WW-01425     Reviewed 2009  

Suggested Vegetable Varieties for Home Gardeners

Mike Zins, David Wildung, Jackie Smith, and Robert M. Olen

Copyright ©  2012  Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.

The following list of vegetable varieties is suggested for Minnesota gardeners. Included on the list are varieties that have been successful in test trials in Minnesota. A presence of a variety on the list does not imply endorsement by the University of Minnesota Extension Service, nor does an absence imply criticism. Since some of the varieties may be better adapted to specific climatic conditions, growers need to look at days to maturity as well as other growing conditions.

The varieties are listed in order of increasing days to maturity. The days to maturity should be used as a relative guide for comparing the length of time needed to successfully grow each variety. The cooler the climate, the longer it takes for maturity and crops grown in northern Minnesota will take longer to produce mature crops. Those varieties with an asterisk are suggested for northern Minnesota. The days to maturity for most vegetable varieties will be given from direct seeding. Other vegetables are usually transplanted and the days to maturity will be given from transplant time. If you are in doubt about the frost-free days and growing season in your area, contact your local county Extension Service.

Asparagus	Bean, Dry	Bean, Bush, Green	Bean, Bush, Lima	Bean, Bush, Purple	Bean, Bush, Yellow
Bean, Pole	Beet, Cylindra	Beet, Globe	Broccoli	Brussels Sprouts	Cabbage, Chinese
Cabbage, Green	Cabbage, Red	Cabbage, Savoy	Carrot	Cauliflower	Celeriac
Chard	Chicory, Radicchio	Corn, SE (Sugar Enhanced)	Corn, SH2 (Shrunken Super Sweets)	Corn, Popping	Cucumber, Pickling
Cucumber, Slicer	Eggplant	Kale	Kohlrabi	Leek	Lettuce, Butterhead
Lettuce, Head	Lettuce, Leaf	Lettuce, Romaine	Melon, Honeydew	Muskmelon	Okra
Onion, Bulb	Onion, Green Bunching	Parsley	Parsnip	Pea, Garden	Pea, Snap
Pea, Snow	Pepper, Hot	Pepper, Sweet (Ripening to Red	Pepper, Sweet (Ripening to Yellow or Brown)	Potato	Potato, Sweet
Pumpkin, Field	Pumpkin, Mini	Pumpkin, Pie	Radish, Fall	Radish, Spring	Rhubarb, Root
Rutabaga	Salad Greens	Spinach	Squash, Summer	Squash, Winter, Vining	Squash, Winter, Bush
Tomato, Small	Tomato, Regular	Turnip	Watermelon

