, gender expression/identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, participation in lawful off-campus activity, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, public assistance status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, spousal relationship to current employee, or veteran status, as applicable. Direct inquiries to Vice Provost for Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Old Main 201, NDSU Main Campus, 701-231-7708, [email protected].

Gardeners Identify Superior Varieties for ND The Situation The first step in growing a productive garden is to select a superior variety. A superior variety can lead to major increases in yield and food quality. The benefits of selecting superior varieties are great. Over 93,000 households in North Dakota grow a garden (National Garden Bureau, 2008). Surveys of gardeners in our state show these gardeners enjoy healthier diets and save millions of dollars on food expenses (for example, garden renters in Bismarck save an average of $105 per household on food expenses). Extension Response A team of 233 families across the state was formed to evaluate promising vegetable and cut flower varieties in spring and fall. These volunteers evaluated 99 varieties for plant vigor, health, earliness, yield, and food/ornamental quality. No other program in the USA can match this program for its number of participants and varieties tested. Impacts A survey was conducted to document the impacts of the project. One hundred and forty-one of 193 online households (73%) responded. 96% were introduced to new varieties. 94% will change the way they grow their

garden in the future. 87% reported more productive gardens. 78% reported healthier diets.

Positive impacts were documented with children: 79% of children improved their diets. 78% of children sharpened their skills in

science and math. 71% of children increased their level of

physical activity. These impacts on youth are noteworthy as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 92% of children in North Dakota do not eat enough vegetables for a healthy diet. An estimated 78% of children do not get enough physical activity (North Dakota: State Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Profile, 2012).

Results are shared with gardeners online and in workshops conducted across the state. Over 2,000 gardeners will attend these programs next spring. Feedback “We were introduced to varieties that we wouldn't have tried on our own. We will plant them again.”

“I had never done any fall garden planting before, but I will from now on!” Public Value Statement Superior varieties lead to higher yields. Higher yields lead to healthier diets and greater savings on food expenses. Primary Contact Tom Kalb, Ph.D. Extension Horticulturist 2718 Gateway Ave., Suite 304 p: 701.328.9722 / [email protected]

Resource Links http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/homegardenvarietytrials/

The finest cultivars will lead to the finestgardens. North Dakota State University andits team of over 200 gardeners evaluatepromising cultivars every summer. Thefollowing cultivars have excelled in these andother trials in the Midwest:ASPARAGUS. Jersey Giant, Jersey Knight,Jersey Supreme, Purple Passion.BEAN. Bush: Blue Lake 274, Crockett,Derby, Espada, Greencrop, Inspiration,Jade, Maxibel, Pike, Provider, Purple QueenImproved, Royal Burgundy, Serengeti, Strike.Dry: Arikara Yellow, Great Northern.Lima: Fordhook 242, Eastland. Pole:Fortex, Orient Wonder, Stringless Blue LakeS-7. Soybean: Envy, Tohya. Wax: Carson,Gold Rush, Rocdor, Soleil.BEET. Avalanche, Boldor, Bull’s Blood,Detroit Dark Red, Early Wonder Tall Top,Merlin, Red Ace, Touchstone Gold.BROCCOLI. Packman.BRUSSELS SPROUTS. Jade Cross E.CABBAGE. Chinese: Blues. Head: EarlyJersey Wakefield, Golden Acre, RubyPerfection, Stonehead.CARROT. Orange: Bolero, Caracas,Goldfinger, Hercules, Laguna, Mokum,Nelson, New Kuroda, Scarlet Nantes.Other: Chablis Yellow, Purple Haze.CAULIFLOWER. Amazing, Cheddar,Snow Crown, Violet Queen.CORN. Shrunken kernel: Anthem XR,SS2742, Vision, Xtra-Tender 274A and277A, XTH20173. Sugary enhanced:Ambrosia, Bodacious RM, Delectable,Luscious, Peaches & Cream, Sugar Buns,Sugar Pearl, Temptation. Synergistic: Allure,Cuppa Joe, Honey Select.CUCUMBER. Pickling: Alibi, Calypso,Eureka, Homemade Pickles, H-19 Little

