ENH1225/EP486: Seed Sources for Florida Homegrown Vegetables

The right vegetable varieties can make a big difference in the success of a home vegetable garden. Although a huge selection of seeds and transplants are available through garden centers, seed catalogs, and the internet, choosing what to buy can be confusing.

Figure 1. Seed sources include online catalogs and local garden centers.
Credit: Photodisc

It's best to start with the vegetables you and your family like to eat. Then, refer to the varieties listed in the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021). Unfortunately, at times, these recommended varieties can be difficult to find from mail-order seed catalogs, internet suppliers, and local garden supply stores. Since some of these sources also charge shipping and handling fees, it can become costly to buy varieties from different sources.

To overcome this, consider buying from the seed company (catalog or internet) that offers the most of your desired varieties. Then, buy missing varieties locally from seed stores or substitute them. Anything marked "All-America Selections" (AAS) is usually a good substitute because these varieties were tested in nationwide trials for superior adaptability and vigor. Look for seeds that are disease and pest resistant or tolerant, which is usually noted on the packet label or indicated by a series of letters, such as V, F, N, and T. (For more information about "All-America Selections," please visit http://www.all-americaselections.org/about/index.cfm.)

Figure 2. Some vegetable varieties perform better in Florida gardens than others.
Credit: Ed Thralls, UF/IFAS

Many new varieties are introduced each year, but a new selection's performance can only be determined by actually growing it. Be sure to keep notes on what vegetable varieties were planted and how they performed. Do not save seeds from hybrid varieties because they will not grow true to type and may produce poor-quality vegetables.

Some of the best varieties for Florida gardens are listed in Table 1. The numbers listed beside them correspond to the seed suppliers that currently sell them in Table 2. The exclusion of other varieties or seed companies in no way indicates that they are undesirable.

References

"All-America Selections." 1311 Butterfield Road, Suite 310, Downers Grove, Il 60515-5625. http://www.all-americaselections.org/about/

Bonina, Jennifer and Cantliffe, Daniel J. 2009. Seed Production and Seed Sources of Organic Vegetables. HS981. Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HS227

Park Brown, S., Stephens, J.M., Treadwell, D., Webb, S., Gevens, A., Dunn, R.A., Kidder, G., Short, D., and Simone, G.W. 2012. Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide. SP103. Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VH021

Table 1.

Vegetable varieties and sources.

