New Vegetables for 2012

Crystal Rennicke

Emmy tomato

This rare indeterminate heirloom tomato has small orange-yellow fruits with an intense tomato flavor. Originating in Transylvania and making its way to Germany by the end of World War II, it’s been cultivated in this country by the nonprofit Seed Savers Exchange, which acquired some seeds as a donation in 2005.

Also try: Plum Regal, a medium-size deep-red tomato with good disease resistance, is especially good if you have trouble with late blight. For a dark-purple tomato high in antioxidants, try Indigo Rose.

Boost Collection

This year, Burpee Home Gardens introduces six new high-antioxidant vegetables for gardeners craving even more nutritious produce. Burpee says the varieties boast up to 500 percent more nutrients than other home garden vegetables. The collection includes three tomatoes—Solar Power, Power Pops and Cherry Punch—as well as Sweet Heat peppers, Gold Standard cucumbers and Healing Hands salad mix.

Also try: Health-conscious folks will also love antioxidant-rich El Dorado Swiss chard and Opera globe artichoke.

Cayennetta chili pepper

An All-America Selections vegetable award winner for 2012, this mildly spicy chili pepper has elongated fruits of 3 to 4 inches that start out green and turn red when mature. In addition to the fruits’ delectable taste, the plant grows upright and branched, requiring no staking. At up to 24 inches high and wide, it’s good for patio gardens and containers.

Also try: Maya is a habanero dubbed one of the “hottest peppers on Earth”—if you can take the heat. For slightly citrus-y fire, choose yellow Lemon Drop peppers.

Oh So Sweet watermelon

You’re in for a sweet treat with this delicious heirloom. These productive plants bear many medium round striped fruits with a high sugar content. Our friends at Seed Savers Exchange say this is one of the sweetest watermelons they’ve eaten.

Also Try: A yellow-skinned watermelon and All-America Selections winner in 2012, Faerie is very sweet, with a vine that spreads to about 11 feet—perfect for smaller gardens.

Atomic Red carrot

Super-nutritious and delicious Atomic Reds grow 8 to 11 inches long and are a dull pink when harvested. When you cook them, they immediately turn brilliant scarlet, making them as pleasing to the eye as to the taste buds. They’re also packed with lycopene, a cancer-fighting antioxidant. With their fabulous color, even picky veggie eaters will gobble them up!

Also try: The Atomic Red (pictured here to the right) is just one of the unique varieties in the Kaleidoscope mix, available from Burpee Home Gardens.

Apollo broccoli hybrid

The popular hybrid sold in stores as Broccolini is now available for home gardeners in this new variety. It’s as easy to grow as regular broccoli, and more productive, with flat florets and long, tender stalks that grow only 24 to 28 inches tall. The flavor is delicious—and it looks great in gardens, too! After the main head is harvested, this prolific broccoli will keep producing side shoots all season long.

Also try: A similar broccoli cross, Atlantis, has larger florets with a higher yield potential.

Cambodian Green Giant eggplant

An attractive heirloom variety, Cambodian Green Giant is pale green with dark-green stripes. A large, handsome garden plant, it has a wonderful, full-bodied flavor. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds brought it to home gardeners.

Also try: Little Green eggplant has smaller, sweet neon-green fruits; Nubia has lovely splashes of lilac and cream on 4- to 5-inch eggplants with a mellow flavor.

Astia container zucchini

Developed for smaller spaces, this compact zucchini grows only 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. The prolific vines produce veggies ready to harvest in only 48 days. Astia is also ornamental, with big, deeply indented silvery-green leaves.

Also try: Another prolific grower, Sunstripe zucchini has 4-inch fruits and is nearly spineless.

Yellow Mirai 160Y corn

This supersweet corn earned its popularity at roadside produce stands and small farms. It’s as easy to grow as other corn, but needs to be isolated to harvest true. The 8-inch ears are yummiest when barely cooked.

Also try: For a supersweet white corn with long, tapered 8-inch ears, try Sugar Pearl.

Easy Peasy pea

Pretty and prolific, Easy Peasy will be one of the top producers in your spring garden. Striking blue-green plants yield 10 or 11 peas per pod. They’re also self-supporting and easy to grow.

Also try: Compact Peas-in-a-Pot are bred for containers at a petite 10 inches, but they produce a giant yield.