Vegetable Cultivarsfor North Dakota

Leaf. Slicing: Dasher II, Diva, Fanfare,General Lee, Mercury, Muncher, OrientExpress II, Raider, Salad Bush, Silver Slicer,Straight Eight, Summer Dance, Sweet Slice,Sweet Success, Tasty Green.EGGPLANT. Black Beauty, Dusky, FairyTale, Millionaire, Orient Express.GREENS. Hon Tsai Tai, Koji, Joi Choi,Komatsuna, Miz America, Mizuna, Mei QingChoi, Osaka Purple, Red Giant, Tatsoi,Tendergreen, Vegetable Amaranth.KALE. Black Magic, Red Russian, Vates,White Russian, Winterbor.KOHLRABI. Early White Vienna, Kolibri,Kossak, Winner.LETTUCE. Leaf: Bergam’s Green, DeerTongue, New Red Fire, Red Sails, Red SaladBowl, Red Velvet, Royal Oakleaf, Salad Bowl,Slobolt, Starfighter, Tropicana. Bibb/Crisphead: Buttercrunch, Muir, Nancy,Nevada, Red Cross, Sierra, Skyphos.Romaine: Crisp Mint, Fusion, Green Forest,Starhawk.MELON. Muskmelon: Aphrodite, Athena,Goddess, Solstice, Superstar. Specialty:Arava, Earli-Dew, Passport, San Juan, SunJewel.

2018

Selecting anoutstandingcultivar can

lead to abountiful

garden.

Cultivarselectionchecklist:

Earlymaturity

Flavorful

Resistsdiseases

Productive

Widelyadapted(cool soil,dry weather)

OKRA. Candle Fire, Clemson Spineless.ONION. Ailsa Craig, Candy, Copra, SweetSandwich, Walla Walla.PEA. Shell: Early Frosty, Green Arrow,Knight, Lincoln, Little Marvel, MaestroImproved, Wando. Snap: Sugar Ann, SugarSprint, Super Sugar Snap. Snow: OregonGiant, Oregon Sugar Pod II, Sweet Horizon.PEPPER. Bell: Bell Boy, Early Sunsation,Jupiter, New Ace, North Star, Orange Blaze.Frying/Roasting: Carmen, Flamingo,Giant Marconi, Gypsy. Hot: Cheyenne,Early Jalapeno, Garden Salsa, Hot PaperLantern, Hungarian Hot Wax, Mariachi,Mucho Nacho, Tiburon.POTATO. Dark Red Norland, Kennebec,Peter Wilcox, Purple Viking, Red Gold,Satina, Superior, Yukon Gem, Yukon Gold.PUMPKIN. Cooking: Small Sugar, RougeVif D’Etampes. Jack-o’-lantern: AutumnGold, Cronus, Early Dakota Howden, EarlyGiant, Early King, Gladiator, Howden,Howden Biggie, Magic Lantern, Neon,Orange Smoothie. Giant: Big Moose, Dill’sAtlantic Giant.RADISH. Standard: Amethyst, Bacchus,Cherry Belle, Easter Egg II, FrenchBreakfast, Pretty in Pink, Rover, Roxanne,White Icicle.RUTABAGA. American Purple Top.SPINACH. Bloomsdale Long Standing,Emperor, Gazelle, Melody, Olympia, RedKitten, Space, SV2157VB, Tyee.SQUASH, SUMMER. Crookneck:Sundance. Scallop: Flying Saucer, Sunburst.Straightneck: Multipik, Zephyr. Zucchini:Easypick Gold, Fortune, Gold Rush, GreenTiger, Portofino, Raven, Spineless Beauty.SQUASH, WINTER. Acorn: Carnival,Table Ace, Table King. Buttercup: BonBon, Burgess. Butternut: Early Butternut,Waltham. Delicata: Cornell’s Bush Delicata.Hubbard: Blue Magic. Kabocha:Ambercup, Sunshine, Sweet Mama.SWEET POTATO. Beauregard.SWISS CHARD. Bright Lights, Flamingo,Lucullus, Oriole, Peppermint, Rhubarb.

