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Veg varieties

NormandyLizNormandyLiz Posts: 788
in Fruit & veg
I'm looking through seed catalogues (again, still). Seed porn for me, I just love veggie seeds. But with all the choice out there, how do you choose seeds? Any recommendations or ones you wouldn't grow again?

My top variety so far this year is the 'Cobra' climbing French bean - long, stringless and very tasty. Definitely to be repeated.

Bottom of the list is 'Purple Magnolia' sugar snap peas. When they said 'best picked before they get too big' they meant 'gets tough to the point of inedible very quickly'. There was the occasion green podded plant that slipped in and they were great. They were all sown and grown together so the problem was definitely the variety.

Posts

  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    I like the scientific objectivity of testing by Gardening Which. I know they only trial a limited number of varieties of each vegetable but I’m happy to pick the one they deem the best from that selection. Their runner bean choices were Celebration and White Lady and for sugar snap peas the recommendation was Cascadia.
    Rutland, England
  • NormandyLizNormandyLiz Posts: 788
    I didn't know about Gardening Which, @BenCotto, but just had a look and you have to join to get the varieties test results. Which is only fair, we expect too much for nothing now, but our budget doesn't stretch to subscriptions, sadly. I'll see if I can hunt down Cascadia sugar snaps, though. 
  • diggersjodiggersjo Posts: 172
    Cobra last 2 years for us as well as Lady Di and Hunter. Really nice mix of beans and flowers...
    Yorkshire, ex Italy and North East coast. Growing too old for it!
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    I can let you know their other recommendations if it helps, @NormandyLiz
    Rutland, England
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    Bearing in mind where you are, Liz, and your linguistic ability, are there not neighbours around who will advise on what they find goes well for them?  The added benefit is that, with things like peas and beans, both of which you mention, someone will have enough spare seed from previous years to donate some to get you started -  even if you only grow a few for 'seed only'.
  • NormandyLizNormandyLiz Posts: 788
    Dovefromabove has found back an old thread

    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1015138/i-will-i-wont-grow-that-again-2018#latest

    That's what I had in mind. We can maybe ignore this one now  :)

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I hope it’s helpful @NormandyLiz  😊 



    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    Don't forget @NormandyLiz that the tried and tested veg grown in the UK may not be available over here since Brexit stopped all that without a phytosanitary cert!
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Also it’s good to check out where folk are if their locations aren’t showing  … varieties doing well here in East Anglia might not/probably won’t do so well for @Fairygirl up near Glasgow. 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    The other good indicator is the RHS  AGM designation.  The Award of Garden Merit, is given to cultivars they trial,  which in their experience is likely to perform well in amateur Garden situations. They also re-test regularly and if a cultivar fails to perform well they will remove the designation.  This happened with the tomato Gardeners delight  a couple of years ago,  and has made several seed companies to introduce new re-bred selections, to restore it.
    AB Still learning

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