LADY BUG...ALL-AMERICAN SELECTION WINNER VEGETABLES A GOOD CHOICE

This year one flower and two vegetables have been chosen as All-America Selection Winners for 1994. Both of the vegetables are Petoseed introductions, and Lavender Lady, a perennial, is being introduced by Burpee Seed.

We shall be reading and hearing much about Big Beef tomato, Fanfare cucumber and Lavender Lady this coming season.

Petoseeds is really "crowing" about their two introductions. They say they could go a couple of hundred years without winning two more for release the same year. Petoseed does not sell on a retail basis, but their developments are available through seed suppliers and garden centers throughout North America.

These varieties were tested at 33 flower judging locations and 26 vegetable locations across the country. These AAS Winners are distinct and superior, worthy of growing by professionals and home owners alike. The three are available from seed companies in mail order catalogs and as bedding plants from garden centers and nurseries for this growing season.

There is no end to the promotion literature on this new tomato. "Old time tomato flavor, colossal fruit size, greater disease resistance and improved yield potential", says one news release.

Another state's Big Beef produces extra money meaty Beefsteak-type fruits with old fashioned flavor like grandpa used to brag about. It also seems to have the right balance of sugar and acids.

Unlike the old Beefsteak variety, Big Beef sets and yields a large crop not only in terms of fruit size, but also in terms of fruit count. It is also said that under normal growing conditions Big Beef will yield at least double the number of fruits with better shape, better flavor, better color and better interior quality.

It is also said to be so perfectly sized that one slice will perfectly fit on a sandwich. They are described as "meaty" not "mealy" and are also healthier and more productive than any other tomato. Disease tolerant, it also will produce when plants are staked and pruned to two growing tips.

Big Beef can be grown from seed by beginning gardeners, advertisements say. Sow seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before planting outside and within seven days the seeds will sprout. They will begin to produce in about 73 days, very early for this size fruit.

When home gardeners were surveyed about the type of cucumber they would like to see developed for their personal use, they usually pointed to four main characteristics they wanted most - better quality, more yield, more compact vines and extended harvest season. Fanfare, the new hybrid cucumber, seems to answer all of these.

Most of the varieties developed in recent years have been "gynoecious" in nature, meaning that they produce mostly female flowers which bear fruit. Pollinator seed is blended in to help ensure that there will be enough male flowers for bees to transfer pollen to the female flowers. This works well for large scale commercial production, but often times in small back yard gardens there are not enough male flowers. When this happens yields are reduced.

Fanfare is a "monoecious" hybrid and produces both female and male flowers. These are generally more vigorous, produce over a long period and yields better shaped and better quality fruits. Their plants will produce in 63 days. Flavor is of high quality.

This cucumber needs only two or three feet of garden space to produce high quality cucumbers. It is also adaptable for container growing.

When planting seeds inside, they should germinate within seven to 10 days. Give young plants sun, water and some fertilizer before planting in the garden. Semi-dwarf, their fruits will be dark green in color and about 8 to 9 inches in length, making them ideal for slicing. Disease resistant, they also will tolerate the stress of summer.

Lavender Lady provides an abundance of fragrant lavender flower spikes. She deserves a prominent location in the annual or perennial garden because she will bloom the first year. Seeds may be started indoors six to 12 weeks before planting outdoors. The seeds require light so should not be covered with media and will germinate in about 14 to 20 days.

Lady will perform best in a sunny location with a well drained soil, relatively low in fertility. It grows about 10 inches in height and will spread about the same. The lavender spikes of this herb are held on grey green foliage, which has an aroma and the flower has a fragrance.

Although every gardener has favorites grown year after year, why not give AASW Big Beef, Fanfare and Lady Lavender a try?