Beginning Farmer SeriesChoosing What to Grow

and

Variety Selection

Dr. Gordon Johnson

Fruit and Vegetable Specialist

University of Delaware

Cooperative Extension

List What You Want to Grow

What will you grow:

• Vegetables

• Herbs, Medicinals

• Cut flowers

• Small fruits

• Tree Fruits and Nuts

• Greenhouse crops

• Nursery crops

• Christmas trees

• Specialty grains and pulses

• Other specialty crops

Selecting crops to grow

• Market sales potential

• Potential profitability– Cost of production

– Returns on sales

• Experience

• Location

• Ease/difficulty of production

• Labor needed

• Harvest and handling

• Market distance

• Market goals/opportunites

Standard Vegetables

• Beans

• Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower

• Greens crops (Kale, collards,

mustards, turnips)

• Cucumbers

• Eggplant

• Lettuces

• Muskmelons

• Peas

• Peppers

• Potatoes

• Summer squash

• Winter squash

• Pumpkins

• Tomatoes

• Sweet Corn

• Watermelons

• Strawberries

Standard Fruits

• Apples

• Peaches

• Nectarines

• Plums

• Pears

• Cherries

• Strawberries

• Raspberries

• Blackberries

• Blueberries

• Grapes

Growing - Short term goals

• What will be available

and when

• What to harvest

• What to take

• What to prepare

• What value-added to do

• Can I grow something in

addition for later

• Other

Growing – Long term goals

• Season planning

– What to grow

– When to grow

– How to grow

– Harvest plans

• Planning for future

seasons

– Long term crops

– Expanded lines

• Income and sales

Seasonal progressions

• Early Spring – March/April

• Mid Spring - May

• Late Spring - June

• Early Summer - July

• Mid Summer - August

• Late Summer/early fall -September

• Fall - October

• Late Fall - November

• Winter – December through March

Succession Plantings

▪ Two types1. Multiple plantings of the

same crop

▪ Varietal succession: Planting a range of cultivars having different maturity dates at the same time.

▪ Temporal succession:Planting the same cultivar periodically over the course of the season.

2. Planting different species of vegetables, one after the other

Crop Rotation

• Can think of as succession over a number of years

• Underlying principle is never plant the same crop or its relative in the same place two seasons in a row.

• Reasons for rotating

– Balances nutrient demands of different crops

• Leaf crops require high N

• Fruit crops require high P and K

• Legumes fix N from atmosphere

– Reduces pest issues• Break disease cycles

• Limit insect feeding

• Better control weeds

Cool versus warm season vegetables

• Warm season

vegetables

– Do not tolerate frosts

– Grow best when

temperatures are

warm

– Most are annuals

– Generally eat a fruit or

seed

Cool vs. Warm Season

VegetablesVegetables differ in their adaptation

to growing season

▪ Relates to growth response to temperature

▪ Cool season vegetables▪ Can withstand light frosts

▪ Best growth early in spring or late fall

▪ Are smaller in size and shallower root system than warm season

▪ Generally eat a vegetative part (root, stem, leaves)

▪ Most are biennial

Table: Vegetables grouped by

seasonal adaptation

Cool Season Warm Season

Lettuces

Cabbage

Cucumbers

Sweet corn

Turnips

Radish

Muskmelons

Watermelons

Pea

Cauliflower

Carrot

Tomatoes

Peppers

Lima beans

Successes - Tomatoes

Opportunities with sales targets such as

restaurants

Opportunities with Specialty Crops

Successes - Pole Lima Beans

Successes - Strawberries

http://www.portlandground.com/archives/2006/06/hawthorne_blvd_telephone_1.php

Successes - Peaches

Opportunity – Asian Vegetables

Opportunity = Blueberries

Opportunity = Cut Flowers

Opportunity = Woody Plants as Cut Flowers

Opportunity = U-Pick Orchard

High Density

Opportunity = Asian Pears

Opportunity = Crops for Crafting

Opportunity = Herbs, Herbal

Teaching

Opportunity = Wine Grapes

Opportunities, leafy greens, baby greens –

Lettuce, Kale, Arugula

Fresh Spinach

Opportunity -

Sweet

Potatoes

Other Dry White Types

Opportunity - Specialty Potatoes

Opportunity - Specialty Carrots

Opportunity - Specialty Beets and Chard

Opportunity - Edamame and

Vegetable Soybeans

Successes - Snow Peas and Snap Peas

Opportunity - Pea Shoots

Opportunity -

other Lima and

Butterbeans

Opportunity - Leafy Asian Vegetables

• Asian cultures have an

unique but parallel

tradition and history of

gardening

• Asian vegetables are

becoming trendy and

common

• Two types

– Unique species

– Unique cultivars

Opportunity - Specialty Vine Crops

Calabaza Cucurbita moschata Duch. ex Lam.

