The importance of varieties

[Colin Miles]

This sort of leads on from the compact v traditional debate - which is what sparked this. One of the first questions I usually ask someone when looking at their veg is, what variety is it? I reckon that 19 times out of 20 the answer is, I don't know. And in about half the cases they haven't even got a record of it.

I think it is very important to try to educate newcomers into the fact that not all varieties are equal, and that some will perform better than others in certain conditions, and particularly in regard to earliness. I always remember one allotmenteer who grew this fine crop of tomatoes. They were Moneymaker - fine for the greenhouse, but never likely to ripen outdoors unless you get a really hot summer when the temperatures are averaging over 60F for a considerable part of day and night. Perhaps he made a lot of green chutney.

Disease resistance is also very important - I was interested to see that the allotmenteers along the road have taken on the message re blight and quite a few are growing Sarpo varieties, though I am not sure that they are all aware of this!

[Beryl]

I do agree with you Colin but very hard to educate newcomers. I gave one of our new plotholders some Foremost potatoes to try as I have such a good crop this year. When I explained what they were etc. the reply was a shrug of the shoulders and 'a potato is a potato'. Although she did say how much she enjoyed them so that was something.

Beryl.

[solway cropper]

I agree, Colin and Beryl. It's amazing how many newcomers, used to a diet of supermarket food, do believe that a potato is a potato or a tomato is a tomato. You really need to try as many varieties as possible in order to find a) what you like to eat and b)what suits your conditions. There's not many GYOers in our village but I'm trying to convince them of the benefits. I've given my next door neighbour some tomato plants for the last two years and he's actually realized that not only do some toms look different to others they actually taste different!

[FelixLeiter]

Most beginners grow varieties from seed that they buy from the gardening centre, and at most of these the choice is poor, usually limited to whatever T&M are trying to push that particular year, for better or worse. Or they'll plump for varieties that have been mentioned by some media booby, in the Sunday papers or on the telly. Old hands know that different varieties perform differently in different parts of the country, in different soils and in indifferent summers. Finding out the right fit for your conditions takes quite a bit of work and a lot of experience. When the beginner moves from being a tyro to an old hand, it's only then that they develop the confidence to be able to make those choices. The gardening community can help guide them in the right direction. It's important to emphasise the sense in growing more than one variety each year: if one variety fails or performs poorly, the other may succeed.
It took me a while to come around to the differences between potatoes, further than them being first early, early and maincrop. I now grow Duke of York as a new potato, Catriona for exhibiting (the eyes have it), Arran Victory for fluffy mash, Marfona for baking and roasting, Charlotte for salad and for chips.

[Colin Miles]

Felix wrote

It's important to emphasise the sense in growing more than one variety each year: if one variety fails or performs poorly, the other may succeed.

which I would heartily endorse, though obviously it is very difficult to manage that in small gardens. Thus I usually try one new runner bean and one old established one - usually Enorma. This year I grew 2 newish ones and am regretting it.