New Seed Varieties for 2012

ANNUAL FLOWERS

Clarkia, Mountain Garland
Clarkia is a delightful, easy to grow, hardy annual, native to the western US and a close relative to Godetia. The compact double and semi-double flowers are borne on spikes in a variety of fluorescent shades of pinks, purples and whites that bloom from the lower portions of the long stems to the top. This plant grows up to 24-30 inches tall and may need support when full grown. Clarkia is quick growing and excellent as a bedding plant or mass planting in an informal scatter garden. Prefers full sun, does well in soils low in nutrients and can withstand a wide range of environmental conditions but avoid planting in heavy soils. Seed planting depth is 1/16 to 1/8 inch deep and germination occurs in 15 to 30 days. Does not transplant well. Very attractive in floral arrangements and has a long vase life of 5 to 7 days. Grows best in cool weather making it a great flower for Alaska.
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Garland Chrysanthemum/Oriental Greens (Shungiku, Tung Ho)
Garland chrysanthemum is a showy annual that produces yellow daisy like flowers. It is also known as Shungiku in Japan and Choy Suy Green in old Chinatown, where it is grown as a vegetable and the edible foliage is a traditional source of greens for chop suey and soup. It has been introduced as a wildflower in many areas but not native to the US. When growing the 2 to 3 foot plants for their ornamental flowers, the tall plants need support in the garden. A plant that loves cool weather and performs great in Alaska. Makes an excellent cut flower and great in a wildflower bed.
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Godetia, Farewell to Spring
Godetia produces bright, cup-shaped, mostly bicolor blossoms in showy clusters at the tips of strong stems. The mounded plants are 10 to 16 inches high by about 10 inches wide with grey-green foliage. A very showy west coast wildflower that adapts very well to cultivated gardens. It is also known as "Farewell to Spring" because it blooms in early summer. Very easy to grow from seed. Does not transplant well. Grows best in cool weather making it a great flower for Alaska. Good for fresh-cut bouquets.
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PERENNIAL FLOWERS

Columbine, Mrs. Scott Elliott Mix
Heirloom hybrid introduced around 1918. Large elegant, star shaped flowers with especially long graceful spurs are held upright on 2 ½ to 3 foot plants. A cottage garden favorite in beautiful color combinations of pastel blue, lavender, pink, white, yellow and red. Tall plants need support. Gorgeous old fashioned beauty from France. Exceptional long lasting cut flowers.
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BEANS, SNAP

Yellow Wax Bean: Topnotch Golden Wax
An open pollinated, improved golden wax type that grows on compact, upright plants 15 to 18 inches tall. The tender, flavorful, stringless golden yellow pods are thick, meaty, slightly flat, straight and about 5 to 5 ½ inches long. Seeds are white with brown markings on the eyes. An excellent, heavy yielding, very popular home garden variety that is unbeatable for canning and freezing. Good for northern climates. Disease tolerant to common mosaic virus and rust. Alaska is not bean country but this proven early variety will mature outdoors in many of the warmer areas of the state. A variety tested in Alaska by the University of Alaska Cooperative Extension.
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CAULIFLOWER
Snow Crown Hybrid
All American Selections Winner. Hybrid vigor and rapid growth makes Snow Crown one of the earliest and easiest cauliflowers to grow. It produces heads that are always mild and sweet. Its vigorous, rapid growth produces snow-white, 1 to 2 pound, fully domed heads that are 7-8 in. across over a long harvest. Leaves grow upright to protect heads from the sun, must be tied for pure white heads. A variety that maintains its prime eating quality for up to 10 days in the garden. Excellent raw, cooked, fresh or frozen. Ideal for northern gardeners as it matures early and produces heads even under adverse conditions. Tested in Alaska by the University of Alaska Cooperative Extension. Early
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KALE
Dwarf Green Curled
A dwarf open pollinated heirloom that dates before 1865. A very compact, hardy, easy to grow plant that matures at 12 to 18 inches. The dark green, densely curled leaves are tender and delicate, extremely sweet and non-bitter so they are excellent when eaten fresh as a micro green as well as cooked for greens. Exceptionally cold hardy and can be harvested until freeze up, a light frost improves flavor. The plants perform well when they are cut and allowed to re-grow. A highly nutritious vegetable that is high in fiber and has exceptional health benefits as an antioxidant due to its high levels of vitamin A and C and micro-nutrients. Very cold hardy and grows well in Alaka. A variety tested in Alaska by the University of Alaska Cooperative Extension.
