My vegetable patch is packed with produce at the moment. This summer has been bountiful as there’s been a real breakthrough with my vegetable growing combined with some great weather that has helped things along. One of the main differences is that I’ve discovered which varieties are best to get the biggest yields.
The veg plot is prolific with all sorts of varieties but there have been a few that really stand out. We all know that courgettes and tomatoes, for example, are prolific croppers once they get going but what I’ve discovered is that there are particular varieties which not only crop better but also have more flavor.
1. Zucchini Genovese
Every plant gave it everything
I love growing zucchini as it’s always so rewarding (the original crop that keeps on giving) but growing this new-for-me variety succeeded all expectations. I bought Zucchini Genovese seeds as I wanted to try a different variety this year.
These light green beauties are super sweet and known for being flavorful, with none of the bitterness you can get with some of the darker green varieties of zucchini. They are thin skinned too, so absolutely no need to peel if you tend to go down that route with zucchini. Another factor that steered my choice was the promise they are early cropping, and one of the most productive varieties of zucchini.
I sowed the seeds in small pots indoors in March and transferred them outside to the veg patch in April, where they took off immediately as it was unseasonably warm. I picked the first zucchini in June, so it was great having something to pick when not much else was happening.
The large leaves have an attractive marbled pattern too, which makes them an ornamental addition to the veg patch, especially when the large yellow flowers appear.
I love the fact you don’t have to pick them when they’re small either. You can miss picking for a few days and it won’t impact the flavor and texture, which remain tender and delicious well beyond the baby stage.
Find Franchi Zucchini Genovese here at Grow Italian and Instant Latch non-GMO Zucchini Genovese at Amazon.
I’m definitely going to be finding how to harvest zucchini seeds to keep these beauties going next year as they are one of the zucchini varieties that seem to get the biggest yields.
2. Sungold tomatoes
Best crop of tomatoes ever
(Image credit: Matthew Taylor/Alamy Stock Photo)
I have grown tomatoes for a few years now but usually in containers, and generally sticking to red cherry tomatoes. But this year I decided to mix things up a little and one of the new varieties I opted for were orange Sungold tomatoes, and I planted them in the ground instead.
I set up a seed growing station back in spring and planted 30 seeds. I figured some might fail plus you can never have enough fresh tomatoes to pick off the vine. First I had the trays in a countertop propagator, moving them out and on to the windowsill once the seedlings were strong, then in went the next batch. As the weather warmed they were gradually moved outside to harden off before being planted in the veg patch.
I now realise that I planted them too close together. Tomato plants should be 30-48 inches apart in a row with the rows spaced 3-4 feet apart. Mine were planted much closer together.
At the time it was hard to visualise they would grow so tall and bushy. I have just ‘topped’ them, as they are over 6 feet tall. It hurt to prune out trusses of flowers and baby tomatoes but I don’t think they’ll have enough time to ripen before the end of the season, so it made sense to divert the growing energy into the larger ripening fruit so I get the biggest yields.
I had to supplement my initial framework of stakes with many more as the tomatoes quickly outgrew their supports, so I interspersed the framework with additional 6 foot bamboos to accommodate the height and heavy clusters of fruit these super plants offer up.
Taste one and you’ll know instantly why Sungold, available here from Burpee, wins all the plaudits. As well as using them in salads and for cooking, it’s a great variety for snacking on. Pick a huge bowl of them and leave it on the counter and it will be empty before the end of the day. The flavor is amazing, super sweet and delicious.
3. ‘White’ half runner pole beans
Aim for a manageable amount of beans to pick each week
(Image credit: Cavan Images/Getty Images)
Climbing beans are one of my favorite summer vegetables, and I love both runner bean and French bean varieties. They are so easy to grow and don’t seem to be affected by pests and disease, which is always a big plus in an organic garden. I decided on this particular half and half variety for a change, and to grow them outdoors right from the start rather than sowing them indoors in pots.
I planted 2-3 seeds straight into the ground by each pole to ensure plenty of germination. I did this successively every week or so, gradually filling in the row, to extend the harvest period and not have pounds of beans to pick and eat at once, then nothing.
