• Topics: Horticultural Sciences  | Maynard, Donald  | Specialty Vegetables 

Production of Miniature Vegetables in Florida¹

Miniature or baby vegetables are similar to normal size vegetables except they are considerably smaller. They are produced by harvesting the product before it has attained market size or by use of genetically dwarf varieties.

Figure 1. 

Miniature squash varieties: upper center and clockwise, 'Gold Rush', 'Zucchini Elite,' 'Supersette', 'Goldie', 'Multipik', 'Ambassador', 'Seneca Prolific', 'Classic'; upper center, 'Sunburst'; lower center, 'Starflower'. The squash in the center are about 1 inch in diameter. Surrounding squash range from 2-3 inches in length.

Miniature or baby vegetables are a relatively new class of specialty vegetables. Other specialty vegetables include those grown on small acreages, ethnic vegetables, gourmet vegetables and organically grown vegetables. Specialty vegetable production offers large growers the opportunity to diversify and small growers a chance to be competitive in the market place.

The market for miniature vegetables is relatively small compared to the market for most Florida vegetables. At the present time they are used in some of the better restaurants and are sold directly to consumers in gourmet and specialty shops. Thus far, chain store have not generally handled miniatures.

Quality miniature vegetables command a high price which is justified because of the high level of management and labor required in production and the relatively low yields obtained because of the small size of the harvested product. As with any new venture, growers should thoroughly understand the market demand and potential before planting.

Miniature Vegetables

Almost any vegetables can be grown and marketed as miniatures. However, certain crops have proven to be more acceptable than others. Vegetables readily adapted to miniature production are listed in Table 1.

Other vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, lettuce, muskmelon, onion, pepper, and watermelon may be grown as miniatures, however, established trade has been restricted mainly to those vegetables listed in Table 1.

Varieties

Not all varieties are suitable for production of miniatures, however, there are usually several choices that can be made. The listing of some potential varieties for production of miniature vegetables in Table 2 is representative of those that may be selected.

Culture of Miniature Vegetables

In general, the culture used for miniature vegetable production is similar to that used for general vegetable production. After suitable varieties have been selected, plans for size of plantings and succession plantings to ensure a continuous product supply should be made. Some points to consider when making planting plans are: (1) time from planting to harvest for some miniature vegetables, e.g. squash, beet, carrot, turnip, is shorter than that for production of full-size vegetables; (2) the root crops and kohlrabi are at optimum harvest size for only a short period, so plantings should not be larger than can be marketed while the crop is at optimum size; (3) frequent, successive plantings of these crops will be necessary; (4) because the size of the harvested product is smaller, some crops may be spaced closer together than ordinarily. In some cases, close spacing is useful for obtaining and maintaining miniature size.

Another point of difference between general vegetables and miniature vegetables is that pesticides must be chosen with care to insure that applications are made within the stated days before harvest. With a shorter period to harvest, some chemicals used for general production may not be suitable for miniature vegetable production.

Harvesting and Postharvest Handling

There are no U.S. grade standards for miniature vegetables, therefore, size and quality are dictated by market demand. The product should always be as uniform as possible, clean, free from damage, and free from decay. Likewise, there are no standard containers for miniature vegetables, however, because of their size and value, they are usually packed in relatively small baskets or cartons. Market demand may vary somewhat, but the general guidelines in Table 3 can be used as a starting point for new growers of miniature vegetables.

Specific storage conditions for miniature vegetables have not been researched. However, it is thought that generally these vegetables are more subject to postharvest deterioration than their normal-size counterparts. Accordingly, it is extremely important to cool and hold miniature vegetables under recommended temperature and relative humidity conditions as outlined in Table 3.

Figure 2. 

This display of miniature root and stem vegetables includes turnips, beets, golden beets, white carrots, round carrots, purple and green kohlrabi.

Figure 3. 

These miniature eggplants are called 'Little Fingers'. They range from 1 to 1/4-3 inches in length.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.

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