Learn about MOTHER’s almanac contributors favorite crop varieties.
Our Almanac contributors name their favorite crop varieties.
ROBERTA BAILEY MARITIME CANADA/ NEW
ENGLAND
“Amplissimo Victoria” soup peas —
Nutty, delicious flavor; prolific 5- to 6-foot-tall vines.
Great cold-climate substitute for garbanzos. Let dry on
vine, then shell and dry before storing. 80 days.
“White Russian” kale — Silvery leaf,
white ribs, sweet and tasty. The best producer of young
shoots and new growth in spring on over-wintered kale.
[Available from FEDCO Seeds: www.fedcoseeds.com]
CRICKET RAKITA, MID-ATLANTIC
“Costata Roenesca” squash — The
best-tasting zucchini ever. Heavily ribbed fruits are
striped with alternating light- and darkgreen shades.
Italian heirloom. Tender up to 18 inches. 62 days.
“Old Time Tennessee” muskmelon — So
fragrant it can be harvested in the dark. Salmon flesh;
large fruits, averaging 12 pounds. Not a good keeper, but
flavor is outstanding. 95 days.
[Available from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange; www.southernexposure.com]
DEAN LOLLIS, SOUTHERN INTERIOR
“Flamenco” pansy, hybrid mix — A
one-of-a-kind mix of 2 1/2- to 3-inch double-flowered
pansies in shades of violet, burgundy, rose, yellow and
white.
“Spring Swallow” cucumber — Six-foot
vines produce a bounty of 7- to 10-inch, dark-green fruits.
Thrives in heat and humidity (unlike many other cucumbers)
and resists watermelon virus and cucumber mosaic virus,
while tolerating mildew.
[Available from Park Seed Company; www.parkseed.com]
BILL ADAMS, GULF COAST
“Purple Calabash” tomato — Its
wonderful, complex flavor more than compensates for its
purple-black color and plentiful folds and creases. Grow
this delicious old-timer anti let your tastebuds decide.
“Tromboncino” squash — Smooth,
buttery texture. Vigorous enough to outgrow squash-vine
borer. The seeds develop in the end of this 12- to
18-inch-long beauty — the rest is “pure butter.”
[Available from Territorial Seed Company; www.territorialseed.com]
MATT BARTHEL, CENTRAL/MIDWEST
“Speckled Roman” tomato — Meaty
tasting, gorgeous orange- and yellow-striped fruit from a
naturally stabilized cross between heirloom “Antique Roman”
and “Banana Legs” tomatoes. Predicted to he as popular as
“Brandywine.”
“Fish” Chile pepper – Pre-1870s
African-American heirloom pepper from the Philadelphia and
Baltimore areas. White variegated leaves, 2- to 3-inch-long
fruits changing from striped cream to orange to all red as
they ripen. Great ornamental.
[Available from Seed Savers Exchange; www.seedsavers.org]
CONNIE DAM-BYL, CENTRAL/MIDWEST
“Shining Star” lettuce — Large,
medium-dark green, glossy Waldman-type heads. Very slow to
bolt tinder summer heat, but sizes up quickly. This was the
best-looking leaf lettuce in our trials.
“Harmony” tomato — A perfect
saladette tomato. Superb flavor, deep red color and firm
fruits that ripen in clusters of eight to 14. “Harmony”
grows well, both in the greenhouse and in the field.
[Available from William Dam Seeds; www.damseeds.com]
BILL MCDORMAN, N. CENTRAL & ROCKIES
“Sasha”s Altai” tomato — Siberian
variety with incredible earliness (59 days);
extraordinarily sweet and juicy flavor. Three-inch, 5- to
8-ounce, slightly flattened, bright-red fruits.
Indeterminate.
“Galina” tomato — Another Siberian,
producing round, yellow, 1-inch cherry tomatoes nn vigorous
plants. Arguably our most flavorful tomato. Indeterminate
and early (59 days).
[Available from Seeds Trust High Altitude Gardens; www.seedstrust.com]
JOSH KIRCHENBAUM, NORTHWEST
“Papaya Pear” summer squash — Unique
papaya-shaped fruit can be harvested in about 40 days from
direct sowing. The semibush plants pump out a continuous
supply of fruit best eaten when just 3 inches long and 2 to
3 inches wide.
“Poinsett 97” slicing cucumber —
New, emerald green, nonhybrid slicing cucumber bred at
Cornell University. Very crisp and meaty
with a sweet, mellow flavor. Organic growers will
especially appreciate the 12 separate disease tolerances.
“Purple Majesty” ornamental millet —
An All America Selection Gold Medal winner! Deep purple
plants are crowned with 8- to 12-inch purple flower spikes.
Use immature spikes for dramatic floral arrangements or let
them mature for generous supply of birdseed.
[Available from Territorial Seed Company; www.territorialseed.com]
SUE AND CRAIG DREMANN, SOUTHWEST
“White Bullet” habanero pepper —
White fruit, 1/2 inch wide and 1 inch long. Absolutely the
hottest, earliest maturing, most productive, and rarest of
the habanero group.
[Available from Redwood City Seed Company; www.ecoseeds.com]
ROSE MARIE NICHOLS MCGEE, NORTHWEST
“Lemon” cucumber — Lemon-shaped
fruit with a mild, sweet flavor. My family simply can never
have too many and we always harvest when they show only a
touch of yellow at the stem end. 60 days.
“Romano” pole bean — Very tender,
flat pods, with a rich green-bean flavor.
[Nichols Garden Nursery; www.nicholsgardennursery.com]
