These High-Yielding, Low-Maintenance Picks Are Guaranteed to Be a Huge Success This Season
"Growing vegetables is not easy." I'll never forget that sentence coming from the mouth of an Iowa farmer. I've always grown a few tomatoes and a row or two of peas, but after several failed attempts at growing other crops, I decided I wasn't up to the task of having a proper vegetable garden. After all, I've always been told that vegetable gardening is easy. Not so, according to this farmer with nearly 50 years of experience. True success often comes down to choosing the right varieties, he said. But how do you know which ones are the right ones? Between pests, diseases, unpredictable weather, and smaller-than-expected harvests, it's easy to get discouraged when your season doesn't turn out so well. But fear not: These 10 vegetables and fruits are low-maintenance, tough as nails, and high-yielding.
Plant these select watermelons and you’ll never be bored again.
1. ‘Blacktail Mountain’ Watermelon (Days to maturity: 70)
Ripe early, no matter what
“‘Blacktail Mountain’ is the gold standard by which all other watermelons are judged,” says renowned edibles expert Amy Goldman. This variety was specifically bred to ripen early, even in cold climates. For those living outside of the southern states, ripe watermelons are often an unattainable goal, as most varieties require 100 days or more to mature, as well as average temperatures between 85°F and 90°F. However, this juicy and sweet Icebox variety produces plenty of fruit per vine, regardless of weather anomalies, with 8 to 12 pounds of fruit per vine. “In the race for the previous watermelon, it always wins,” says Amy.
2. ‘Lemon’ Cucumber (Days to maturity: 60 to 70)
It turns its nose up at rust and drought
While selecting vegetables in the experimental garden last year, Fine Gardening editor Steve Aitken decided to plant this little-known cucumber because of its unique appearance and hardiness. Having had trouble with traditional cucumbers that were prone to disease in the past, he didn’t expect much. However, to the delight of the staff, the ‘Lemon’ cucumber proved to be a vigorous grower and produced a significant amount of tart fruit throughout the season. Known for its disease and drought resistance, this cuke can be tricky to tell when it’s ripe. Wait until each globe has reached the size of a soft ball and the skin has turned a lemon-yellow color; if it starts to turn a dark brown mustard color, you’ve waited too long.
3. 'Early Choice' Tomato (Days to Maturity: 70)
Produces a Lot of Fruit Despite Unstable Weather
Growing tomatoes successfully isn't as easy as it used to be. Between blight, erratic rains, and roller-coaster temperatures, a strong harvest is a miracle of sorts. So it's refreshing to find a tomato that thrives no matter what's thrown at it. 'Early Choice' has been tested in a variety of conditions across the country over the past few years. From coast to coast, this plant has produced tons of sweet fruit in less time than other early tomatoes. It's an indeterminate plant, so it needs a sturdy stake—especially under the weight of so many fruits. In 2011, my 'Early Choice' continued to produce after being hit by late blight and crushed by a tree branch in my garden (thanks to a hurricane). If that's not a sign of resilience, I don't know what is.
4. 'Sugar Heart' Snap Pea (Days to maturity: 70 to 75)
Shows high heat tolerance
Two problems can plague snap peas. The first is a tendency to develop root rot during wet springs. The second is their aversion to hot temperatures. With 'Sugar Heart,' neither of these issues is a problem. Although short (30 to 48 inches tall), this variety produces fleshy pods that are twice the size of a single plant. And its hardiness means that no staking is required. Since its introduction, this sugar snap has consistently won awards for flavor in competitions across the country.
“Low maintenance” takes it to a new level
Once you’ve mastered growing the ubiquitous tomato, Swiss chard should be next on your must-grow list. Chard is known for its low maintenance requirements and high yields. Unlike many greens (lettuce, for example), this crop thrives well past the heat of summer and the first frost. As an added bonus, it’s as beautiful as it is nutritious. However, few varieties are as vigorous and eye-catching as ‘Celebration.’ Known for its thick, multi-colored stems, this variety offers more vibrancy than the better-known ‘Bright Lights.’ If you have less-than-ideal soil, this vegetable won’t mind — in fact, some gardeners say it’ll grow on the side of the highway if given the chance. The flavor of the glossy, ribbed leaves is reminiscent of an asparagus-spinach hybrid.
6. 'Nevada' Batavian Lettuce (Days to Maturity: 45 to 50)
Smiles in the Face of Cold and Warm Temperatures
You'll rarely find a lettuce that can withstand repeated late frosts and keep growing when the mercury rises above 80°F. But that's the kind of performance you can expect from this leafy green. Batavian lettuces are known for their crisp, sweet flavor and uniform, curly heads. 'Nevada' adds to this impressive list with its resistance to all the common lettuce woes that come with the onset of summer—tip burn, leaf roll, and downy mildew—and its tolerance to lettuce mosaic virus. I'll never forget planting 'Nevada' at the Chicago Botanical Garden in early March, when many seedlings were barely peeking out of more than 2 inches of snow. I thought the crop was doomed. When I returned in less than a month, those little seedlings had matured into beautiful, large heads. If you thought you had replanted the bed, I asked, “No.”
7. ‘Jewel’ Strawberry (Days to Maturity: June-Fruiting)
Provides Consistently Big Crops
Told for its amazing flavor, ‘Jewel’ is a great variety of June-fruiting strawberry. Although strawberry plants sometimes struggle in the winter, susceptible to root rot and crown damage, this winner is very winter-hardy (USDA hardiness zones 4–8). The vigorous plants produce consistently large berries (1 to 3 pints per plant). When asked, Matthew Stevens, a horticultural extension agent in North Carolina who specializes in strawberries, chose ‘Jewel’ as one of his all-time favorite strawberries for its unwavering production and sweetness.
8. 'Carnival' Winter Squash (Days to Maturity: 85)
Provides a Big Harvest on a Small Plant
Winter squash is the ultimate reward of a delicious season for those who have room to let the vines take over their garden. Shrub varieties are available, but they come with one caveat: fewer fruits. However, 'Carnival' is considered a semi-shrub plant that produces a good yield of medium-sized, colorful pumpkins. Each is uniquely yellow with shades of green, gold, yellow and white. The fruit will have a less yellow and gold color and more green at higher temperatures. With golden flesh that is soft, nutty and sweet, it is repeatedly named by gardeners as the best acorn squash for flavor. Compared to other types of winter squash, 'Carnival' bears fruit earlier in the season.
9. 'German Extra Hardy' Garlic (Days to maturity: 100 to 120)
Winter-hardier than other garlic varieties
If you've ever lived in a hardiness zone colder than zone 7, you know that growing garlic can be a challenge due to frost. This vigorous variety is prized for its long taproots, which give newly planted cloves the ability to anchor themselves to the ground, allowing them to survive the colder months. These large white bulbs have a pungent effect, but they're not so spicy that they'll burn your taste buds. Bulbs harvested the following summer also store well. You can count on 'German Extra Hardy' garlic to grow well in all but the southernmost parts of the United States.
10. 'Kennebec' Potato (Days to maturity: 80 to 85)
Eliminates most diseases
A difficult crop for the home gardener to grow, potatoes are a root vegetable that is always prone to frustrating disease. The incredible hulk of potatoes, 'Kennebec Enter ', a truly tough beast. The list of diseases this potato is resistant to reads like the letters: PVA (Potato Virus A), PVY (Potato Virus Y), PVS (Potato Virus S), PVX (Potato Virus X), blackleg and late blight. Seed tubers of this variety can be planted earlier than most potatoes, germinate despite cool soil temperatures and resist rot. You can expect high-yielding plants that produce large quantities of uniform, white-fleshed spuds.
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