New Pet Peeve - Veg Variety Names

[kayjay]

My new pet peeve is vegetable variety names that are not conducive to a useful google search.

My zucchini seeds failed to germinate, so I bought a couple of transplants. I also grabbed another cucumber. Here's what the tags say:

Squash
zucchini
green - Thanks, that's really helpful


Squash
zucchini
gold - Also not very helpful

Cucumber
"Slicer" - Really? Google tried to sell me an actual kitchen apparatus to cut vegetables. "Slicer" is an entire category of cukes, is it not? That'd kind of be like naming a tomato "Canning."

[Gary350]

I have planted seeds 3 times and none have come up yet. Soil is still too cold I checked it with a thermometer yesterday. It was 72 degrees yesterday and 50 at night. Soil needs to be 65 degrees for some seeds to germinate. I am not waiting for warm weather any longer today I buy plants, yellow squash, zucchini squash, melons, banana peppers, more beefsteak tomatoes, bee bomb. I never bought squash or melon plants in my live. This is the craziest cold weather spring in history. I have expanded my garden a little more to feed a poor family with 3 young children I want to take them a good size box of vegetables 2 or 3 times every week.

[pepperhead212]

Good for you, Gary 350! I try to give excess to people I deliver, mostly elderly, that I can tell are hard up.

[gumbo2176]

I know what you mean when buying plants already started from some nurseries, but not all. And if you buy started plants in a big box store, all bets are off.

I usually get my seeds from the local nursery, big box store or seed catalog and they are good about labeling---so you know what variety you are planting. The only thing I look for is to make sure they are that seasons seeds and not old stock, even though I've had success with older seeds, it is sometimes mixed results with fewer plants emerging in many instances.

I've been lucky with the places I get my started plants from. They are clearly labeled and that is a good thing because the fruit of things like Banana Peppers and Hungarian Wax Peppers look alike, but the heat index is quite different.


And thumbs up to Gary350. I also like to share my excess and it is a good feeling to see people's faces when presented with a bag of fresh produce straight from the garden.

[imafan26]

My hat is off to you Gary. I share some of my leftovers with friends and family too. One of my friends takes it to the temple in town and shares it with others.

Even with seeds there are generic ones like Beefsteak and Brandywine. The seed packets don't tell you what particular variety they have and most people don't know the difference. Usually the seedlings here are labeled with variety but the label often has a generic picture especially on the peppers. The other good thing to do is find out what days they get their deliveries. The nurseries take care of the plants but at the stores the plants are often stressed. So it is better to get there for the best selection and healthiest plants soon after they arrive.

It is getting harder here to find stand alone garden centers where they grow their own plants. Most of them have closed down and and some of the commercial nurseries only sell wholesale plants to the box stores. I do feel sorry for the suppliers though because the box stores don't pay them very much, but most of the growers are family businesses and they don't have the people or the distribution ability to be able to do retail themselves. It is hard too because vegetable starts have a limited shelf life and small profit margins unlike trees and perennials which command a higher price and can stay in the pots a long time.

I sell herbs at the garden once a month and I do offer vegetable starts but since the sale is one day a month, I have to time it right for the seedlings to be ready on time and I cannot offer a lot of them since they will not keep another month, so there is a lot of waste that way on top of the small margin. I usually only bring 9 cucumber and one variety of tomato. I have recently started offering community pots of lettuce and beets which do sell fairly well but I still have to limit it to about 10 offerings. I offer fewer squash and beans. Peanuts do sell well though and they will keep a while so that one is worth doing more. I end up putting the leftovers in my garden, the herb garden or give them to the volunteers. Peppers and eggplant are good sellers and actually have better profit margins when they are uppotted to gallons. However, up potting them more increases the cost a lot since they take up space and water.

[MichaelC]

I am extremely lucky in the choice of my hometown regarding quality starts. One of the largest area farms that provides "farm to table" foods for three star restaurants in the area also has the largest plant sale. It is open daily and extends for many weeks. Every plant type is clearly labelled, with information and photos above each flat of starts. They sell dozens of varieties of tomatoes (including grafted varieties!), peppers, eggplant, and a small variety of herbs.

My local ACE and another place called the Garden Store both sell very high quality organic starts that are properly labelled, and then all of the farmers' market have plant seller stalls as well. An embarrassment of riches!

[applestar]

Yep. Once you become aware of specific varieties and available characteristics, you can't go back to generic vegetables.

[digitS']

I wonder if they aren't just cutting corners. Printed plant markers add to the cost of production. If they get a better deal on seed for one variety over another - generic markers work for either.

I have problems with thoughts accompanying my produce sampling. Now, if you think I'm weird, I'm not the person who named a tomato: Sinister Minister. For Pete's Sake!

This year, Lemon Boy is in my garden for a second season. I think I'm okay with the boys and girls in my garden but I don't really want a tomato to taste like a lemon.

I wanted to like Rose Quartz cherry tomatoes but every time I put one in my mouth ... I couldn't help but think about breaking a tooth!

Steve

[PinkPetalPolygon]

I know what you mean! I have a "green zucchini" in my garden and I DO feel kind of funny thinking of it as such. It does feel generic. I think of it as "normal, nondescriptachini"

Maybe I should give it a nickname so I don't look down on it?

Oooh Nondescriptachini sounds alright!