Step 3 - Grow Recommended Varieties - Illinois Vegetable Garden Guide - University of Illinois Extension
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Step 3 - Grow Recommended Varieties

Selecting proper varieties for your garden is important. By careful selection you can grow vegetables that are disease-resistant and good yielders of high-quality, nutritious produce. Use the varieties recommended below and that are known to do well in your area. It is a good idea to try one or two new varieties each year. Plant them next to your old favorites to see which ones are best.

Table 2 - Seed and Plant Buying Chart
Crop Amount for 100
ft of row		 Variety recommended for use in Illinois Days to harvest Resistant to
Asparagus (plants) 75-100 Mary Washington Rust
Waltham Washington Rust
Jersey Knight
Jersey Prince
Snap beans (seed) ¾ pound Bush, green
Blue Lake 274 58 Mosaic
Contender 53 Mosaic
Derby 57
Provider 52 Mosaic
Tendercrop 54 Mosaic
Tendergreen 57 Mosaic, rust, bacteria, blight and wilt
Topcrop 51
Bush, yellow
Cherokee Wax 52 Rust, mosaic
Gold Crop 54 Rust, mosaic
Slender Wax 56
Lima beans (seed) ½ pound Burpee Improved Bush 75 Mosaic
Fordhook 242 75 Mosaic
Baby Fordhook 80
Henderson 70
Beets (seed) 1 ounce Detroit Dark Red 58 Boron deficiency
Early Wonder 52
Lutz Green Leaf 70
Ruby Queen 60
Sweetheart 58
Crop Amount for 100
ft of row		 Variety recommended for use in Illinois Days to harvest Resistant to
Broccoli 50-75 plants or 1 packet seed Cruiser 58
Green Comet 60
Green Goliath 60
Premium Crop 60 Downy mildew
Packman 55
Brussels sprouts 1 packet
75-100 plants or 1 packet seed		 Bubbles 82 Rust
Jade Cross 83
Cabbage 75-100 plants Early Jersey Wakefield 63
Green Cup 73
King Cole 78 Yellows
Savoy Ace 74
Savoy King 85 Yellows
Ruby Ball 70 Yellows
Ruby Perfection 80 Yellows
Carrots (seed) ¼ ounce Danvers Half-Long 75
Danvers 65
Bolero 70
Nantes Coreless 72
Scarlet Nantes 70
Crop Amount for 100
ft of row		 Variety recommended for use in Illinois Days to harvest Resistant to
Cauliflower 50-75 plants or 1 packet seed Snow Crown 60
Snow Grace 65
Snow King
Swiss chard (seed) 1 ounce Burgundy 60
Rhubarb 60
Fordhook Giant 57
Lucullus 50
Rainbow 55
Corn, Sweet (seed) 1-2 ounces Standard
Iochief 86
Jubilee 82
Platinum Lady 86
Silver Queen 92
Bi Queen 92
Honey and Cream 80
Sugary Enhancer Hybrids
Bodacious 72
Kandy Korn 89
Maple Sweet 70
Spring Treat 67
Cotton Candy 72
Snowbelle 79
Spring Snow 65
Sugar Snow 71
Supersweet Hybrids
Challenger 76
Early Xtra Sweet 70
Illini Gold 79
Illini Xtra Sweet 85
Honey 'N Pearl 78
Cucumbers (seed) ½ ounce Slicing
Bush Crop 55
Fanfare 63
Salad Bush 57 Mosaic, Powdery mildew, Downy mildew
Spacemaster 56
Straight Eight 65
Sweet Slice 63
Pickling
Calypso 50
Lucky Strike 52
National Pickling 55
SMR-58 53 Moasic, Scab
Crop Amount for 100
ft of row		 Variety recommended for use in Illinois Days to harvest Resistant to
Eggplant (plants) 50-75 Dusky 56
Black Magic 80
Classic 76
Black Beauty 80
Burpee Hybrid 70
Kohlrabi (seed) ¼ ounce Early White Vienna 55
Grand Duke 48
Triumph 55
Purple Vienna 62
Lettuce (seed) 1 packet Green Leaf
Grand Rapids 45 Multiple resistence
Green Ice 45
Oak Leaf 50
Salad Bowl 45 Multiple resistence
Simpson 45
Butterhead
Bibb 70 Tipburn
Buttercrunch 70
Summer Bibb 62
Muskmelons (seed) ½ ounce Ambrosia 86
Burpee Hybrid 85
Gold Star 87 Fusarium wilt
Harvest Queen 90 Fusarium wilt
Supermarket 88 Fusarium wilt, powdery mildew
Superstar 86 Fusarium wilt
Crop Amount for 100