James M. Stephens

Calabaza is the common name of several of the many strains of pumpkins and squashes

grown in the tropics. In Florida, calabaza refers to the Cuban pumpkin, also called

Cuban squash. Other common names reported are auyama, ayote, and zapallo.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/images/270082754

Luffa GourdsFuzzy Gourd

Snake GourdAfrican Horned Melon

Angled Loofah

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Heirloom Tomatoes

Cherry and Grape

Tomatoes

Specialty Peppers

Okra

Specialty Onions

Green Bunching Onions

• Shallots (Bunching Onion)– Actually a separate species

that are sweeter and milder than other onions

– Often used to refer to any onion grown to be harvested and eaten when immature

• Green onions– Shoots of immature

common onions

Leeks (Allium ampeloprasum vr.

porrum)

Introduction

▪ Native to Mediterranean

region

▪ Differences from onion

and garlic

▪ Milder in flavor

▪ Do not form a bulb

▪ Have a thick fleshy stalk

Garlic

• Two distinct

subspecies within

varieties

• Softneck vs. hardneck

garlic

– Hardneck garlic reputed

to have a deeper, more

full-bodied flavor than

softneck garlic

– Hardneck garlic

produces less per acre

than softneck

Edible Flowers

Other Specialty

Vegetables

Native Fruits and Nuts for the

Chesapeake Region

Dr. Gordon Johnson

Extension Fruit and Vegetable Specialist

Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

University of Delaware

Vegetable types and varieties• variation within

species/subspecies

• often multiple forms -shapes, colors, textures

• species vs kind vs variety vs strain

• within a kind usually multiple varieties

• varieties may have different strains

• open pollinated vs hybrid varieties

Choosing Vegetable Types and Varieties• Climatic and geographical

adaptation

• Disease resistance, other pest resistance

• Quality factors

• Yield

• Seasonal adaptation

• Vigor, growth potential, competitiveness

• Maturity

Selecting Vegetables

• Decisions, decisions,

decisions

– What vegetables to

grow?

– What cultivars to use?

– When and where to

plant the vegetable?

Selecting Cultivars

Once you have decided on specific vegetables you need to decide on which cultivars to grow▪ There are often hundreds of different

cultivars available for each vegetable species

▪ Variety and Cultivar are often used interchangeably▪ Are different from a botanical standpoint

▪ Varieties are botanical subdivisions within a species

▪ Example

▪ Corn is the species Zea mays

▪ Sweet corn is a variety of corn

Selecting Cultivars

• Cultivars are plants within varieties that breeders have developed and that are distinct from each other.– New cultivars are generally bred

for commercial growers

• Two major categories of vegetable cultivars are:– Open pollinated

– Hybrids

Supersweet 100 F1

Description: Our Sweetest Tomato

70 Days (Indeterminate). Exceptionally

sweet and high in Vitamin C, this

improved Sweet 100 type is ideal for

home gardening. Each plant produces

hundreds of small cherry tomatoes in

clusters, and has better disease

resistance. For super yields and taste,

try Supersweet 100! Resistant to F1 and

Vt.

Selecting Cultivars• Open-pollinated vegetables

– Plants are left to become pollinated on their own

– Are often older or heirloom cultivars

– It is important that the cultivar “breed true”

• Offspring resemble their parents in all important characteristics

– The breeding system of the vegetable will determine if an open-pollinated vegetable “breeds true”

• Self-pollinated vegetables

– Will produce 90% or more offspring that are true to type

• Cross-pollinated vegetables

– To ensure the plants breed true, you must carefully control the parents

Bush Blue Lake 274

Description: 58 Days. Developed from the famous

vining Blue Lake, this easier-to-pick version

produces over a longer season than other bush beans

and brings back the meatiness, color and flavor of the

'good old days'. The 6" long pods are dark green and

resistant to common and NY15 strains of bean

common mosaic virus. Seeds are white and slow to

develop, maintaining a long, smooth pod of delicious

quality.

