Also known as “husk cherries”, tomatillos are a wonderful addition to salsas. Harvest these as fruit ripens and tan husks open. Grow as you would a tomato plant… in full sun with loose, compost enriched soil. They will need to be caged or tied up to a support as they can get tall.
Varieties:
Grande Verde: Produces high yields of 3-oz. (90-g), globe-shaped Mexican husk tomatoes on a medium determinate plant. Unique flavor of the green fruit makes a tasty salsa verde. (75 days)
Grande Rio Verde Photo Courtesy Ball Horticultural Company
Heirloom tomatoes continue to have a following for their taste. We’ve got both heirloom slicers and cherry types.
Heirloom Varieties:
Amish Paste: 80 days, 8 ounce fruit, Indeterminate (Dense, Roma-type tomatoes are often used for paste/sauces.
Black Cherry: 65 days, 1 ounce, Indeterminate (Dark, rich flavor) Brandywine Red: 80 days, Up to 16 ounce fruit, Indeterminate (very popular for it’s sweet taste!) Cherokee Purple: 75-90 days, 10 ounce fruit, Indeterminate (Tasty purple/brown flesh) Mortgage Lifter: 80 days, Up to 24 ounce fruit!, Indeterminate (Rich, meaty beefsteak type) Pineapple: 85-95 days, up to 2 lb fruit, Indeterminate (Grafted, Beefsteak type, meaty with few seeds. Bright yellow skin with red stripes) Striped German: 85 days, 1-2 pounds, Indeterminate (Bi-colored- yellow and pink beefsteak tomato, heavy producer) Yellow Pear: 75 days, 1 ounce, Determinate (Cherry-sized, pear shaped, bright yellow fruit)
Yellow Pear Photo Courtesy Seeds by Design via BHCCherokee Purple Photo Courtesy Terra Organic via BHCMortgage Lifter Photo Courtesy Seeds by Design via BHC
Sunset has long been known for its GIANT tomato starts. Plant these in a sunny spot and support the vines as they grow. Feed at planting time with a tomato fertilizer, when the flowers begin to bloom, and again when the fruit sets. We offer both hybrid and heirloom types…20+ varieties. Hybrids are listed below. Tip: If you are a beginner smaller paste or cherry type tomatoes are easier to grow.
Indeterminate vines will get tall so plan to stake them. Their fruit also develops progressively so you can harvest over several months. Determinate vines tend to be more compact but most will still need support. Determinate vines won’t need pruning. The fruit and blossoms develop on the vine at the same time. So, harvest time is short– around 10 days. The vines are popular with people who want to can or preserve their tomatoes in one go. Example: Making sauce or salsa.
Hybrid Varieties
“Slicing” Tomatoes:
Beefmaster: 80 days, 20 ounces!, Indeterminate Better Boy: 75 days, 8 ounces, Indeterminate Better Bush 75 days, 5 ounces, Determinate (compact 3ft tall) Big Beef: 75 days, 10-12 ounces, Indeterminate (Beefsteak type) Celebrity: 75 days, 8 ounces, Determinate Champion: 65 days, 10 ounces, Indeterminate (High yielding) Early Girl: 60 days, 6 ounces, Indeterminate (Popular! Our earliest slicer) Early Girl Bush: 60 days, 6-7 ounces, Determinate Husky Red: 70 days, 7 ounces, Determinate (Compact, Great for containers) Jet Star: 70 days, 6ounces, Indeterminate a sweet, low acid type bred for crack and disease resistance. Lemon Boy: 70 days, Indeterminate golden slicer Patio: 70 days, 4 ounces, Determinate (Very compact, great for containers) Super Fantastic: 70 days, 10 ounces, Indeterminate (High yielding, meaty fruit)
Better Bush Photo Courtesy Syngenta via BHCBig Beef Photo Courtesy Seminis via BHCCelebrity Photo Courtesy Seminis via BHCEarly GirlChampion II Photo Courtesy Seminis via BHCSuper Fantastic Photo Courtesy Ball Horticultural CompanyPatio Photo Courtesy Seminis via BHC
Cherry, Paste & Grape Tomatoes
Chocolate Sprinkles: 60 days, 1″ fruit, Indeterminate (Deep red with green speckles, High yielding, rich sweet flavor)
Juliet: 60 days, 1 ounce, Indeterminate (Grape type tomato, High yields, deep flavor) Roma: 75 days, 2 ounces, Determinate (Plum/paste type tomato, meaty with few seeds) Sun Gold: 55 days, 1/2 ounce, Indeterminate (Orange cherry type, prolific and sweet, low acid) Sweet 100: 65 days, 1 ounce, Indeterminate (1″ round cherry type tomato, High yielding) Sweet Baby Girl: 65 days, 1″, Inderterminate (1″ sweet cherry clusters, High yielding)
Juliet Photo Courtesy Ball Horticultural CompanyRoma Paste Photo Courtesy Genesis via BHCSupersweet 100 Photo Courtesy Syngenta via BHC
Winter squash are also warm season vegetables, but unlike Summer squash, their skin is hard…making them good for storing. They will take longer to develop and will be ready to harvest in Fall.
