Can’t decide which vegetable seeds to try next year? See what other vegetable gardeners have to recommend at Cornell University’s Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners.
Cornell Cooperative Extension has recently developed an interactive web site for vegetable gardeners to share their thoughts on the best seed varieties to grow. According to Lori Bushway, Senior Cornell Cooperative Extension Associate, “The site is like an Amazon.com for vegetable varieties, only we don’t actually sell the seeds,” she says. “At Amazon’s website, you can study reader ratings and reviews to see if you want to read a particular book. At our site, you can read gardener ratings and reviews to see if you want to grow a particular variety.” Other information given includes days to maturity and links to companies selling the seed.
There are over 2,000 vegetable varieties profiled so far. Gardeners can browse or search for specifics, as well as add their two-cents rating and reviewing varieties they’ve tired. They are especially interested in hearing about unusual varieties and ethnic specialties that have performed well. Although many varieties have only 1 or 2 reviews to date, it is interesting to see what other gardeners have to say and the site should build quickly.
The initial focus is on New York and the Northeast, but reviews and ratings are welcome from gardeners in other regions. As Bushway wisely noted, “All gardening is local. Our goal is to connect gardeners with their neighbors and others who have similar growing conditions to help them pick winners for their garden.”
Also included on the site are Growing Guides for 50+ vegetables. Log on and see if you agree with what other gardeners have to say about the vegetables you’ve tried growing.