Selecting Cultivars

• Hybrid vegetable cultivars– Definition: A cultivar resulting

from a cross between two different true breeding (referred to as inbred) parents

– Most new vegetable cultivars are hybrids

– Advantages

• They are vigorous

– Hybrid vigor: a synergistic increase in vigor of the plant due to the combination of widely diverse genetic traits

– Higher yielding

• They are apparently uniform

• Often bred for disease resistance

Premium Crop F1

Description: 65 Days. For heavy yields of

delicious, tender broccoli, try Premium

Crop. Recommended for fall, this hybrid

produces broad, tight-budded heads, often

8”-9“ across, that hold in prime condition

exceptionally well. Mainly a single-headed

type, Premium Crop produces few side-

shoots, but is a most dependable, uniform

producer overall. Tolerant to downy

mildew.

Selecting Cultivars

• Hybrid cultivars

– Disadvantages

• Mainly bred for commercial

growers

• Mature at same time

• Can not collect seed, must

purchase new seed each

yearSilver King F1

Description: 82 Days (se). For those

home gardeners who have enjoyed the

quality of Silver Queen over the years,

then consider this improvement. Silver

King matures 10-12 days earlier and it

has improved eating quality. Sturdy, 6'

plants produce fancy 8" ears of

excellent quality. It picks quite easily

and has very good disease tolerance. A

home garden winner!

Selecting Cultivars• There are some specialized

cultivars within either open-pollinated or hybrid categories– Heirloom cultivars

• Definition: A cultivar that has been passed down generation to generation

– “Anasazi” corn: found in a Utah cave and is thought to be more than 800 years old

• There are a number of nonprofit organizations working with people who want to preserve heirloom plants.

Brandywine (OG)(Lycopersicon esculentum)

Is this Amish heirloom the best-tasting

tomato? We have not tasted better.

Very large, often over 1 lb., the fruits have a deep

pink skin and red flesh, and mature midseason.

Brandywine's luscious flavor is described in our

notes as "very rich, loud, and distinctively spicy."

This taste might be hard to describe, but it can be

readily experienced. The medium-tall, potato-leaf

plant is best staked or caged. Famous

Quisenberry strain. Indeterminate. Organically

grown. Mini: 40 seeds.

Days to Maturity: 78

Selecting Cultivars

• All American Selections

– Cultivars that perform well

in trials conducted

throughout the country

– Problems

• Not all cultivars included

• May not do well in a

specific locations

• May not have

characteristics desired by

gardener

Selecting Cultivars

Garlic two distinct subspecies

• Softneck garlic

– Type sold in stores

• Hardneck garlic

– Reputed to have a deeper, more full bodied flavor than softneck garlic

Small Fruits

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Gordon Johnson

Vegetable and Fruit Specialist

University of Delaware

Cooperative Extension

Obtaining Plants• Purchase plants from

a reputable nursery

• True to name

• Disease free

• Virus indexed

• Don’t save, don’t share

• Arrange for proper delivery date

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Strawberry Varieties for DE

• June bearing– Earliglow

– Annapolis

– Allstar

– Darselect

– Delmarvel

– Redchief

– Ovation

– Latestar

– Flavorfest

– Chandler

– Sweet Charlie

• Day neutral– Tribute

– Tristar

– Seascape

– Albion

– San Andreas

Recommended Red Raspberry Cultivars for DE

• Summer Bearing• Early

• Esta

• Lauren

• Moutere

• Reveille

• Prelude**

• Midseason

• Amos

• Killarney

• Latham

• Nova

• Fall Bearing• Early

• Jaclyn

• Caroline **

• Joan J

• Polka

• Midseason

• Autumn Britten

• Late

• Josephine

Blackberry VarietiesErect and Semi Erect

• Thornless Floricane

• Chester

• Triple Crown

• Navaho

• Arapaho

• Ouachita

• Apache

• Natchez

• Doyles

• Primocane

• Prime Ark45 (thorny)

• Freedom (thornless)

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Blueberries

Gordon Johnson

University of Delaware

Cooperative Extension

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Variety Standard or Season Fruit Size Fruit Fruit Flavor Yield Plant

Recent/Trial Color Firmness Vigor/Stature

Bluetta Standard Early Medium Blue black Soft Fair High Compact

Earliblue* Standard Early Large Light blue Firm Fair Moderate Vigorous

Weymouth Standard Early Medium Dark blue Soft Good High Average

Chanticleer Recent/Trial Very Early Medium Light blue Firm Good Moderate Upright, Medium

Polaris Recent/Trial Early Medium Light blue Medium Good Moderate Small

Sunrise Recent/Trial Early Medium Blue black Medium Good High Moderate Vigor

Bluehaven Standard Early-Mid Large Light blue Medium Very good High Upright

Bluejay Standard Early-Mid Medium Light blue Firm Good Moderate Vigorous, Upright

