Many folks may just think of broccoli as broccoli and are surprised to learn that are are many different varieties of broccoli that can be grown. Gardeners and farmers alike are obsessed with finding the right variety to grow depending on their preferences. Industrial scale farms are often selecting their varieties based on shelf like and yield, which is why flavor can be lacking. Gardeners may select varieties for their flavor, or for the stories or cultural connections. The downside is that yields can be significantly lower.
As a small farm committed to growing colorful and flavorful veggies, I choose varieties based on many factors. Disease resistance and flavor are two of the biggest factors I select for when choosing seed varieties to grow at VRDNT. This year I am growing some “Delite” snack peppers that meet both those criteria. Here in Texas, a very common pepper disease is bacterial leaf spot because of our hot, wet conditions. Before now, the only varieties of snack peppers had no resistance to this disease, so they would die quickly and wouldn’t produce nice fruit. The Delite pepper has resistance to this disease and AMAZING sweet flavor. The flavor + disease resistance combo made it an easy and exciting choice to grow this year
Another disease resistant variety I am SO excited about is the South Anna Butternut Squash. It was bred in Tennessee by crossing the heirloom Waltham Butternut with a native Seminole Pumpkin, giving it amazing vigor in our heat and resistance to downy mildew, an endemic plant disease in summer. I love the concept of crossing two heirlooms to leverage the best of both lineages. The fruit can be variable in size and has a sweet, nutty flavor.
People also influence my decisions about seed selections. This year I am growing a bright vibrant yellow Swiss Chard called Heart of Gold, named for the Neil Young song by the beloved Dr. John Navazio, who passed away last year. We honor him and his contributions to vegetable breeding by growing this beautiful chard.
Some vegetable varieties I grow simply because they have a new or novel appeal. Hydra Kale, Hot Streak Tomato and Clementine Cauliflower fit into that category. Hydra Kale has a frilly serrated leaf that makes a common veggie like kale seem just a little exotic. Hot Streak Tomato has amazing flavor and pink flesh with a beautiful striped skin. It’s such a neat-looking tomato, we chose it for the flavor and the flare. The Clementine Cauliflower thrives in our heat and has a vibrant orange head that is totally gorgeous.
A few more varieties we're excited to grow this year (mostly because they look cool) are BC1611 Sprouting Broccoli, Kakao Cocktail Tomato, and Glow Stix Rinbow Carrots. BC1611 is an early sprouting broccoli that produces cut after cut of tasty side shoots. We have a short window to grow brassicas in the spring before it gets too hot, and this variety is quick and perfect for bountiful bunches of sprouting broccoli in April, before that Texas heat sets in. The Kakao Cocktail Tomato is a new variety for us this year, which claims to taste so good, almost like it;s naturally salted. As for the Rainbow Carrots, there’s nothing better than a vibrant mix of colorful carrots! Look for these in your share April-May.
– Farmer Becky
Comentários