This presentation was given March 10, at Oak Gardens in Belgrade, Montana, by Zone 4 Technical Editor-Horticulture, Cheryl Moore-Gough. The outline is repeated here, without photographs, for anyone wishing to read Cheryl's comments and plant recommendations—Ed.
 
Vegetables for the Gallatin Valley 2012

 

Classification by Life Cycle
Perennials

•         Asparagus, Garlic, Artichoke, Pepper, Potato (native), Rhubarb, Tomato

Classification by Life Cycle
Biennials

•         Beet, Broccoli, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chard, Leek, Onion, Parsnip, Turnip

Classification by Life Cycle
Annuals

•         Cucumber, Lettuce, Pea, Potato (temperate climates), Radish, Snap bean, Spinach, Squash, Corn

When to plant?

•        Hardy-4-6 weeks before last frost

–    Peas, lettuce, onion, spinach, kale

 

•        Tender-Just after last frost

–    Snap beans, summer squash, corn, tomato

•        Half-Hardy-2-3 weeks before last frost

–    Beets, carrots, chard, brassicas, potato

•        Very Tender-2 weeks after last frost

–    Cucumber, melons, eggplant, pumpkin, peppers

Direct Seeding

•         Beans

•         Beets

•         Carrot

•         Corn

•         Greens

•         Lettuce

•         Parsley

•         Parsnip

•         Peas

•         Pumpkin

•         Radish, small

•         Radish, daikon

•         Rutabaga

•         Spinach

•         Squash, summer

•         Squash, winter

Why Transplant?

•        Some crops are not propagated by seed

Why Use Transplants?

•        Extend short growing season

•        Force crop production for an early market

•        Eliminates thinning and subsequent damages to crop

•        Crop uniformity

–    Harvest

 

Relative Ease of Transplanting Vegetables

•        Roots of transplants can easily be damaged.  Transplanting success depends upon regeneration ability.  

 

Easy:  Those crops that can rapidly form adventitious roots

Tomatoes, lettuce, Brassicas
 

A Little Tougher

Difficulty regenerating root hairs and tips

Peppers, onions, eggplant
 

Relative Ease of Transplanting Vegetables Difficult

Cucumbers, corn, summer squash

 

 

Pollination – Does it Matter?

•        Heirlooms

•        Hybrids

•        Open-pollinated varieties

•           Cross-pollinated varieties

•           Self-pollinated

•           Remember the genetic recombination occurs in the seeds!

 

Asparagus

Mary Washington

Waltham Washington

Purple Passion

Viking

Jersey Centennial

Jersey Giant

 

Peas

Shelling

  Wando – heat and cold – 68 d

  Maestro – 61 d

  Early Frosty – 63 d

  Knight – 62 d

Snap or edible pod

  Sugar Snap – 62 d

  Sugar Ann – 52 d

Snow pea

  Oregon Giant – 60 d

  Oregon Sugar Pod – 65 d

 

Lettuce – baby ~28d, full size, ~46d

Green loose-leaf

Black Seeded Simpson

Red loose-leaf

Rubane

Majesty

Red Sails

Buttercrunch

Buttercrunch

Tom Thumb

Romaine or Cos-type

Cimmaron (Red)

Parris Island (Green)

 

Spinach

Savoy (crinkled leaf) type

  Melody – 42 d

  Avon – 44 d

  Tyee – 40 d

Smooth type

  Space – 39 d

  Whale – 37 d

 

Swiss Chard

Bright Lights Hybrid – 60 d

  Brighter-colored stalks

Silverbeet – 50 – 60 d

  Heirloom, sweeter, better yields

Fordhook Giant – 60 d

 

Kale

Lacinato – 62 d, best when young

Red Russian – 50 d (More tender)

Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch – 53-65d

Vates Blue Curled – 55 d

 

Onions

“Sets”

  Ebenezer – 105 d

  Candy – 85 d

  Stuttgarter – 102 d

  White Sweet Spanish – 120 d

Plants – Walla Walla

 

Garlic

Stiffneck                       

Chesnok Red             

Softneck

Inchelium

New York White

           

Broccoli

  Green Goliath – 53 d  Sideshoots

  Premium Crop – 58 d Bolt resistant

  Packman – 50 d Early

  Windsor – 56 d Heat tolerant

Cauliflower

  Snow Crown – 50 d

  Early White – 52 d

  Graffiti – 85 d – purple curds

  Veronica – 78 d – Lime-green curds

  Cheddar – 80 -100 d – orange curds

 

Cabbage

Smooth-Leaved green

  Fast ball – 45 d

  Earliana – 60 d

  Stonehead – 60 d

  Golden Acre – 50-70d

Smooth-Leaved Red

  Salad Delight-50 d

  Super Red – 73 d

  Red Success – 72 d

  Red Express – 63 d

Savoy

  Alcosa – 72 d

 

Bok/Pak Choi/Joi/Choy/Joy

 Toy Choi – 45 d

 Joi Choi - 55 d

Pe-Tsai type

Best planted late season to avoid bolting

Minuet – 48 d

  Greenwich – 50 d

  Rubicon – 52 d

 

Brussels Sprouts

Longer season

  Tasty Nuggets 78 d

  Jade Cross 80 d

  Bubbles 85-90 d

  Oliver 90 d

 

Parsnips

Longer-season!

