New Edibles at Spring Trials
We’ve already gone through the many annuals and perennials that made their debut in California this spring (see the June and July issues of GPN). But this month, we’d like to focus on some of the vegetables, fruits and herbs that are increasing in popularity.
Whether you already grow edibles or are new to the category, here are some brand new varieties worth considering.
Basil ‘Pesto Bambino Purple’
Hort Couture
Bambino Purple features a unique plant shape and attractive dark color. It is a great option to add to any sunny container to add texture and fragrance. Finished height is 8 to 12 inches.
Basil ‘Pesto Party’
Burpee
‘Pesto Party’ is to be the latest-flowering basil from seed with intermediate resistance to downy mildew. It exhibits a well-branched and full habit, with tons of leaves that offer sweet flavor.
Cucumber ‘Gherking’
PanAmerican Seed
‘Gherking’ is an early, bitter-free pickling cucumber with intermediate resistance to powdery and downy mildew. It reaches a height of 6 to 12 inches and spreads 4 to 6 feet.
Pepper ‘Takara’
Sakata
Part of Sakata’s Home Grown collection, ‘Takara’ is a hybrid shishito pepper with tons of quality fruit and mild but rich flavor. It has a compact habit with extended harvest potential, and is an outstanding variety for containers and small space gardens.
Strawberry ‘Bubble Berry’
Pacific Plug & Liner
This novelty strawberry follows the popular ‘Hula Berry’, which is white in color and has a pineapple flavor. The new ‘Bubble Berry’ is a pink strawberry with a bubblegum flavor.
Strawberry ‘Delizz’
ABZ Seeds
‘Delizz’ develops quickly a compact plant with many upright flower trusses. It produces numerous conical, mid-sized strawberries all summer long. The fruit flavor is deliciously sweet.
Strawberry ‘Sweet Kiss’
Ball Ingenuity
An ever-bearing strawberry, ‘Sweet Kiss’ yields large, dark red fruit from June until frost. It has a great flavor and grows 6 to 8 inches tall with a 24 to 36 inch spread.
Tomato ‘Sweet Valentine’
Hem Genetics
An experimental variety, ‘Sweet Valentine’ produces tons of sweet heart-shaped fruit. It will present well at retail, and make for a great gift item around Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day.
Tomato Take 2 combos
Burpee
Take 2 combinations are the perfect container solution for small-space gardens. Three combinations are available: Lights, Camera and Action. Each has a slicing type and a small- fruited type that have been trialed together for habit and timing. ‘Take 2 Lights’ is pictured, which features ‘BushSteak’ and ‘Patio Choice Yellow’.
Tomato ‘Red Robin’
Sakata
‘Red Robin’ is a dwarf plant bearing small tomatoes, approximately 1 inch in diameter. It is suitable for small pots, hanging baskets and patio containers. Fruits turn bright red about 100 days after sowing.