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What's New in 2001? Part 3: Lettuce to Watermelon

© Vic Ferri

This is the final article on the new vegetable varieties for 2001. Last month, beans to eggplant were covered, this month we'll cover all the rest from lettuce to watermelon.

Lettuce Blush Batavian Crunchy Blend - a new French type lettuce available from Renee's Garden. It forms red and green heavy rosettes with big crunchy leaves. Shows good resistance to bolting and tip burn, and good performance in adverse weather conditions. Tolerant to Lettuce Mosaic Virus.

Lettuce Romain Paris Island Cos Select - an improved selection with superior dark green colour and contrasting white blanched interior. The leaves are crisp, mild flavoured and sweet. Maturity is about 75 days. Very attractive looking as well.

Muskmelon Athena - a new muskmelon that many believe is the best variety in the mid-season class. It produces attractive oval shaped ribbed melons that weigh 5 to 7 pounds each with good interior colour and superior taste. Athena is also keeps well after harvest.

Onion Super Star - another All America Selection Winner for 2001. This is an improved white Spanish onion recommended for all spring gardens in North America because it is day length neutral. Widely adaptable, it produces huge super white onions that can weigh a pound or more and that have a great taste, milder and sweeter than regular Spanish onions. Matures in about 100 days.

Potatoes Superior - the Superior potato is a new white all purpose potato proven for long storage. It is a heat, drought, and scab-resistant variety that is well suited for growing under a wide range of weather conditions. The potatoes are large with a buff skin and white flesh of excellent eating quality.

Pumpkin Phantom - this variety has been described as the classiest pumpkin in it's class with smooth deep orange skin, thick flesh and strong stems. The pumpkins are large weighing 25 to 30 pounds and the plant habit is semi-bush with a high yield potential. 115 days.

Squash(Summer) Tigress - according to Harris Seeds, an early maturing hybrid with smooth, medium green fruit that closely resembles very popular Zucchini 'Elite'. With tolerance to Zucchini Yellows Mosaic and Watermelon Mosaic II Virus the plant will yield late into the season.

Squash(Winter) Blue Ballet Hubbard - a new addition to the New England squash category, Blue Ballet produces smooth skinned bluish-grey medium sized fruits with sweeter bright orange fiberless flesh than the other varieties in this category. Stores well and is highly productive. Maturity date is listed at 110 days.