The varieties and vegetables grown in the three-module home vegetable garden are the end result of much evaluating.
Varieties used are those that have been proven to be of good quality and are reliable.
Vegetables planted are those that are commonly found in the typical home garden.
That aside, recognizing that every individual has different tastes, preferences and needs, this chapter attempts to give some guidance in selecting alternatives.
There are many varieties to choose from. However, I can only attest to varieties that I have grown in the past and have found to be satisfactory. Therefore those are the only ones that will be found on the acceptable substitute list. If you are contemplating a variety that is not on the list, it may well be an excellent choice, but before making any substitutions research carefully.
Varieties differ greatly in time of maturity, in quality, and in disease resistance. Success or failure of a crop may be determined by the choice of variety. Try new varieties on a limited scale until they prove themselves.
A word about hybrids
All of the vegetable varieties recommended in this book are of the open-pollinating type (also called standard). If the reader wants to save their own seed these varieties give the opportunity to do so. Sowing the seeds of hybrids is not recommended as they do not come true. In selecting varietal substitutions, if a person isn’t interested in saving seed, then there is no reason why hybrids cannot be picked.
There are a lot of very good hybrids on the market to choose from and they are featured in many seed catalogs.
In the seed industry hybrids are given a designation of “F1.” This indicates the first generation after the cross between two different pure varieties. As a result of this cross the ensuing plant has more vigor than either of its parents. The down side is, that since seed saved from F-1 plants will not be uniform, new hybrid seed must be produced each year by repeating this cross.
Commercially grown corn has been one of the greatest beneficiaries of hybridization producing varieties with larger cobs and bigger sweeter kernels.
Also some hybrid melons have been bred to ripen much sooner that standard ones. For other crops the results have not been so impressive, some have shown smaller or little upgrading.
In any case, I have included a few hybrids that I have grown in the past and was pleased with on the list of acceptable varietal substitutions that follows.
You may have difficulty getting some of the varieties listed as there is a lack of uniformity in names applied to garden vegetables. Sometimes the exact same variety is called different names by different seed companies.
Generally the old varieties retain their names regardless of who lists them. I also have to point out that, for simplicity, I have arugula, parsley and garlic under the heading of vegetables, they are really herbs. Many seed catalogs list them as such.
Finally, it is better to order your seeds direct from seed catalogs rather than buying them off the rack at supermarkets, garden centers, or other retail stores.
The seed mailed direct from the seed companies have been properly stored under controlled conditions to retain viability.
This is not always the case with many of the seed-rack packets. Temperatures and humidity in stores can vary greatly before the packets are sold which will affect the germination rate of that seed.
As was stated previously, the crops grown in the three-module home vegetable garden are traditional ones. They are good picks for the average family, but tastes and needs vary greatly. Each person should grow what is best for them.
If changes are desired, they must be thought out carefully. Crops grown in the initial planting should be replaced by comparable vegetables that are suitable to early sowing and have approximately the same maturity dates.
The same applies to succession planting substitutions. Also, crop classification and rotation requirements must be considered.
Review the crop rotation principles carefully before making any final decisions.
Deciding on the changes
For certain substitutions there will be no problems, for example:
To substitute for broccoli, any of the following could be chosen, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, kale, or turnips. All cool weather crops, all are in the Cruciferae family and will have no effect on the crop rotation sequence.
The same applies if parsley were to be replaced by parsnips. Both are members of the same family, both occupy the ground for the full season, and both can be overwintered and harvested in the following spring.
Also fully compatible in this respect are peppers and eggplant as replacements for some of the tomato plants. Same family, same growing conditions required.
These types of replacements stay within the rotation system and do not require any re-evaluating.
Beyond those easy changes, one must proceed cautiously. Any other substitutions should be studied and analyzed carefully.
Don’t forget the basic principle of not following any crop with another of its family.
To help in this respect, for your reference, common garden vegetable families are listed below:
Also, another of the guiding principles to be kept in mind, do not follow a heavy feeder with another heavy feeder. Generally, leaf vegetables and non- legumes that bear fruits are heavy feeders. Root crops are usually light feeders. Legumes are givers, soil improvers.
Having said all that; grow the vegetables that you like and are the most used. I wouldn’t worry too much if your plant cycle does not conform 100 percent to the rotation guidelines.
When it comes to picking an alternate for either a variety or a vegetable there is such a wide range of choices on the market that one can get very confused.
Talking to other gardeners, getting their advice, and a few samples of their produce if possible, can be a big help. Beyond that, anything marked “All-America Selections Winner” is a good bet, as this designation indicates that it was chosen in nationwide trials for superior adaptability and vigor for the home garden. In any case, you really won’t know for sure how a new selection is going to work out until you actually grow it under your local conditions.
In concluding this discussion on varietal and vegetable substitution I would like to revisit a subject that was previously briefly touched on, but is deserving of a more detailed discussion. That is, the question of seed availability of the selected varieties and vegetables.
Every year since seed houses can carry only a set amount of cultivars, as new selections are brought out, older ones are dropped. As a result, you may have difficulty in finding all of your picks from one source. If buying off the rack, which I do not recommend, one might go from rack to rack at different retail stores and still not find them all.
If buying from seed catalogs, which I strongly advise; if you go through enough of them, I’m sure that you will be able to find most, if not every one. The rub is; all may not be available from one source. If this is the case, then there is a problem. It is economically foolish to split the order between two or more seed companies, as each charges shipping and handling fees. To do so could double or even triple these costs. Therefore it is suggested that all ordering be done from one catalog only.
Pick the one that lists the most of the desired varieties and vegetables. Then you will have to ascertain whether you can obtain the missing items from your local seed racks, or just pick substitutes. Usually, the best choice is to pick substitutes. This is not necessarily a bad thing as there are many excellent varieties and vegetables on the market that I have never personally gotten around to and therefore are not mentioned within these pages. You may find something that suits you just fine.