October 2015

Connecting Breeders with Consumers Via the California Vegetable Trials By Diane Blazek

The April California Spring Trials event is a pilgrimage many in this industry make every spring to see the many splendored things of new variety introductions. At that time, a large percentage of the introductions are annual bedding plants, pot plants or perennials, but as of late, many breeders are also showing their edible varieties as well. Usually, we see them in flats, packs or containers.

So what about seeing fields and fields, acres and acres of vegetables grown in the gorgeous California sunshine? That is exactly what the breeders offer their customers in the middle of August and I was privileged to make the trek out to California this year in the company of five extremely knowledgeable and experienced garden communicators. Those bloggers were: Beth Billstrom (www.morethanoregano.com), Adam Cortell (#gardenchatter), Bren Haas (#gardenchat, #gardenchatter and www.bggarden.com), Niki Jabbour (www.savvygardening.com), and Julie Thompson-Adolf (www.juliesgardendelights.com).

Our trip began in the Ventura/Oxnard area and concluded in Sacramento. The seven companies participating in the 2015 August Vegetable Trial Tour were:

_ HM Clause
_ PanAmerican Seed
_ Sakata Seed
_ Seeds By Design
_ Seminis
_ Syngenta
_ Vegetalis

Below are some of the highlighted varieties from this trip.

HM Clause

Bean 'Mascotte'. The first All-America Selections winning bean since 1991, this compact variety is perfect for today's small-space gardens. 'Mascotte' is a bush type bean that produces long, slender pods that stay above the foliage for easy harvest. This bean also has white showy flowers for ornamental value during bloom time. Judges appreciated the crunchiness and taste of this bean as well as the plentiful harvest all season long. The 'Mascotte' root system is ideal for patio containers and window boxes, and this versatile variety performs well in garden beds too.

PanAmerican Seed

Tomato 'Chocolate Sprinkles'. The first tomato with unique darker chocolate-colored stripes that also comes with a disease-resistance package. This variety produces more fruit with better flavor than similar varieties. It is best grown in ground as ithas an upright habit and can grow up to 84 inches. Space plants 18-36 inches apart. With a name has an upright habit and can grow up to 84 inches. Space plants 18-36 inches apart. With a name like 'Chocolate Sprinkles,' you know it's going to be delicious!

Tomato 'Tidy Treats'. Tons of fruiting power on a very compact plant! This variety is good for small space gardens and containers, but, unlike other patio types, it continues to produce red cherry tomatoes all season. It's habit is like a determinate variety but produces like an indeterminate. 'Tidy Treats' grows 36-60 inches tall and 24-36 inches wide.

Sakata

Tomato 'Think Pink'. 'Think Pink' is a large globe-shaped tomato with beautiful raspberry pink color and outstanding smooth taste that is well balanced between acidity and sweetness. The medium-sized, indeterminate, disease-resistant plant is very productive. The big pink fruit are firm enough to slice without sacrificing the unique and delicious texture and flavor that pink tomatoes are famous for. 'Think Pink' weighs in at about 8 ounces and has a smooth globe shape. Expect maturity about 70 days from transplant.

Pumpkin 'Toad'. Perfect for holiday decorating! This small, semi-hard shell variety is early maturing, yields a high number of tear-drop-shaped fruit on bush-type plants and has nice embedded handles. This pumpkin's bright orange color and multiple bumps and warts truly give it unique character. Expect maturity in 85 days; warts vary with climate conditions.

Seeds by Design

Tomato 'Chef 's Choice Orange'. The 2014 AAS Vegetable Award Winner is a hybrid derived from the popular heirloom 'Amana Orange', which matures late in the season. Now you can experience the flavor of an heirloom in only 75 days from transplant. Its disease resistance is an added bonus. 'Chef 's Choice Orange' has a wonderful bright, almost neon, internal color and superior taste and texture for an early maturing orange tomato. Excellent for soups and sauces because the intense color does not fade or discolor when cooked. Fruits average 12-16 ounces on 5-foot tall plants. It is indeterminate.

Garlic chives 'Geisha'. The 2015 AAS Vegetable Award Winner is a vigorous grower with a nice "just-right" garlic flavor. Slightly wider, flatter and more refined leaves topped by pretty white flower stalks late in the season mean this is another edible that can serve a dual purpose as an ornamental. 'Geisha' is a great culinary herb for use in stir fries, soups, compound butters and as a fresh garnish for a variety of dishes. Although late flowering is a good thing in herbs, when 'Geisha' does burst into bloom, the butterfly inhabitants in your garden will be very happy!

Seminis

Broccoli 'Artwork'. This 2015 AAS Vegetable Award Winner is a unique and beautiful dark green stem broccoli for home gardeners. Previously, stem or baby broccoli was exclusively readily available only in gourmet markets and upscale restaurants. Now home gardeners can make the art of gardening come alive with this delicious, long-yielding variety. 'Artwork' starts out similar to a regular crown broccoli, but after harvesting that first crown, easyto- harvest tender and tasty side shoots continue to appear long into the season, resisting warm temperature bolting better than other stem broccolis currently on the market.

Squash 'Bossa Nova'. The beautiful dark and light green mottled exterior of this 2015 AAS Vegetable Award winning zucchini is more pronounced than other varieties on the market, which sets it apart and makes the fruits easier to see during a long and prolific harvest. Compact plants produce fruits earlier in the season and continue producing for three weeks longer than comparison varieties. During taste tests, judges deemed the smooth flesh texture and sweet, mild taste much improved over other summer squash.

Syngenta

Tomato 'SummerPick'. Vine-ripened bliss! This tomato boasts big, softball-sized fruit that are wonderfully flavorful. Concentrated fruit set produces an abundance of tomatoes perfect for slicing or canning. Its determinate habit adapts to patio containers down to a 12-inch pot. Don't underestimate the value of a strong cage.

Melon 'Aphrodite'. Refreshing old-fashioned flavor. Sink your teeth into creamy smooth flesh that is dribble-down-your-chin juicy. 'Aphrodite' is sweet with a hint of honey flavor. Sow to harvest in 72 days. Manageable vines fit smaller garden spaces. Fruit is 6-7 pounds.

Vegetalis

Tomato 'Red Profusion'. Tomato 'Red Profusion' is an F1 hybrid trailing tomato with an attractive mounding habit suitable for a large basket or container. It produces an abundance of scarlet 1-inch fruit all over the plant. Unlike some trailing varieties, 'Red Profusion' has a neat habit in a plug or 4-inch pot but will grow vigorously to fill a large container with 360-degree branching. Plants spread up to 22 inches but only read 6 inches tall, making it perfect for spilling over the sides of a patio container.

Cucumber 'Petipikel'. 'Petipikel' is a short vining/bush pickling cucumber that has been bred to stay compact with the vines using only one-third of the space of a standard variety. Plants mature in just 45 days. Pick the green-striped, spined fruit at 3-5 inches for best results. Harvest regularly to increase the yield. This variety is best used for pickling, but fruit can be left on the vine until 7 inches long and used fresh.

Connecting Breeders with Consumers Via the California Vegetable Trials