The annual Vegetable Cultivar and Cultural Trials, a publication prepared for Saskat-chewan’s commercial vegetable growers, could be the bible of home gardeners as well.
This document, its colorful cover a promise of the bounty ahead, is the result of 17 years of vegetable cultivar evaluations and cultural trials conducted annually by staff of the vegetable program at the University of Saskatchewan’s plant sciences department.
The 1999 edition offers a list of recommended varieties of 29 vegetables, from beans, beets and broccoli to watermelon, winter squash and zucchini.
The recommendations are based on trials at Outlook, Sask., and Saskatoon from 1989 to 1999.
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The name and address of seed suppliers are also listed.
Ten of these vegetable crops underwent extensive trials in 1999, and the results are listed in detail.
Doug Waterer, a vegetable crop specialist in the university’s plant sciences department, said gardeners viewing the trial charts should keep in mind last year’s growing season was generally moist and cool.
“Because of last year’s weather, for example, we had beautiful celery in 1999,” he said.
“On the other hand, of the 62 red-fleshed watermelon and six yellow-fleshed, only three reached maturity. While this certainly reflects last year’s weather, it also says something about growing watermelon in Saskatchewan.
“The watermelon trials are a classic case of ‘grow what is adapted to this province.’ “
Seed catalogues may list a variety as early maturing, but gardeners have to pay attention to where the catalogue originated. Early in South Carolina is not necessarily early in Saskatchewan.
The vegetables chosen for extensive trials – watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are fruit but, agronomically, are considered vegetables – are a response to the needs of Saskatchewan’s commercial growers.
Many varieties of corn, for example, are tried because of consumer demand for the vegetable and the fact that the release of new varieties is ongoing.
Interest in rutabaga, on the other hand, is low.
There are also consumer trends to consider.
“This year, for the first time, we conducted trials on hot peppers because the growers reported that interest in this vegetable has skyrocketed,” he said.
“And, despite the cool, wet growing season, most of the pepper cultivars produced marketable green peppers.”
There is also much interest in beets.
“There is a perception that a beet is a beet is a beet,” Waterer said.
“But the industry has come up with new colors that range from orange to purple, and shapes that vary from round to carrot-like.”
Although these are novelty items, it is important to have something new to excite the customer at the supermarket, market garden and home garden.
Waterer looked at 29 varieties of beets last year.
“But I always encourage growers to use our trials and recommendations as a basis for experimentation,” he said.
“Stick with their favorites but plant a row of something new to find out if it works in their particular environment or fits their consumer’s idea of what tastes good.”
Don’t give up
Waterer also encouraged home gardeners to seek out the recommended varieties. If local stores or garden centres don’t carry them, he suggested writing to the seed supplier and also making requests at the local store.
To obtain a copy of Vegetable Cultivar and Cultural Trials 1999, write to the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, S7N 5A8. The cost is $3.
The same addresses may be used to obtain an abbreviated copy Ð the top five recommendations for each of 29 vegetables Ð at no cost except a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