Varieties:
Acorn, Table Ace: (70 days) Semi-bush plants yield 4”-5” black-green fruit with excellent flavor. Butternut, Butterscotch: (100 days) 1-2 lb squash Butternut, Waltham: (90 days) High yields and nutty flavor. Great for baking. 9” squash cook up sweet and tender. Long Storing. Delicata: (80-100 days) Cream colored squash striped with green or orange. Wonderful when roasted. Patty Pan, Early White: (50 days) Heirloom. Grown by Native Americans. Flat, white, prolific! Good fried or baked. Also known as a white scallop squash. Peter Pan: (45 days) Prolific crops of green, flat, scalloped squash. Spaghetti: (100 days) Oblong, 8” yellow squash. Harvested in late summer/early Fall. Stores for several months in a cool, dry location.
Table Ace Photo Courtesy Rupp Seeds via BHCSpaghetti Squash Photo Courtesy Seeds by Design via BHC
Summer squash are warm season types with thin edible skins. It takes about 2 months to reach maturity. Give them some room to roam and a sunny spot. Pick when the rind can easily be penetrated by your nail.
Varieties:
Zucchini: (45 days) High yields of tapered, dark green 6-8″ zucchini Yellow Straight Neck: (55 days) High, early yields of sweet, yellow straight neck 7” fruit. Yellow Crook Neck: (45 days) Smooth, bright yellow curved neck fruits. Meaty, flavorful interior.
Pumpkins are a warm season crop that like loose, well drained soil and full sun. Be sure to give them some room as vines can grow 8’ or more.
Varieties:
Casper: (100 days) White on the outside, orange on the inside. Use it as a decoration and then bake a sweet treat. Jack Be Little: (95 days) Deep orange, miniature 3” pumpkins are squatty with deep ribbing. Great for Fall decorating.
Jack-O-Lantern: (110 days) A big carving pumpkin. Save the seeds for roasting, there are lots of them!
Knucklehead: Lumpy bumpy decorative type. Up to 18-24lbs.
Warty: (105 days) An orange pumpkin with distinctive green warts. These will definitely stand out in your Fall displays. Up to 20 lbs.
Jack Be Little Photo Courtesy Benary via BHCCasper Photo Courtesy Ball Horticultural Company
Peppers are a popular warm season crop. We offer healthy plants and some unique varieties! Plant them in well-drained soil in a full sun location. Most of the peppers we offer will ripen around late August.
Our pepper starts are some of the best in town!
Ancho/Poblano Types
Trident 85 days, hybrid. Heart-shaped fruit up to 7″ L x 2” W, Mild. Use fresh or dry and grind for Ancho spice.
Chili Types
Anaheim (75 days, 5”L x 3”W, Mild)
Big Jim 75 days, Large NuMex type up 10″, great for chili rellenos, Mild to Medium Heat
Cayenne Long Thin 70 days, 4”L x .5”W, Very Hot!