Blueray Standard Early-Mid Large Dark blue Firm Good Very High Vigorous

Collins Standard Early-Mid Large Light blue Firm Very good Moderate Vigorous, Upright

Duke* Standard Early-Mid Medium Light blue Firm Good High Vigorous, Upright

Patriot* Standard Early-Mid Large Dark blue Firm Very good High Upright, Medium

Spartan Standard Early-Mid Large Light blue Firm Very good High Vigorous, Upright

Draper Recent/Trial Early-Mid Large Light blue Firm Very good High Vigorous, Upright

Nui Recent/Trial Early-Mid Very Large Light blue Firm Good Moderate Spreading

Reka Recent/Trial Early-Mid Medium Dark blue Firm Good High Vigorous, Upright

Blueberry Varieties – Early, Early-Mid

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Variety Standard or Season Fruit Size Fruit Fruit Flavor Yield Plant

Recent/Trial Color Firmness Vigor/Stature

Elizabeth Standard Mid Large Light blue Soft Excellent Moderate Vigorous, Upright

Northland Standard Mid Medium Dark blue Soft Good High Bushy

Bluegold Recent/Trial Mid Medium Light blue Firm Good Very High Bushy

Legacy Recent/Trial Mid Medium Light blue Very firm Very good Very High Vigorous, Upright

Puru Recent/Trial Mid Med-Large Light blue Firm Excellent Moderate Moderate vigor

Chippewa Recent/Trial Mid Med-Large Light blue Firm Excellent Moderate Compact

Toro Recent/Trial Mid Large Light blue Firm Good Very High Vigorous, Upright

Berkeley Standard Mid-Late Very large Light blue Firm Fair Moderate Tall, Spreading

Darrow* Standard Mid-Late Very large Light blue Firm Very good Moderate Upright

Rubel Standard Mid-Late Small Med. blue Firm Fair Very High Erect, Upright

Bonus Recent/Trial Mid-Late Very large Light blue Firm Good Moderate Upright, Open

Brigetta Recent/Trial Mid-Late Large Light blue Firm Very good Moderate Vigorous, Upright

Chandler Recent/Trial Mid-Late Jumbo Dark blue Medium Excellent High Vigorous, Upright

Nelson Recent/Trial Mid-Late Large Light blue Firm Very good High Vigorous, Upright

Ozarkblue Recent/Trial Mid-Late Large Light blue Firm Good High Moderate vigor

Sierra Recent/Trial Mid-Late Medium Light blue Firm Excellent Moderate Vigorous, Upright

Blueberry Varieties – Mid, Mid-Late

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Variety Standard or Season

Fruit

Size Fruit Fruit Flavor Yield Plant

Recent/Trial Color Firmness Vigor/Stature

Elliott* Standard Late Small Light blue Very Firm Good-Tart Very High Vigorous, Upright

Jersey* Standard Late Medium Light blue Firm Good High Vigorous, Erect

Lateblue Standard Late Medium Dark blue Firm Good-Tart Moderate Upright, Open

Aurora Recent/Trial Late Medium Med. Blue Firm Good-Tart High Upright

Liberty Recent/Trial Late Medium Med. Blue Firm Good High Upright

Blueberry Varieties - Late

The Home Vineyard

Gordon Johnson

University of Delaware

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Peaches & Nectarines

• Freestone

• Cling

• Yellow

• White

• Yellow Nectarines

• White Nectarines

• Subacid vs standard

• Pillar vs standard

• Peento types

Varieties• Season sequence

• Season extension

• Quality factors

• Taste, Texture

• Firmness

• Disease resistance

• Bacterial spot

• End use

• Specialty types

• Nursery sources

• Recommended varieties

Main season IRedhaven Period

SalemJohn Boy

Klondike White

White

Lady

Main Season II

Loring

Contender

BountySugar Giant

Plums

• European and Japanese types

• Many require cross pollination

• With variety selection can harvest similar period to peaches

• Similar culture to peaches but are pruned differently

Japanese Plum

Varieties

• Early (July)• Au Amber • Early Golden • Methley • Shiro • Au Rosa • Santa Rosa

• Mid Season (August)• Black Amber • Satsuma• Vanier• Queen Rosa • Fortune • Black Ruby• Red Ace• Redheart• Ozark Premier• Formosa

