HO-101
YARD AND GARDEN
HORTICULTURE DEPARTMENT COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE PURDUE UNIVERSITY WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA 47907
RECOMMENDED VEGETABLE VARIETIES
John A. Wott, Extension home environment horticulturist, and Juliann Chamberlain, Extension assistant, home environment horticulture
What vegetables should I raise this year? Shall I try something different? Which varieties are best? Where will I be able to find seed of the newer varieties? This publication answers some of these most often asked questions.
Many vegetables are started from seed, but certain kinds, such as asparagus and rhubarb, are propagated by crowns and roots. Still others, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes, are more conveniently started from transplants than from seed. Onions may be started from “sets,” from seed orfrom “slips” (small plants). Strawberries should be started from plants.
Generally, seeds and plants can be purchased from local supply centers, plant growers, greenhouse operators, and grocery and hardware stores. With newer varieties or unusual types, however, seed and plants may not always be available locally. For this reason, a general listing of seed and plant sources is included at the end of this publication. Companies will be glad to supply catalogs and price lists upon request. Order early to insure the availability of varieties of your choice.
To help you plan, plant, and care for your garden, related gardening publications are listed in a later section. For complete assistance in planning your vegetable garden, use a computer! Most Indiana county Cooperative ; Extension Service offices have a computer program which can help you plan yourgarden, if you supply certain information, such as the names of the vegetables you wish to grow, the size of your family’s needs, etc. Find your local Cooperative Extension agent under the county government listing of the telephone book. Ask him about the FACTS (Fast Agricultural Communications Terminal System) computer program on gardening, called FX-4, “Home Vegetable Garden Planning Program.”

Asparagus
A very early spring vegetable that comes up year after year. It’s good for home freezing and tall enough to serve as a hedge in summer. Wait two years before cutting the first crop of spears. Plant roots rather than seeds for an earlier first crop.
Variety Sourcef	Disease Tolerance	Other
Brock’s Imperial PA/HB	Rust	Produces excellent, extra
Hybrid		long stalks in quick succession
Mary Washington BP/FS/HF/CH	Rust	Thick, green, straight spears. Good yields
Mary Washington ST	Rust	Medium green color,
Improved		good fresh or frozen
Paradise PA	Rust	Large crisp tender stalks, fine and mild
Viking 2K ST	Fusarium	Seeds specially selected for disease tolerance and vigor
Waltham Wash- SDY ington	Rust	Good yields
+The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Ms. Barbara Hagood and Dr. Walt Stevenson in preparing this publication.
fSources for seeds and plants listed in this publication are intended only as a general guide for the public, and the list is not intended to be all-inclusive. Sources are listed at the end of this publication.
+Plants which exhibit tolerance to certain diseases have been specified to aid you in selecting vegetable varieties. In some cases, however, conclusive information is not available regarding disease tolerance. In this situation, the "Disease Tolerance" column has been left blank.