Forget the Farao.. $6 too rich for me for a few llants.

You might want to consider an alternative seed choice than Burpee. For several reasons, Burpee is a source that is NOT recommended by many experienced gardeners. See all the past discussions here about that issue.

There are lots of less expensive sources than either you have named but Johnny's is often recommended as a good source for unusual varieties.

Otherwise, varieties boil down to personal choice. Some folks will object to many of your choices listed but the choice is yours. But you are mostly comparing hybrids to heirlooms and that isn't a valid comparison. Pick either hybrids to compare to each other or heirlooms to compare to each other.

Of the choices you listed, I'd go with Wakefield cabbage (available from Victory for 1/2 the Burpee price), Blue Wind broccoli (available from several sources for less than 1/2 the Burpee price), Pickle Bush cukes (several sources for less than 1/2 the Burpee price), Sugar Snap peas, and Taxi tomato. Not to say there aren't better choices IMO but that is ultimately up to you.

Dave

Dave - if you want to suggest better choices, go for it. :)

My tomatoes are all hybrids as the heirlooms are generally higher in acid and harder on the stomach.

My peppers and eggplants are hybrids as this is based on my personal experience from this year... I am choosing varieties I believe will perform better in less than ideal conditions.

Otherwise, I am not partial hybrid vs heirloom.

Blue Wind is from Johnny's. Pickle Bush claims to be Burpee exclusive.

The reason I suggest Burpee is because they have all the seed stands around here, and their seeds mostly performed well for me this year. I was thinking of ordering my other seeds from Harris instead of Burpee. I was going to use Territorial but they don't have the Jet Star I am looking for and don't want to add yet another company in the mix.

This post was edited by Peter1142 on Sun, Dec 21, 14 at 19:34

Concur with Dave. Nothing wrong with Burpee seeds but they are extremely overpriced when ordered. Thier seed rack varieties are competitively priced. Never understood their rationale for that.
As for your choices.Early Jersey is early but quite small. Charleton Wakefield has performed much better for me. Pointy head cabbages in general are not as tender as round cabbage. Only hybrid I have grown in this category is Point One. Only advantage over Early Jersey is conformity in heading.{{gwi:34906}}
While I have grown several varieties of Okra, Emerald remains my favorite. Annie Oakly and Blondie are shorter season and tolerate cool weather better. Lee is a small compact plant.

Blue Wind has a bit more dome than Packman and is less susceptible to brown bead. Early and consistent performer. Good main heads and sufficient sideshots. DeCicco takes its time acceptible main head LOTS of sideshoots. Not for me but lots of folks love it. {{gwi:23920}}

Burpee's Early Jersey Wakefield is supposedly round.

I would prefer a round cabbage, but one that doesn't take up quite as much space. I will definitely check out your suggestions, thanks farmerdill.

Here is a link that might be useful: Burpee's Early Jersey Wakefield

As for the potatoes (I only add this because you had an either/or on the source) I would buy based on shipping cost. You'll probably get quality seed form either place, and since you're decided on variety, I'd boil it down to cold hard cash.

As far as seed price goes, the two companies look pretty much the same, so I'd boil it down to how much it's going to cost you to ship. PG does it based on zipcode zone, not sure about MT, I couldn't find any info. I know that PG charged me $11.00 S&H and they are only a few hours drive from where I live. Not sure where you are at in their "zones" but if MT is cheaper, I'd go with them.

I know a lot of folks don't like Burpee, but I use their seeds not infrequently. Never had a problem with quality of seed, and they regularly go on sale for less than a dollar per pack at my garden center of choice. I have never actually ordered from them though, their online/catalog prices are pretty high.

Yes, I will get the potatoes from whoever is cheaper with shipping. I am sure both have quality seed tubers. I am spending enough cash on Johnny's exotic seeds :)

But not buying seedlings this year! Thise rootbound plants were miserable (many were mystery varieties too.. "red bell" wtf). All started from seed myself with grow lights, kept in the right size pots.