Vegetable/Variety	*Source (See Table 2)**	Vegetable/Variety	*Source (See Table 2)**
Beans Snap Bush Blue Lake Contender Roma II Provider Cherokee Wax	1-2-3-7-8-11-13-14-15-16-19-23 4-7-11-13-15-23 4-6-7-11-12-13-14-16-18-20 4-10-11-15-16-19-20 6	Cantaloupes and Honeydews Athena Ambrosia Galia (green flesh)	2-4-7-11-12-13-20 11-13-14-22-23 12
Bush Type: Shell Horticultural Pinto Red Kidney Black Bean Navy	4 13 10 10 5	Carrots Imperator Nantes Danvers Chantenay	4-6-13-15-16-23 2-3-6-7-11-14-18-19 1-3-6-7-13-14-15-16 1-3-12-13-16-18-19
Pole Type: McCaslan Kentucky Wonder Blue Lake	4-15-16 2-3-4-6-7-11-13-14-15-16-18-23 3-6-7-11-12-13- 14-15-16-19	Cauliflower Snowball Snow Crown Brocoverde	1-2-3-6-13-18 7-10-11-14-16-22-23 3-12
Lima: Fordhook 242 Henderson Jackson Wonder Dixie (Speckled) Butterpea Early Thorogreen	2-6-7-10-14-16-23 1-4-15-16-23 1-16-20 4 1-14-15-16-23 5-16-23	Celery Utah Strains	3-6-13-15-20
Beets Tall Top Early Wonder Detroit Dark Red Cylindra Red Ace Yellow Detroit	6-19 1-3-6-10-13-15-16-20 1-2-3-4-6-7-13-14-15-18-23 1-2-3-10-11-12-13-15-23 10-11-13-14-16-20-23 6-18	Collards Georgia Georgia Southern Top Bunch Vates	3-6-14 6-13 4 4-13-16
Cabbage Rio Verde Flat Dutch Round Dutch Wakefield types Copenhagen Market Savoy Red Acre	4 1-2-4-12-13-16 4-6 1-3 24 4-9-11-23 16-19	Corn, sweet Silver Queen (white) How Sweet It Is (white) Sweet Ice (white) Sweet Riser (yellow) Early Sunglow (yellow)	2-3-4-6-7-14-16 14-16 8 24 3-6-14
Cucumbers Slicers: Sweet Success Poinsett Ashley MarketMore 76 Straight Eight Space Master Picklers: Eureka Boston Pickling	3-7-9-14-16-23 4-6 4-11-12-13-23 1-3-4-6-10-11-13-14-16-19-23 1-2-3-4-6-7-9-11-13-14-16-18 3-6-9-16 7-9-22 1-4-6-13-16	Kale Vates Dwarf Blue Curled Tuscan (Lacinato) Winterbor Redbor	1-4-6-13-16 3-10-12-14 4-10-12-14-20 14-18-20
Eggplant Black Beauty Dusky Long Ichiban Cloud Nine (white)	1-2-3-4-6-9-13-14-16-18 15 6-13 18 15	Kohlrabi Early White Vienna Purple Vienna	1-3-6-7-16 1-3-4-13-16-23
Endive Green Curled Ruffec	6-11	Lettuce Crisphead: Great Lakes Butterhead: Ermosa Bibb Tom Thumb Buttercrunch Loose Leaf: Simpson types Salad Bowl Red Sails New Red Fire Oak Leaf: Salad Bowl Royal Oak Romaine: Paris Island Cos Outredgeous	6-13 10 3-6 1-3-6-19-20 2-3-6-7-10-11-13-14-16-18-20-23 3-4-6-9-16-20-23 3-10-12-14 3-6-7-10-13-20-23 17-18 3-6-10-16 3-16-18 3-10-11-13-18 10-12-19-1
Escarole Batavian Broadleaf	5	Mustard Southern Giant Curled Florida Broad Leaf Tendergreen Giant Red Green Wave Mizuna	3-4-6-11-14-16-18 3-4-6 3-4-16-18 3-10-14-18 8-17-18 3-18
Okra Clemson Spineless Emerald Annie Oakley II Cajun Delight	1-3-4-6-7-9-10-13-14-16-18 1-6 7-9-14 11-23	Peppers Bell: California Wonder Red Knight Big Bertha Other Sweet: Sweet Banana Giant Marconi Mariachi Cubanelle Jalapeno: Early Jalapeno Jalapeno M Specialty Hot: Cherry Bomb Hungarian Hot Wax Big Chili II Numex Ancho Thai Anaheim Chile Long Cayenne Habanero Caribbean Red Habanero	1-2-3-6-13-14-16-18-19-20 9 9-14-16 2-4-7-9-16 3-9 3-13-14 3-4-6-7-12 6-9-10-14-16-20 3-4-6-14 3-9-16 1-12-13-14-16-19 9-16 9-19 9-10-12-13-14 1-3-14 2-3-4-9-13 3-6-9-13 1-3-4-6-9-10-13-20 12
Onions Bulbing: Granex (yellow) Bunching (green) Evergreen Bunching White Lisbon Bunching Leeks: American Flag Multiplier: Shallots	3-4-6-9-12-14 3-6-7-10-11-16 3-6 5-6 2-3-9-12-14-19-23	Potatoes, Irish Red Pontiac Yukon Gold Gold Rush	2-14-16 2-3-14-16 5
Peas English or Snow: Wando Green Arrow Sugar Snap Oregon Sugarpod II	1-2-3-6-16 13-14-19-20 1-2-3-7-10-13-14-16-18-19-20 1-2-3-4-6-7-18-19-20	Potatoes, Sweet Centennial Beauregard Vardaman	3-13-14 3-6-8-14 3-14-21
Peas Southern: California Blackeye No. 5 Pinkeye Purple Hull Texas Cream	2-4-6-16 6-16 15-22	Pumpkin Big Max Connecticut Field Prizewinner Jack Be Little Jack O Lantern	1-6-7-13-16 1-7-13-16 3-9-15 4-6-9-13-20 3-6-16
Radish Cherry Belle White Icicle Sparkler Champion Daikon	3-6-7-13-16-20-23 3-6-11-12-16 6-11-14 4-6-7-11-13-16-23 3-4-6-11-16-23	Strawberry Chandler Oso Grande Sweet Charlie Selva Camarosa Festival	Local garden centers may offer these varieties (as plants) in early Fall.
Spinach Melody 3 Bloomsdale Longstanding Tyee Space	3 1-3-4-6-7-11-13-16-20-23 6-7-11-14-16-20-23 11-14-20-23	Swiss Chard Bright Lights Bright Yellow Fordhook Giant Lucullus Red Ruby	3-6-7-11-12-13-14-15-16-20-22-23 15 1-3-13-15-16-18-19-20-23 7-13 6-13-18
Squash Summer: Early Prolific Straightneck Summer Crookneck Early White Scallop Winter: Spaghetti Table King Table Queen & Table Ace Waltham Early Butternut Zucchini: Cocozelle Spineless Beauty Black Beauty Calabaza	1-2-3-4-6-7-12-16-18 3-4-6-12-13-14 1-6-11-13-16 1-2-3-711-12-13-16-18-20 6-11 1-2-3-13 3-4-11-13-16-18-20-23 1-3-6-11-12-13-14-23 1-6 4-6-11-13-14-23 1-2-4-6-11-13-14-16-18-20 Latin Markets – seeds from whole fruit	Tomatoes Large Fruit: Celebrity Heat Wave II Better Boy Beefmaster BHN444 – Southern Star Amelia BHN640 Small Fruit: Sweet 100 Juliet Red Grape Sun Gold Sugar Snack Sweet Baby Girl Heirloom: Green Zebra Cherokee Purple Eva Purple Ball Mortgage Lifter Delicious Brandywine	2-7-13-14-16-21 3 2-3-6-7-9-11-14-21-22 6-9-13-14 15-20 22 21-6-9-14-21 3-6-13-14-21-22 1 9-21-22 3-15 3-7-9-14 1-3-12-13-20-21 1-3-12-13-20-21 1-3-14-16-18-20-21-22 8-15 7-14-16 3-7-16-21 1-3-4-6-7-9-11-12-13-14-16-18-20-21-23
Turnips Roots: Purple Top White Globe Greens: Seven Top Shogoin	1-3-4-6-7-11-13-16-23 13-16 16	Watermelon Large: Jubilee Crimson Sweet Charleston Grey 133 Small: Sugar Baby Mickeylee	4-16 1-3-4-6-7-9-11-13-16-18-19-23 1-2-3-4-9 1-2-3-6-7-9-12-16-19-20 4