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KOHLRABI
Early Purple Vienna
Organic seed for an early, dwarf, open pollinated heirloom introduced to the US prior to 1860 that produces an enlarged stem that looks like a round aboveground bulb. This variety has a purple skin and a greenish white interior and is a bit larger and later than White Vienna. The bulb is actually an enlarged stem that has a very mild unique flavor that is delicious raw or cooked. The leaves can be eaten like kale and the white-fleshed bulbs are eaten like broccoli. Because of their mild flavor many kids love them. Kohlrabi grows best in cool weather, below 75 degrees F, so it does beautifully in Alaska’s cool coastal weather. USDA nutritional data states that kohlrabi is a good source of vitamin C and potassium and low in sodium and calories. Kohlrabi is best when harvested young before the globe reaches 2 1/2 inches in diameter. When the leaves are young and tender they may be used in salads or steamed as a vegetable. In warmer areas plant this hardy vegetable as soon as the soil can be prepared and has warmed in the spring to take advantage of the cooler weather. This popular European vegetable is gaining popularity in the U.S. A variety tested in Alaska by the University of Alaska Cooperative Extension.
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HERB
Arugula
Arugula is used as a leaf vegetable and looks very similar to lettuce. A hardy annual that reseeds itself and is a staple in a salad mix. Once a rare delicacy, it is now common on the American dinner table. A favorite baby leaf vegetable used in microgreen mixes. The tender, smooth, lobed leaves have a nutty flavor when young and a robust, rich peppery taste when more mature. The plant grows to about 2 1/2 feet tall by 1 foot wide but the leaves are best when cut at 2 to 3 inches long. The flowers are edible and can be used as an edible garnish. The leaves are used to add zest to salads and as a seasoning for cooked dishes. Grows best in cool weather. High in vitamin C. Plant a few seeds every two weeks during spring for a long, delicious harvest.
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LEEKS, SUMMER
King Richard
Organic seed for a very early, fast growing, open pollinated summer leek that can produce a white stem up to 10 inches long with light green, upright leaves. A beautiful full-sized leek with remarkable earliness and length. Upright plants have long, slender shafts and light green flags that are very straight and easy to clean. Often harvested young as bunching leeks and used much like green onions but sweeter. Requires a long growing season, matures late summer in Alaska. Will withstand a light frost but not winter hardy. Highly prized by gourmet cooks, leeks are milder than onions and are the sweetest member of the onion family.
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Varna
Organic certified seed for an open pollinated summer leek that is grown primarily as a bunching leek in cool, short season areas. They are harvested like green bunching onions but the green tops are not usually eaten. They are milder and sweeter in flavor but have scallion-like qualities. A variety that grows so quickly it is ideal for planting close together to produce early gourmet baby leeks. The white stalks will grow a very slender shaft up to 14 inches long with lighter green leaves. A summer leek that, after the baby leeks have been thinned through harvesting, will continue to grow and provide fresh leeks until freeze up, hardy to about 20 degrees F. Makes a delicious alternative to spring onions either raw in salads or lightly cooked. A very worthwhile addition to every garden. A crop that requires a long season in the far north and must be started indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. Seedlings transplant easily.
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MUSTARD
Green Wave
All-America Selections Winner. A favorite baby leaf variety for microgreen mixes. When mature this open pollinated variety produces large upright plants with bright green, finely cut and deeply fringed leaves with a hot spicy flavor that mellows when cooked. Mustard greens are a fast growing, cold weather annual. An excellent producer and the slowest to bolt, stands 2 to 4 weeks longer than other varieties. A variety tested in Alaska by the University of Alaska Cooperative Extension.
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PEAS, SHELLED
Early Frosty
This open pollinated variety earned its name because it is fast-maturing and cold-hardy. The vigorous, wilt resistant, 28 inch vines yield heavy crops of 3.5 to 4 inch blunt double pods that each contain 7 to 8 uniform, dark green, medium sized peas of excellent quality and sweetness. The double pods are concentrated near the top of the plant for easy picking. Peas are best just before the pods are completely filled and one of the easiest peas to shell. Holds its quality for a long time after the peas are picked. A good shelling pea for fresh use, freezing and fresh market that is adapted to a wide range of growing conditions. A great variety for areas that have a short growing season and cold spring weather. A good home garden variety proven to be very early in Alaska. A variety tested in Alaska by the University of Alaska Cooperative Extension.
