Talking Plants

Jillian Patrie | University of Minnesota Yard and Garden Extension

The results are in!  298 Master Gardener Volunteers from 55 Minnesota counties grew and evaluated eight different garden vegetable and flower categories, providing important feedback for gardeners across Minnesota. Each trial compared six different varieties of Cilantro, Centaurea, Helichrysum, Long Beans, Peppers, Shallots, Stem Broccoli and Swiss Chard.  Let’s take a look at which ones made the top of the list for Minnesota gardeners.
#1 Yu Long Noodle Kin (Long Bean), had the best germination rate, was ready for harvest around July 20 (70 days to maturity) and was productive for 46 days.  Longest beans, good texture and flavor, easy to grow, early harvest and lots of beans. No disease or insect damage was reported. 76% said they “definitely want to grow again”.
#2 Davidor (Shallot), had the highest germination rate and was the most preferred for cooking, winning second place for sweetness.  Bulbs were 2.3” long and 1.6” wide.  Other comments read; “best flavor and yield”.
#3 Bright Lights (Swiss Chard), though this variety of Swiss chard has been available for many years, it landed as number one for Minnesota gardeners growing Swiss chard.  Winning the Swiss chard trial in 2005, this variety continues to be the best pick for overall flavor raw or cooked.  It is a very attractive plant, used for eating and ornamental plantings spring and fall.  Other comments read; “great germination rate, never bolted, flavor and texture were good and recovered well from excessive rain.”
#4 Happy Rich (Stem Broccoli), had the best germination rate, good raw and cooked flavor and best yield.  Happy Rich had the smallest stem diameter of the six broccoli trials, 59% of participants said they would grow it again.
#5 Cupid (Snacking Peppers), though it had the lowest germination rate reported from the six varieties tested, it had the highest yield.  Raw and cooked flavor was good, earliest to turn red, peppers were small but said to be “the perfect size.” 70% said they would grow this one again.
#6 Calypso (Cilantro), rated as the most productive with good flavor, and was still being harvested into October in some locations.  Plants were 12” tall and 8” wide, seed germination was around 42%.
#7 Scarlet Choice Double (Helichrysum), ranked best for its abundant blooms, variation in color and attractiveness to pollinators. This variety also ranked high in germination rate, sustained vigor and bloom time, making it a “fixture in the garden beds all season long.”
# 8 Blue Boy (Centaurea, AKA Cornflower), ranked best in germination rate, with an average height of 24.9” and width of 11.5”.  Staking was reported as a necessity. Flower abundance, color and persistence gave Blue Boy the top spot.  Its long-lasting blooms attracted many pollinators throughout the season.
Many gardeners experienced a wet and warm May and June which posed many challenges for gardeners and farmers alike.  The above selections were tested at a variety of different garden settings throughout Minnesota, which had different growing factors influencing reported results.  If you want to read the full report, including the varieties that didn’t receive number one rankings please visit https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/mnmastergardenerseedtrial/seed-trial-results.
For questions about this article or local assistance, please contact Clay County Extension Educator, Jill Patrie at 218-299-7338 or by email at patri350@umn.edu.

Please join The University of Minnesota Agricultural Business Management Team for “Farm Business Transition: Where do I begin? This workshop will cover topics related to farms transitioning to new hands and estate planning.
Thursday, March 20th, 2025
10:00 am to 3:00 pm (lunch provided)
RDO, Hawley, MN
To register please visit https://extension.umn.edu/event/farm-transition-and-estate-planning-hawley
Or call Heather Dufault (218-280-1129) or Jillian Patrie (218-299-7338)