Vegetable Variety	Days to Maturity From Transplant:
ASPARAGUS
*Mary Washington
Jersey Giant
*Viking KB3
table of contents
BEAN, DRY
*French Horticultural	65
Great Northern	85
*Jacob's Cattle	88
*Soldier	89
Mung	90
Navy	90
Pinto	91
Red Kidney	95
table of contents
BEAN, BUSH, GREEN
Straight N' Narrow	49
*Provider	50
Romano	50
Green Ruler	51
*Greencrop	53
*Jade	53
*Strike	54
Tavera	54
*Derby	55
Romanette	55
*Bush Blue Lake 274	56
Mon Petit Cheri	58
table of contents
BEAN, BUSH, LIMA (southern 1/3 of state only)
Henderson	65
Jackson Wonder
table of contents
BEAN, BUSH, PURPLE
*Royal Burgundy	51
*Purple Queen	55
table of contents
BEAN, BUSH, YELLOW
Roc D'or	54
Dorabel	54
*Goldcrop	55
Rocquencourt	55
*Goldkist	58
Wax Romano	59
Dragon's Tongue	65
table of contents
BEAN, POLE
Early Riser	43
Northeaster	56
Kentucky Blue	58
*Blue Lake	63
*Kentucky Wonder	65
Liana	72
table of contents
BEET, CYLINDRA
*Formanova	55
Cylindra	65
table of contents
BEET, GLOBE
*Ruby Queen	52
*Red Ace	54
*Pacemaker II	58
table of contents
BROCCOLI
Munchkin	28
Early Dividend	43
Bonanza	50
*Packman	65
*Premium Crop	82
*Arcadia	86
*Captain
*Patriot
table of contents
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Masterline	75
*Prince Marvel	83
*Jade Cross	95
table of contents
CABBAGE, CHINESE
Blues	50
Kasumi	65
table of contents
CABBAGE, GREEN
Polar Green	56
*Early Jersey Wakefield	65
*Dynamo	65
Stonehead	67
*Market Topper	73
Green Boy	75
Stonehold	77
Copenheaven	80
Discovery	80
Fortuna	82
table of contents
CABBAGE, RED
Salad Delight	50
*Red Dynastyv	76
*Meteorv	80
Red Express	80
table of contents
CABBAGE, SAVOY
Savoy Ace	75
Savoy King	83
Midvoy	87
Savoy Chieftain	90
table of contents
CARROT
*Nanco	57
Touchon	60
*Scarlet Nantes	62
A Plus
*Chantenay	68
Sweet Sunshine	72
Bolero	73
Nutri-Red	80
*Apache
*Vita Sweet 781
table of contents
CAULIFLOWER
Silver Cup	40
*Snow Crown	48
Purplehead	56
*Fremont	65
*Andes	67
*White Sails	68
*Candid Charm	75
Violet Queen	80
Stardust	80
table of contents
CELERIAC
Large Prague	112
table of contents
CHARD (or Swiss Chard)
*Bright Lights	60
*Lucullus	60
Perpetual	60
*Rhubarb	60
table of contents
CHICORY, RADICCHIO
Rossa di Chioggia	70
table of contents
CORN, SE (Sugar Enhanced)
Seneca Arrowhead	Bi	62
Seneca Pronto	Yel	65
*Quickie	Bi	65
Seneca Sensation	Wt	70
Temptation	Bi	72
Ambrosia	Bi	75
*Bodacious		75
*Mystique	Bi	75
Alpine	Wt	77
For Heaven's Sake	Yel	uneven
*Delectable	Bi	82
Argent	Wt	86
table of contents
CORN, SH2 (Shrunken Super Sweets) [Must isolate from other sweet corn types to prevent cross-pollination which would affect the flavor.]
*Northern Super Sweet		68
*Early Extra Super Sweet		70
Bufterfruit	Bi	76
*Honey 'N' Pearl germ. problems	Bi	78
Even Sweeter	Wt	82
Dazzle	Bi	83
Treasure	Wt	83
Phenomenal	Bi	85
*Krispy King
*Candy Corner
table of contents
CORN, POPPING
Pretty Pops	95
Iopop 12	98
table of contents
CUCUMBER, PICKLING
Patio Pickle	50
*Northern Pickling	52
Cool Breeze	55
*Eureka	56
H-19 Arkansas Little Leaf	62
*Liberty	65
table of contents
CUCUMBER, SLICER
*Dasher II	46
Spacemaster	51
*Victory	50
*Marketmore 76	57
*Sweet Slice	62
*Fanfare	63
Marketmore 86	65
table of contents
EGGPLANT
Cloud Nine	54
Green Goddess	56
*Ichiban	58
*Dusky	69
Burpee Hybrid	70
Vittoria	76
Ghostbuster	95
table of contents
KALE
Winterbor
table of contents
KOHLRABI
Kolibri	43
*Grand Duke	50
*Early White Vienna	55
*Early Purple Vienna	60
table of contents
LEEK
Electra	130
Large American Flag	130
table of contents
LETTUCE, BUTTERHEAD
Kagraner Sommer	53
*Buttercrunch	65
Tom Thumb	65
table of contents
LETTUCE, HEAD
Rosy	55
Mini-Green	75
Summertime	75
Burpee's Iceberg	85
table of contents
LETTUCE, LEAF
Oakleaf	45
Grand Rapids	45
Black-Seeded Simpson	48
Red Sails	48
Lolla Rossa Atsina	50
table of contents
LETTUCE, ROMAINE
Little Gem	50
Romulus	50
Cosmo	60
table of contents
MELON, HONEYDEW
*Earlidew	73
Honey-I-Dew	90
table of contents
MUSKMELON
*Earlisweet	68
Earligold	72
*Earliqueen	73
Fastbreak	80
French Orange	80
Rocky Sweet	80
Touchdown	85
*Burpee Hybrid	82
*Superstar	86
*Athena
table of contents
OKRA	DAYS
Cajun Delight	49
Burgundy	60
table of contents
ONION, BULB (May be used for storage)
Greek Salad	97
Superstar	97
Candy	102
Big Daddy	109
Big Mama	109