  Harris Model – 120 d

  Hollow Crown 105 d

 

Carrot types (shapes):

 

Carrots

All Nantes type:

  Napoli – 58 d

  Scarlet Nantes – 68 d

  Nantes half long – 70 d

  Danvers Half long – 75 d

  Nelson 56 d

 

Beets

Red

  Detroit Dark Red – 45-70d

  Red Ace – 50 d

  Early Wonder – 45 d

Yellow

  Golden – 55 d

Leaves only

  Bull’s Blood – 35 days

Prominent Zoning

  Chioggia – 55 days

 

Snap beans

Indeterminate (Pole)

  Green

    Fortex – 60 d

    Kentucky Blue – 62 d

    Kentucky Wonder – 64 d

    Romano – 65 d

  Runner

    Scarlet Runner – 60 d

Bush

  Green

    Provider – 50 d

    EZ Pik – 55 d

    Tendercrop – 54 d

    Jade – 53 d

  Yellow

    Indy Gold – 52 d

    Goldrush – 53 d    

Purple

  Royal Burgundy – 55 d

 

Sweet pepper

Sweet green

  Big Bertha – 70 d

  Gypsy – 65 d

  California Wonder – 75 d

  Ace – 50 d green, 70 d red

  Red Knight-57d green, 77d red

 

Hot (allow them to mature on the plant for best intensity)

  Cherry Bomb – 62 d green,  

    87 d red

  Jalepeno – 65 d g, 80 d red

  Mariachi – 65 d (white,

    yellow and red all at once)

 

Tomatoes can be

Indeterminate (vining)     Determinate (bush)

 

Cherry

  Indeterminate

    Sun Cherry – 58 d

    Sweet 100 – 70 d

    Sungold – 65 d

Determinate

    Gold Nugget – 56 d

 

Slicers

  Indeterminate

    Early Girl – 59 d

    Bloody Butcher – 65-70 d

    Whopper – 65 d

  Determinate

    Celebrity – 70 d

    Black Sea Man – 75 d

 Paste

  Indeterminate

    Roma – 76 d

    Golden Mama – 68 d

  Determinate

    Bellstar – 65 d

    Health Kick – 65 d 50% more lycopene

 

Cucumbers

First 10-20 flowers are male!

Pick or they will stop producing!

Gynoecious plants need pollinators – be sure to plant the pollinator seeds.

Parthenocarpic type needs no pollination

Lemon cucumber – 58-70 d

Bush type

  Spacemaster – 56 d

Slicer

  Straight 8 – 58 d

 

Pumpkins/winter squash

Montana Jack pumpkin – 90 d

Hokkaido squash – 100 d

Burgess Strain buttercup – 85-100d

Lakotah – 85 – 90 d

Also

•        Waltham Butternut 85 d

•        Table Queen Acorn 59-90 d

•        Delicata 80-100 d

 

Summer Squash

Pattypan type

  Sunburst – 52 d

  Patty Pan – 50 d

Straightneck type

  Zephyr–54 d (yellow and green)

  Early Prolific – 50 d

Zucchini type

  Gold Rush – 50 d (yellow)

  Multipik – 50 d (yellow)

  Meteor – 49 d

  Ambassador – 47 d

  Raven – 48 d (very dark green)

 

Sweet Corn Types

 

•         Normal Sugary (su)

–     Varying degrees of sugar

–     Traditional corn flavor

–     Cross with sh2 = tough and starchy

•         Sugary Enhanced (se) and (se+)

–     ++tenderness and + sweetness

–     Cross with sh2 = tough and starchy

•         Synergistic

–     75% se and 25% sh2

–     Tender and sweet.  Pick early = watery

–     Cross with a sh2 = tough and starchy

•         Shrunken (sh2) (Super Sweet)

–     Cross with anything = tough and starchy

 

Spring Treat – 66 d (se+)

Sugar Buns – 70 d (se+)

Bodacious – 75 d (se +)

Early Sunglow – 66 d (su)

Earlivee – 67 d (su)

Butter and Sugar – 73 d (su)

Quickie (64 d) (se)

Revelation (se)

Northern Xtra Sweet – 67 d –

   (Sh2)

Xtra Tender 270A – 71 d

   (Sh2)