View Table

Table 2.

Seed suppliers.

Source Key	Company	Website	Source Key	Company	Website
1	Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds	http://rareseeds.com	13	Mountain Valley Seed	http://www.mvseeds.com
2	Burgess Seed and Plant	http://www.eburgess.com	14	Park Seed	http://parkseed.com
3	Burpee	http://www.burpee.com	15	Pinetree Garden Seeds and Accessories	https://www.superseeds.com
4	Clifton Seed	http://www.cliftonseed.com	16	R H Shumway's	http://www.rhshumway.com
5	EverWilde Farms	http://www.everwilde.com	17	Reimer Seeds	http://www.reimerseeds.com
6	Ferry Morse Seed	http://www.plantationproducts.com	18	Richters	http://www.richters.com
7	Gurney's Seeds and Nursery	http://gurneys.com	19	Seeds of Change	http://www.seedsofchange.com
8	Harris Seed	https://www.harrisseeds.com	20	Territorial Seed	http://www.territorialseed.com
9	HPS Horticultural Products and Services	http://www.hpsseed.com	21	Tomato Growers Supply	http://www.tomatogrowers.com
10	Johnny's Selected Seeds	http://www.johnnyseeds.com	22	Totally Tomatoes	http://www.totallytomato.com
11	Jung Seeds	http://www.jungseed.com	23	Vermont Bean Seed	http://www.vermontbean.com
12	Kitchen Garden Seeds	http://www.kitchengardenseeds.com	24	Victory Seeds	http://www.victoryseeds.com

View Table