Sweet Spanish	110
Sweet Sandwich	110
Red Burgermaster	111
*Yellow Sweet Spanish	120
*Frontier
*Stuttgarter (from sets)
table of contents
ONION, GREEN BUNCHING
Tokyo Long White
White Lisbon	60
table of contents
PARSLEY
Pagoda	75
Krausa	75
Plain Italian	78
Moss Curled
table of contents
PARSNIP
All-America	105
Hollow Crown	115
*Harris' Model	120
table of contents
PEA, GARDEN
Knight	56
Maestro	57
*Sparkle	60
*Green Arrow	62
Wando	70
*Mr. Big	72
table of contents
PEA, SNAP (eat pod when plump)
*Sugar Snap	68
Super Sugar Mel	71
*Sugar Daddy germ. probs	74
table of contents
PEA, SNOW (eat pod before peas swell)
Oregon Sugar Pod	58
Little Sweetie	58
Super Sugar Pod	58
Mammoth Melting Sugar	63
table of contents
PEPPER, HOT
Thai Hot	42
Super Cayenne	60
*Mitla	65
Big Chile	68
Tam Mild Jalapeno	70
Thai Hot Dragon	70
Faijita Bell	80
Mucho Nacho	90
table of contents
PEPPER, SWEET (ripening to Red)
*Superset	60
*Ace	60
*Park's Early Thickset	60
Ma Belle	65
*Gypsy	65
*Northstar	65
Super Red Pimento	70
Lady Bell	71
Fat N' Sassy	80
*Red Start
*Crispy
*Green Boy
*Islander
table of contents
PEPPER, SWEET (ripening to Yellow or Brown)
*Sweet Chocolate	58
Sunrise Orange	60
Golden Bell	68
Golden Calwonder
table of contents
POTATO (Check local sources for whole seed.)
Carola
*Gold Rush
*Kennebec
*Norland, Red
Red Pontiac
*Superior
*Yukon Gold
table of contents
POTATO, SWEET
Centennial
Georgia Jet
Porto Rico
Vardaman
table of contents
PUMPKIN, FIELD
*Rocket	95
Howden	110
Lumina	110
Connecticut Field	115
Big Max	120
*Funny Face
*Harvest Moon
*Ghost Rider
*Long Face
table of contents
PUMPKIN, MINI
*Wee-b-Little	85
*Munchkin	100
Baby Bear	105
table of contents
PUMPKIN, PIE
Triple Treat	110
*Oz
*Trickster
table of contents
RADISH, FALL
All Seasons White	45
Summer Cross	55
April Cross	60
Red Meat	74
Misato Green	79
table of contents
RHUBARB, ROOT
Chipmans Canada Red
Valentine
table of contents
RADISH, SPRING
*Scarlet Knight	23
Cheriette	24
*Cherry Belle	24
Red King	25
*Champion	28
Pink Beauty	29
*White Icicle	30
table of contents
RUTABAGA
*American Purple Top	90
Laurentian	90
table of contents
SALAD GREENS
Kyona/Mizuna	40
Tendergreens (Mustard)	30
Green Cured Ruffec (Endive)	93
Tatsoi	45
table of contents
SPINACH
Indian Summer	30
Malabar (Basella)	35
Tyee	39
Bloomsdale Longstanding	42
Correnta	45
table of contents
SQUASH, SUMMER
*Eight Ball	40
*Zucchini Select	47
Elite	48
Spacemiser	50
*Gold Rush	50
*Burpee Hybrid	50
Sunburst	50
Zephyr	54
table of contents
SQUASH, WINTER, VINING
Early Buftemut	75
*Table Ace	78
Festival	84
*Sweet Mama	85
*Ponca	85
*Carnival	85
Table Queen	85
*Buttercup	90
Baby Blue Hubbard	95
Ambercup	95
*Blue Ballet	95
Sweet Meat	95
table of contents
SQUASH, WINTER, BUSH
Cream of the Crop	85
table of contents
TOMATO, Small Fruited/container/paste types
*Tumbler	48
*Patio Hybrid	50
*Early Cascade	55
*Oregon Spring	60
Juliet	60
Vita Gold	63
*Sweet Million	65
Sweet Chelsea	67
Container Choice	69
*Sweet 100	70
Viva Italia	72
Square Paste	74
table of contents
TOMATO regular size fruit/beefsteak
Quick Pick	60
Bush Celebrity	63
*Johnny's 361	65
*Redrider	65
OG50 Whopper	65
*Roadside Red	65
*Sunrise	37
Golden Girl	72
Mountain Pride	75
*Celebrity	76
Lemon Boy	80
Supersteak	80
Brandywine	80
Golden Jubilee	83
*Royal Mountie
*Sunshine
*Sunstart
table of contents
TURNIP
Tokyo Cross Hybrid	32
*Purple Top White Globe	58
table of contents
WATERMELON
*Festival	75
*Sugar Baby	84
Jubilation	106
*New Queen
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Mike Zins is associate professor and assistant extension horticulturist, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum; David Wildung is a professor and horticulturist, North Central Experiment Station, Grand Rapids; Steven R. Poppe, is a research plot coordinator, West Central Experiment Station, Morris; and Robert M. Olen is a county extension educator, Agriculture, St. Louis County, Duluth. The authors acknowledge the assistance of Arvo Kallio, Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota, and Minnesota Master Gardeners in revising this publication

Produced by Communication and Educational Technology Services, University of Minnesota Extension.

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