Seed SourcesThe following is a sample of companiesoffering seeds. This list is provided foreducational purposes only; no discriminationis intended and no endorsement is implied.Baker Creek Seed, 2278 Baker Creek Rd., Mansfield,

MO 65704; www.rareseeds.com; 417.924.8917.Burpee Seed, 300 Park Ave., Warminster, PA 18974;

www.burpee.com; 800.888.1447.Fedco Seeds, PO Box 520, Waterville, ME 04903;

www.fedcoseeds.com; 207.426.9900.Gurney’s Seed and Nursery, PO Box 4178, Greendale,

IN 47025; www.gurneys.com; 513.354.1492.Harris Seeds, 355 Paul Rd, PO Box 24966, Rochester,

NY 14624; www.harrisseeds.com; 800.544.7938.Henry Fields, PO Box 397, Aurora, IN 47001;

www.henryfields.com; 513.354.1494.HPS, W. Stroud St., Randolph, WI 53956;

www.hpsseed.com; 800.297.3123.Johnny’s Selected Seeds, 955 Benton Ave., Winslow,

ME 04901; www.johnnyseeds.com; 877.564.6697.Jung Seed, 335 S. High St., Randolph, WI 53956;

www.jungseed.com; 800.297.3123.Kitazawa Seed, 201 Fourth St., #206; Oakland, CA

94607; www.kitazawaseed.com; 510.595.1188.Mountain Valley Seed, 175 W. 2700 S., Salt Lake City,

UT 84115; www.mvseeds.com; 801.486.0480.Osborne Seed, 2428 Old Hwy 99 S. Rd., Mt. Vernon,

WA 98273; www.osborneseed.com; 360.424.7333.Pinetree Garden Seeds, PO Box 300, Gloucester, ME

04260; www.superseeds.com; 207.926.3400.Prairie Road Seed, 9824 79th St. SE, Fullerton, ND

58441; www.prairieroadorganic.co; 701.883.4416.Seed Savers Exchange, 3094 N. Winn Rd., Decorah,

IA 52101; www.seedsavers.org; 563.382.5990.Stokes Seeds, PO Box 548 Buffalo, NY 14240;

www.stokeseeds.com; 800.396.9238.Territorial Seed, PO Box 158, Cottage Grove, OR

97424; www.territorialseed.com; 800.626.0866.

North Dakota State University does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of age, color, gender expression/identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, participation in lawfuloff-campus activity, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, public assistance status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, spousal relationship to current employee, or veteran status, as applicable. Directinquiries to Vice Provost for Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Old Main 201, NDSU Main Campus, 701-231-7708, [email protected].

All gardenersare invited tojoin our teamof backyardresearchers.Go to www.ag.ndsu.edu/homegardenvarietytrials/

TOMATO. Cherry: Juliet, Sunsugar,Supersweet 100, Sweet Baby Girl, YellowPear. Fresh market: Big Beef, Bush EarlyGirl, Celebrity, Early Girl, Goliath, MountainFresh Plus. Paste: Roma VF, Viva Italia.Heirloom: Brandywine, Cherokee Purple,Striped German, Stupice, Wisconsin 55.TURNIP. Hakurei, Purple Top WhiteGlobe, Tokyo Cross.WATERMELON. Seeded: EarlyMoonbeam, Sangria, Sugar Baby, SweetDakota Rose. Seedless: Millionaire.

Written by TomKalb, ExtensionHorticulturist,North Dakota StateUniversity, email:[email protected] author gratefullyacknowledges theefforts of over1,000 gardeners inNorth Dakota andnearby states whoevaluated thesecultivars.

December 2017

thomas kalb, ph.d. north dakota state university … by thomas kalb, extension horticulturist north...

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