ft of row		 Variety recommended for use in Illinois Days to harvest Resistant to
Okra 1 packet Annie Oakley 50
Dwarf Green Long Pod 52
Emerald 55
Clemson Spineless 56
Burgundy 53
Onions 2-3lb Sets
Ebenezer 90
Golden Globe 90
¼ ounce Seed
Early Yellow Globe 90 Fusarium rot
Yellow Sweet Spanish 110
Walla Walla Sweet 100
Southport Red Globe 110 Fusarium rot
Benny's Red 105
Southport White Globe 110
White Sweet Spanish 110
Peas 1 pound Early
Daybreak 54
Alaska 55
Spring 57
Main Season
Sparkle 70 Fusarium wilt, mosaic
Maestro 60 Powdery mildew
Knight 61
Little Marvel 63 Fusarium wilt, mosaic
Wando 71 Fusarium wilt, root rot
    Green Arrow 68 Downy mildew, powdery mildew
Early Snap 70
Sugar Ann 70
Sugar Daddy 80
Sugar Snap 70
Sugar
Snowbird 58
Little Sweetie 60
Dwarf Grey Sugar 65
Oregon Sugar Pod II 65 Fusarium wilt, powdery mildew
Mammoth Melting Sugar 70
Peppers 50-75 plants or 1 packet seed Sweet
Bell Boy 70
Camelot 67
Cardinal 70
Lady Bell 72
Sweet Banana 70
Sunnybrook 73 Bacterial Spot
Hot
Anaheim 78
Ancho 88
Cayenne 70
Hungarian Wax 70
Jalapeno 80
Mexibell Hybrid 70
Super Chili Hybrid 75
Crop Amount for 100
ft of row		 Variety recommended for use in Illinois Days to harvest Resistant to
Potatoes (seed) 10-12 lb Early
Irish Cobbler 100
Norgold Russet 100
Norland 105 Scab
Superior 105
Midseason
Red Lasoda 110
Red Pontiac 110
Late
Katahdin 120 Verticillium wilt
Kennebec 120 Late blight
Pumpkins (seed) 1 ounce Small - 2-5 pounds 100 to 110 days to harvest
Baby Bear
Small Sugar
Spooktacular
Intermediate - 8 to 15 pounds
Autumn Gold
Jack-O-Lantern
Spirit
Large - 15 to 15 pounds
Big Autumn
Big Tom
Connecticut Field
Howden Field
Jackpot
Jumpin' Jack
Pankow's Field
Radishes (seed) 1 ounce Burpee White 23
Champion 28
Cherry Belle 22
Early Scarlet Globe 23
Easter Egg 25
Rhubarb (plants) 30-50 Canada Red
Cherry Red
Crimson Red
MacDonald
Ruby
Valentine
Crop Amount for 100
ft of row		 Variety recommended for use in Illinois Days to harvest Resistant to
Spinach (seed) 1 ounce Bloomsdale Long-Standing 45
Winter Bloomsdale 45
America 45
Summer
New Zealand 65
Squash (seed) 1 ounce Summer
Aristocrat 53
Chefini 48
President 50
Spineless Beauty 45
Sun Drops 55
Early Crookneck 53
Early Prolific Straightneck 50
Seneca Butterbar 50
Pattypan 55
Fall Squash
Ebony 100
Table Ace 85
Table Gold 90
Table King 80
Table Queen 90 Bacterial wilt
Butternut 100 Bacterial wilt
Buttercup 90
Sweet potatoes (plants) 100 Beauregard 100
Centennial Internal cork, wilt
Bush Porto Rico 110
Georgia Jet 100
Jewell 100
Tomatoes 35-75 plants or 1 packet seed Early
Early Girl 60 VFNTA
Champion 65 VFNT
Main Crop
Celebrity 70 VFNT
Better Boy 72 VFN
Mountain Pride 74 VF
Burpee's Big Girl 78 VF
Supersonic 79 VF
Beefmaster 81 VFN
Brandywine 80
Paste
Veeroma 72 VF
Roma 75 VF
San Marzano 80
Viva Italia 80
Small Fruit
Super Sweet 100 70
Sweet Million 65
Yellow Pear 70
Large Red Cherry 70
Dwarf Container
Tiny Tim 45
Patio Hybrid 65
Small Fry 72
Husky Gold 70
Crop Amount for 100
ft of row		 Variety recommended for use in Illinois Days to harvest Resistant to
Turnips ¼ ounce Just Right 60
Purple Top White Globe 55
Golden Ball 60
Royal Crown 52
Tokyo Cross 35
Watermelons (seeded) ½ ounce Early - 70-75 days to harvest
Sugar Baby
Yellow Baby
Yellow Doll
Main Season - 80-85 days to harvest
Charleston Gray
Crimson Sweet
Sangria
Sunny's Pride
Sweet Favorite
Watermelons (seedless) Honey Heart 85
Jack of Hearts 85
Queen of Hearts 85
King of Hearts 85
Nova 85
Tiffany 85

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