White half-runner beans, available here from Burpee, look like bush beans when they start putting out shoots, then throw off short runners. From there on in they act like pole beans and need to be staked. The good news is they have a much more compact growth habit than runner beans, which grow rampantly and twine over anything with speed.
This variety are so much easier to pick once you see the clusters of beans appear as the plants aren’t so tall. While they do produce runners, the vines only reach three to five feet depending on the variety. This means they’re a good idea for vegetable garden container ideas too.
I kept an eye out to make sure the beans didn’t get tough and stringy, picking them while still young and tender. Picking regularly means the plants will continue to produce, and means you get the biggest yields.
I have had a bumper crop of the most delicious tender beans for weeks now. Conclusion? Half-runners combine the best of both worlds, so I’m currently drying pods on the pole to save seeds for next year.
4. ‘Golden Nugget’ pumpkins
A change from the usual orange varieties
(Image credit: Clare Gainey/Alamy Stock Photo)
While I love pumpkin recipes in fall I’ve never grown them before. Earlier this summer I was at a plant sale and picked out one plant to have a go with, the name ‘Golden Nugget’ inked on the plant tag. I literally stuck it in the ground and ignored it, simply giving it a can of water when I remembered, and leaving the rest to chance.
I meant to mulch the bed as advised but simply forgot to get round to this and it doesn’t seem to have harmed my plant in any way. From the get-go this plant was up and running, with plenty of flowers appearing.
It’s now currently sprawling around in my plot but not so much that it’s taking over like many other varieties of pumpkin do, something which has put me off growing these vegetables in the past as my plot isn’t that big.
From that one plant I now have five lovely pale yellow pumpkins, happily of different sizes so I can stagger the picking when the time comes. Another good thing about ‘Golden Nugget’ pumpkins are that they are a fast-maturing variety, so you can harvest from late summer onwards.
I’m being vigilant and keeping an eye on the leaves, making sure I don’t splash them when I water, and checking any leaves turning yellow are due to natural ageing rather than caused by pests.
I’ve read you don’t need to peel the skin off ‘Golden Nugget’ pumpkins as it’s so soft you can eat it. This also means it’s so easy to cut up for the freezer. I will be stockpiling bags of this in the freezer to add to soups and pies – can’t wait to try it fresh first though. I will also be saving the seeds to have a go growing my own plants next year.
Buy Golden Nugget pumpkin seeds at True Leaf Market. By the way, I’ve also seen them called ‘Gold Nugget’.
5. French Breakfast radishes
(Image credit: bhofack2/Getty Images)
When I’m working on my veg patch I love pulling up a couple of French breakfast radish, wiping the mud off on my jeans, and snacking on them right there, leaves and all. The taste when they’re pulled straight out of the soil and eaten immediately is incomparable. The leaves are good too and can be added to the salad bowl.
It was only this summer I found out how quick it is to grow them from seed, after deciding to act on a tip from my horticultural course. In just six weeks from sowing you get the biggest yields. This is another crop where it’s good to grow successionally so you get a crop every week right through summer and if you’re lucky beyond.
As well as being fast and easy to grow in my experience French breakfast radish (and indeed all radish varieties I’ve since tried) are maintenance free too. I sowed them straight in the ground and they grew so fast I didn’t get round to thinning out the seedlings as you should, as I simply pulled out the bigger plants and ate them right there, which naturally got some space in between the plants.
They like a sunny location and regular watering, and it’s a good idea to pull out a big weed if you see one but that’s it really. Radishes are a cool season crop and will turn woody when they are harvested too late in the season. If your plants start to flower, which can happen when it’s hot, pull them up and add the plants to the compost as they are no longer edible.
Buy an heirloom variety of French Breakfast Organic Radish Seeds at Burpee, who say in frost-free areas you can sow in the fall too. Find out how to grow radishes in pots so you can protect them more easily if the weather turns cold.
That’s a wrap on some of my favorite vegetables to get the biggest yields but there are a few other honorary mentions too that I didn’t have space to write about. This summer I have also had great success with corn (and tried it raw off the plant for the first time, so super sweet), cucumbers (oh my, so many I have been drinking cucumber water by the gallon to use up the glut), and chili peppers grown in the ground for the first time instead of pots – they are huge.