• Late (September)• Elephant Heart • Ruby Queen • Friar • South Dakota

Methley

European Plum

Varieties

• Earliblue – July 24

• Castleton - August 3

• Mohawk – August 10

• Richards Early Italian – August 15

• Green Gage – August 15

• Stanley - August 21

• Brooks – August 21

• Valor – August 21

• Long John – August 23

• Victory Plum – August 23

• Bluefre – August 28

• Italian – September 5

• Vision Plum - September 2

• President - September 12Stanley

Cherry Types

Sour Cherry Varieties

• Jubileum

• Danube

• Montmorency

• Surefire

• Balaton

• Northstar

Balaton

Danube

Sweet Cherry Varieties

• Summit • Kristin • Ulster • Black Gold • Schmidt's Bigarreau • Lapins • Hedelfingen • Sweetheart • Hudson • Regina • Cavalier• Chelan• Index• Sam• Benton• Glacier• Nelson• Skeena• Attika • Whitegold (light)• Stardust (light) • Emperor Francis (yellow)• Gold (yellow)Emperor Francis

Ulster

Apricots

• Very susceptible to frost damage – crop is often lost due to early bloom

• Use NJ new varieties

• Sugar Pearls

• Similar culture to peaches but are pruned differently

Apples, Pears, and Asian Pears – Pome Fruits

Gordon Johnson

University of Delaware

Summer Apples

July and August.

Yellow Transparent - July 2

Yellow Transparent Perrine - July 2

Lodi - July 4

Pristine - July 10

William's Pride - July 15

Redfree - August 5 (1)

Ginger Gold - August 12 (10)

Zestar - August 15

Dandee Red - August 15

Sansa - August 15

Silken

Mollies Delicious - August 22 (10)

Summer Mac - August 22

Summer Rambo - August 25 (5)

Jonamac - August 26

Star Gala - August 26 (25)

Fulford Gala - August 26 Pristine

Fall Apples IEarly September

Crimson Gala - September 2

Gale Gala - September 2

Marshall McIntosh – September 5

Northwest Greening – September 5

Honeycrisp - September 10

Rogers Red McIntosh - September 10

Daybreak Fuji - September 10

Improv. Red Jonathan – Sept. 10 (1)

Pioneer Mac – September 11

Crimson Crisp – September 15

Crimson Gold – September 15

Cortland - September 15

Royal Court – September 15

Ruby Jon – September 15Honeycrisp

Fall Apples IILate September

Macoun – September 17

Liberty - September 17

Crimson Topaz – September 17

Acey Mac – September 20

Jersey Red - September 20

Spartan - September 20

Super Chief Red Delic.- Sept. 20 (1)

Ace Spur Red Delicious – Sept. 20 (1)

Ambrosia - September 20

Jonagold De Coster – Sept. 20 (15)

Acey Mac - September 20

Golden Delicious - September 24 (1)

Galarina - September 25

Snow Sweet – September 25

Grimes Golden - September 26 (1)

Crown Empire - September 28 (10)

Royal Empire - September 28 (10)Jonagold De Coster

Fall Apples IIIOctober

Fortune (NY 429) - October 1

Freedom - October 1

Hampshire Mac - October 1

Shizuka - October 4

Idared - October 4

Melrose - October 4

Autumn Gala - October 4

Northern Spy - October 6

Lady - October 6

Smokehouse - October 6

Virginia Gold - October 10

Cameo - October 10

Law Rome Beauty - October 12

Nittany - October 12

Albemarle Pippen - October 13

Mutsu - October 14 (1)

Suncrisp - October 16

Snapp Stayman - October 20 (1)

Red Yorking - October 20 (15)

Ramey York - October 20 (15)

Red Winesap - October 24 (15)

Enterprise - October 24

Fuji (Red Sport #2) - October 25 (1)

Red Rome 262 - October 26 (15)

Suncrisp

Fall Apples IV - Late

Braeburn - November 1 (10/15)

Arkansas Black - November 3

(10/15)

Autumn Rose Fuji - November 4

(10/20)

Granny Smith - November 8 (10/15)

Goldrush - November 10 (10/28)

Pink Lady - November 14 (10/28)Goldrush

European Pear Varieties

Moonglow

Beurre

D’Anjou

Magness

Blakes Pride

Asian Pears

• Fertility requirements not high.

• Adapted to a range of:

• Soils.

• Climates.

• Fewer pest problems than other tree fruits.

Fireblight Resistance

• Highly resistant

• Shinko

• Moderately resistant

• Chojuro

• Shinsei

• Korean Giant

• Yoinashi