More examples of why to skip Burpee ( other than their high prices). Their claims of exclusivity that aren't true and mis-leading product descriptions. They also re-label long existing varieties with new Burpee trademark names implying it is some sort of new variety or new strain so they can charge more for it. Early Jersey Wakefield is the same no matter where you buy it. See: Cabbage Types

Kennebec seed potatoes are commonly sold by Walmart and the big box stores and they are the exact same thing (cheaper and without the shipping costs) as those from the online distributors. The advantage to on online suppliers, be it seeds or whatever, is if they are rare or unusual varieties. Common varieties are just that, commonly available.

Cabbage - EJW is a cone, not round cabbage. I prefer the ball types like Copenhagen Market, Brunswick, or Early Round Dutch.

Onions - suggest you consider the intermediates or the day-neutrals rather than long-day varieties for nest results in your zone.

Dave

I am in SE NY (North of NYC), my zone is misleading as I am on the coast... it is similar to Connecticut. I feel like I should remove it from my posts as it is not an adequate representation of my summertime climate.

I will look at the other cabbage varieties suggested. I would like to get a medium sized round early cabbage variety for a spring planting. I assume Burpee is misleading in their pics and descriptions of their Early Jersey Wakefield.

The potatoes I bought at a big box store last year didn't do wonderful. And I did not see Kennebec. I do not trust the crap I see sold in those stores on the indoor shelves... Dying fruit trees, shriveled onion sets that have been sitting in improper storage, half of the stuff doesn't even have an actual variety noted, just "red" or "white" etc., this is not really a good location to be buying this stuff in big box stores, my experiences last year were not good, and I am willing to spend a little extra to buy from a more reputable source. I understand many feel it is not necessary.

All Wakefields are pointy head cabbages. If you a want a nice early round head I would suggest Golden Acre (OP) or Greenbriar (hybrid). I always buy locally when available, much cheaper altho seeds are not a major expense in growing vegetables. Feed and seed stores are the best source for common varieties, but selection is limited. Most seed vendors have exclusives. However it only means they have a contract to vend exclusively in a given area. All vendors buy thier seeds from big companies or in a few cases like Baker Creek directly from the grower.

Thats a great point about the potatoes, Dave. I don't usually buy seed potatoes off the shelf, so I didn't even think about that.

Peter, if you have a garden center nearby, they will usually sell potatoes by variety. Possibly better quality than you got last year from a BBS, too. I'd check them out.

If not, seeing that you are in NY, Moose Tubers will probably be cheaper since Potato Garden is half the Country away in Colorado.

P.s. I would keep your zone, but you can add your general location along with it. The zone alone tells us almost nothing. For example, I share a zone with people from Chicago and Maine, I guarantee none of us have remotely similar growing conditions.

I agree that the quality of what may be offered differs by locale. But do keep in mind that when something fails or produces poorly it is seldom caused by the particular variety or a particular source. Rather it is caused by the growing conditions and care, or lack thereof, we provided. That, not changing variety, is where we need to improve 90% of the time regardless of our location. :)

Even the most difficult growing conditions can be corrected or compensated for and soil-quality is usually the place to start. Coastal gardening has some pitfalls, true. But many are quite successful at it so perhaps meeting with some of the many successful gardeners in your local area would help you resolve some of your issues?

Sure we'd all love to have totally trouble-free and work-free varieties to use but those varieties simply don't exist, all the grandiose claims made by vendors to the contrary.

I would like to get a medium sized round early cabbage variety for a spring planting.

Spring planting is not an issue for any cabbage variety but early and round and medium sized may be. Most early varieties are not medium sized nor round. But there are some exceptions - Early Flat Dutch comes to mind as a possibility as is All Head Drum.

Dave

It appears Burpee is misrepresenting Early Jersey Wakefield with a photo of round cabbages. And going by the photo they give I would have thought it was a round cabbage as well. So I learned something new today. However the description they give does say it "Quickly produces large, dense, elongated 7" heads."

Rodney

I don't need the cabbage to be super early, but on the early side should be good... I'm open to any other suggestions. Last frost end of April... then progression to hot temps is unpredictable. We have had 90's in early May, and 50's in late June. The spring is almost always quite wet. I assume I will be starting seedlings indoors.

Thanks for all the input.