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PUMPKIN
Connecticut Field
A Native American open pollinated heirloom noted for dependable yields with a history that predates 1700. The hefty orange-gold fruits grow to around 12 inches in diameter and weigh 15-20 lbs. The fruits have a flattened bottom and a rind that is hard but thin and slightly ribbed. The yellow flesh is sweet, thick and coarse. A great pumpkin for use in baking pies or carving Jack-o-Lanterns. After all these years it’s still the most popular variety for large Halloween pumpkins.The seed must be started indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost and will mature orange fruits outdoors only in the warmest interior areas of Alaska. This variety matures later than Small Sugar.
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SPINACH
Renegade Hybrid
Organic certified seed for a hybrid spinach that shows bolt resistance that compares with the best when trialed at Georgeson Botanical Garden in Fairbanks, Alaska. A very early variety that provides consistent, high-quality harvests of succulent smooth, fleshy, dark green oval leaves that have a super-sweet flavor and are never prone to bitterness or cracking. The compact, 8 to 10 inch plants are high yielding and have good disease resistance. Spinach bolts quickly in Alaska when the days get longer so it must be planted as soon as the garden can be prepared in spring for a successful crop. Ideal for salads, cooked greens and a souffle, a very popular variety for fresh use and freezes and cans well. Spinach is a very nutritious vegetable that is high in iron. Resistant to downy mildew races 1-7 and cucumber mosaic virus.
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Space Hybrid
In Alaskan trials at the Georgeson Botanical Garden in Fairbanks Space had a longer than average harvest period, one of the best spinaches tested. It is quick-growing for baby leaf harvest and resists disease and Alaska’s long days for amazing production that isn't halted by early bolting. Space produces the kind of vigorous big, thick, wavy, mostly smooth slightly savoyed leaves that gardeners love. Upright plant growth results in good clean dark-green leaves that have a juicy, sweet flavor. Spinach bolts quickly in Alaska when the days get longer so it must be planted as soon as the garden can be prepared in spring for a successful crop. Ideal for salads, cooked greens and a souffle, a very popular variety for fresh use and freezes and cans well. Spinach is a very nutritious vegetable that is high in iron. Resistant to downy mildew, races 1-3.
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Tyee Hybrid
Tyee has shown to be a long standing, bolt-resistant variety in university trials at Fairbanks, Alaska. It outperforms other savoyed types both in yield and holding ability. Produces greens that hold several days after plants mature when planted in early spring. A semi-savoy spinach that is very attractive with slightly rumpled dark green leaves. The erect, heavy-leafed plants hold their leaves upright so they are well off the ground and stay clean. The fast-growing, very vigorous plants often reach a height of 10 inches. Spinach is very adaptable to an early spring planting because it withstands a considerable amount of cold weather. Spinach bolts quickly in Alaska when the days get longer so it must be planted as soon as the garden can be prepared in spring for a successful crop. Resists downy mildew, Races 1-3. Ideal for salads, cooked greens and souffles, a very popular variety for fresh use and freezes and cans well. Spinach is a very nutritious vegetable.
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SQUASH, WINTER (Storage)
Gold Nugget
All-American Selections Winner. This early, open pollinated, buttercup-shaped golden squash is extremely productive and a good winter keeper. The small 1 to 3 pound fruits measuring 3"- 4" across have fine ridges, pale red-orange skin and delicious, dry, very sweet, fine grained, dark orange flesh. Fruits grow on a compact bush that is easy to harvest and ideal for small gardens. The only winter squash tested in Alaska that will mature outdoors and only in the warmer interior areas of the state. In Alaska seed must be started indoors 4 to 5 weeks before the last frost (optimum soil temperature for germination 75 to 95 degrees F) and a soil warming technique like raised beds, mounded rows and a windbreak must be used to help assure maturity when planted in the garden. The high quality fruits are usually steamed or baked and can be added to soups, stews, curries, and desserts. They are great for making pumpkin pie. A variety tested in Alaska by the University of Alaska Cooperative Extension. Late maturing.
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TOMATO
Stupice (Outdoor Garden/Patio Container/Greenhouse)
After three years of testing, data from the university vegetable trials in Fairbanks, AK describes Stupice as a small, very early, high yielding tomato. This little red tomato from Czechoslovakia looks quite ordinary in appearance but is simply one of the best early tomatoes you can grow. In warm interior areas it can be a garden tomato and in cooler areas it is an excellent container plant for the greenhouse. An indeterminate variety that grows 3 to 4 feet high and produces clusters of small, round fruits, 2 to 2 ½ inch in diameter, 3 to 6 ounces, with a great tomato flavor over a long season. The plants have potato-leaf foliage. Fruit matures in 60 to 70 days from transplant in a warm greenhouse.
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