Garden Salsa 75 days, 8″-9″ long skinny fruit, Mild, wonderful for salsa
Giant Ristra 80 days, 7″ red chili, 2014 All America Selections Winner
Hatch/New Mexico A favorite for regional flavor
Pueblo Chile: 75 days, 5″-6″ thick walled fruit with a bit of heat. Great for roasting
Super Chili 75 days, 2”L x 1”W, LOADS of upright growing mini Thai type chili. Very Spicy
Cayenne
Anaheim Photo Courtesy Seeds by Design via BHCGarden Salsa
Super Chili
Jalapeno: Make Your Own Poppers!
Early Jalapeno 65 days, 3”, Medium heat, thick wall
Fooled You 85 days, High yielding, mild jalapeno, small 1″-3″
Jalapeno Early Hot Photo Courtesy Genesis via BHC
Sweet Bell Pepper Varieties:
Better Belle 75 days, 5” fruit
Golden California Wonder (65 days, 5” fruit)
MexiBell 60 days, small bell pepper with an Anaheim chili flavor. All-America Selections. Prolific producer
Yum Yum Mix 60 days NEW! popular sweet, snack sized mini bells
Better Belle Photo Courtesy Ball Horticultural Company
Golden California Wonder Photo Courtesy Seeds by Design via BHC
Mexibell
Misc:
Cherry Pick 65 days High yields of 1″ rounded sweet fruit. Stir fry when green or allow to mature to red for a pickling pepper.
Ghost: Wrinkled scarlet fruit is said to be one of the hottest in the world. Use with caution! Thumb-sized peppers with tremendous heat.
Habanero Red 95 days, 1″ fruit, red hot!
Hungarian Hot Wax 60 days, 4″ L x 1″W, Hot Banana/Wax Type Peppers
Serrano (85 days, 2”L x .5”W, Hot Pepper)
Scotch Bonnet (Red) 90 days, Small 1″ wrinkled peppers that hail from the Caribbean. Smoky flavor and SUPER HOT! Handle with care.
Shishito 60 days to green/80 days to red, Small peppers add flavor without heat. Prolific and popular Japanese sweet pepper.
Sriracha 70 days. Hot Thai peppers used in the famous chili paste sauce.
Sweet Banana 65 days, 4”L x 1”W, Sweet
Tabasco 75 days, prolific and hot, make your own hot sauce!
Eggplant is a warm season vegetable with attractive leaves and flowers. Two of our varieties are naturally non-bitter (Little Fingers/Rosa Bianca) Love traditional Italian eggplant? Soak in salt water to take out the bitterness before you cook. All are short-season varieties.
Varieties:
Dusky: (60 days) Traditional Italian eggplant type that is extra early. Approx size is 3″ x 6″ Ichiban: (60 days) Slender Asian-type eggplant. Dark purple type that can get up to 10″ long. Mild flavor and thin skin. Little Fingers: (68 days) Slim 6” fruit is produced in clusters on this Asian eggplant. Spineless for easy picking.
Cucumbers really like to have warm soil and air. So, wait until at least a week after the last frost to plant. Give them well drained soil and at least 8 hours of sun for proper development. We offer slicers, pickling types and also heirloom lemon cukes. Pick your cucumbers regularly so that they will keep producing.
Varieties:
Bush Crop: (55 days) Bush-type habit is handy for small gardens or containers. Crisp, tender cucumbers with a mild flavor. 6-8” Long. Cool Breeze: (45 days) Sets fruit without cross-pollination. Early and prolific production of 5″ cukes. Coretine: (45 days) Burpless, seedless gherkin type that, like Cool Breeze, does not require cross pollination for early and prolific yields. Lemon: (65 days) Heirloom type that, at first glance, doesn’t look like a cucumber. But, these round spiny fruit are wonderfully sweet and can be eaten raw or pickled. 3” oval fruit. Summer Top: (40 days) A burpless slicer, this high yielding vine produces 8” long cucumbers in only 40 days.
Corn is a warm weather veggie so don’t plant too soon. To ensure proper pollination, you should plant corn in blocks as opposed to groupings here and there. Plant one variety in the typical backyard setting to avoid cross pollination between varieties. It needs moist soil to develop properly, so keep the roots moist to a depth of 12”. Corn is ready for harvest when kernels squirt a milky substance when poked.
Varieties:
Honey N Pearl: (76 days) Early-maturing, tender bi-color variety as 9” ears. All-America Selections Winner.