"Onions - suggest you consider the intermediates or the day-neutrals rather than long-day varieties for best results in your zone. Dave"

"Peter1142 Zone 6b: I am in SE NY (North of NYC), my zone is misleading as I am on the coast... it is similar to Connecticut. I feel like I should remove it from my posts as it is not an adequate representation of my summertime climate."

Onion recommendations are influenced by your latitude, not the warmth of your summer. Much onion bulbing is controlled by daylength which is determined by how far you are from the equator (latitude)...not from the coast. While long day varieties may work for you, the intermediates/day-neutrals might also work. Not sure what Dave would recommend now, knowing that you are north of NYC (NYC is around 40.7 N Lat.)

Look beyond Dixondale's map and read the latitude suggestions in the write up. Looks like you may be within Intermediate/day neutral latitude range and could consider them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Onions, latitude, and day length

NY has very long day summers, and is by any measure in the Northern top of the country (though obviously there is still plenty North of it). I would raise both eyebrows to anyone suggesting NY is better suited for intermediate day than long day. My latitude is right in the middle of the best suited latitudes provided for long-day, and barely qualifies for intermediate-day. I am sure I could consider them possibly, but long-day seems more ideal.

What I meant was, NY is further North than is typical in Zone 6, and that the temperatures are more temperate.

This post was edited by Peter1142 on Tue, Dec 23, 14 at 15:59

Yes, I agree that zones based on winter lows are not the best way to know about summertime growing. We can only guess about so many other more important considerations. Yet that is the main info GW gives us. Your onion choices look good to me for where you are at.

It looks like you will be eating well from your garden next year. You have chosen a good mix for harvesting throughout the season and storing and preserving for extended use.

Most long day onions will grow just about any where in the USA north of zone 9-10. I have grown them here in GA. The problem is that they must grow in summer. Require the June soltice to trigger bulbing. Here unless I have elevation or shade they burn out in late June July temps. On the other hand, short day varieties are triggered at or before the March equinox. So in order to have plants ready to bulb out at the appropriate trigger hours, they must be grown in the winter. Works nicely here as May harvest leaves space for summer vegtables. {{gwi:101466}} Golden Grande - long day Spanish type.
{{gwi:101469}} Sapelo Sweet -Short day type.

Don't get Blue Wind broccoli. It is too quick to bolt. Green Magic is way better. Also I suggest super sugar snap vs. regular due to PM resistance. I order most seeds from Fedco but those two varieties I have to get from Johnny's.

The link is a great source for gardener reviews.

Here is a link that might be useful: cornell veggie reviews

Candy onion grows well here in Central Indiana....intermediate type.

Cornell's recommendations for NY... it says long-day but they recommend some intermediate day varieties as well.

I was curious and just looked up daylight hours. It says in my town the longest day is 15:10. In Bangor, Maine it is 15:35 and in Atlanta, Georgia it is 14:24... at least according to this one website.

A 14 hour onion would start bulbing May 1st, which is probably a month after planting and around the last frost, and thus not really ideal. Honestly it seems like the day length for bulbing is oversimplified to me. Maybe I should just stick to one of the varieties recommended, like Ailsa Craig. If they store a couple months that is sufficient to eat them all probably.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell Onion Recommendations

Onions (all types) are normally planted much earlier, months before last frost date. Even when using transplants. Direct seeding is even earlier. Like most alliums they are very cold tolerant so last frost date isn't really relevant to planting them.

I start my plants from seed in late Nov. and plant transplants in the garden in late January.

It may seem over-simplified as all types will grow anywhere when planted at the correct time. But the type classification is geared toward "best bulb size", DTM, color/flavor (important to many), and storage life, NOT planting dates.

Dave

Months before the last frost the ground will be snow covered and frozen. Even 4-6 weeks before the last frost the ground will not be workable. They will have to be transplanted as soon as the ground can be worked, which will be around April 1st. (That still gives only 30 days to grow greens for a 14 hour onion)

I pulled the trigger on the long-day sampler, Lancelot Leeks from Dixondale, Beauregard Sweet Potatoes from Steele, and Kennebec from Potato Garden. I've got all my seeds picked out but waiting until next month to order those.

This post was edited by Peter1142 on Sun, Dec 28, 14 at 12:49