The Inyo-Mono Master Gardener Volunteers have released the results of their 2009 and 2010 vegetable variety trials, providing guidance for home gardeners in the region. The summary offers recommendations on several types of vegetables, with a particular focus on tomatoes.
Gardeners are advised to carefully read seed packets for pest and disease resistance and to avoid planting susceptible crops in areas with known pest issues. The report highlights varieties that performed well locally based on productivity, flavor, texture, and resilience.
Among beans, Contender and Blue Lake are noted for their early production and heat tolerance. Kentucky Wonder is recognized for its classic flavor, while filet types such as Vernandon offer tenderness but are less common in markets. Romano beans stand out for their unique taste and meaty texture.
For beets, Chiogga is recommended due to its flavor and appearance. Danvers 126 and Nantes are cited as reliable carrot varieties. Sweet corn options include Sugar Pearl for sweetness and ease of growth, Silver Queen for quality, and Indian Popcorn for ornamental use.
Cucumber choices like Armenian and Lemon provide distinctive flavors or appearances. Eggplants such as Ichiban and Black Beauty show strong local performance under heat conditions.
Greens including chard (Rhubarb), kale (Dinosaur), spinach (Bloomsdale), lettuce varieties like Buttercrunch, Romaine (Parris Island), Four Seasons, and Royal Oak Leaf are also listed for their hardiness or bolt resistance.
Melons highlighted include Casaba, Crenshaw, Haogen, and Crimson Sweet watermelon—all noted either for flavor or disease resistance. Peas such as Oregon Sugar Pod II and Super Sugar Snap demonstrate mildew resistance suitable for short cool seasons.
Sweet pepper recommendations feature Bell Boy, Valencia, Golden Giant II; hot peppers include Ancho San Luis, Chileno (a local favorite), Jalapeño, and Serrano.
Radish selections—Cherry Belle, French Breakfast, White Icicle—are identified by flavor profiles suited to local growing conditions. Summer squash like Black Eel zucchini is prolific; Gold Rush zucchini offers reliability with golden skin; Bennings Green Tint provides a mild pattypan option; yellow crookneck is valued for its distinct crunch. Winter squashes Acorn and Spaghetti are noted for storage qualities.
A detailed table covers full-size tomato varieties: Better Boy is described as “Good all-around tomato,” Brandywine as an heirloom known for flavor; Celebrity offers reliable production; Champion provides smooth slicing fruit; Early Girl matures quickly; Jet Setter yields large fruit early; Mortgage Lifter delivers large pink heirlooms; Paul Robeson produces medium black tomatoes early in the season; Pearson Improved adapts well locally; Sasha’s Altai is a Siberian variety with great flavor; Supersteak produces large beefsteaks.
Small-fruited tomatoes recommended include Galina (yellow cherry), Juliet (large grape type), Roma (paste tomato), Sun Cherry (“early very sweet”), Sun Gold (“orange cherry excellent”), Sun Sugar (“tangy sweetness”), Super Sweet 100 (“highly productive red cherry”), Yellow Jellybean (“very productive yellow grape”).
The report notes that hybrids generally show stronger disease resistance than heirlooms. Gardeners should consult seed catalogs or plant labels to confirm specific resistance information.
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources supports initiatives like these by sharing science-based practices statewide through research centers across diverse ecosystems (https://ucanr.edu/). The organization operates offices in every California county along with nine Research and Extension Centers (https://ucanr.edu/), providing expertise from the University of California (https://ucanr.edu/) to enhance community well-being through outreach programs spanning nutrition education to environmental conservation (https://ucanr.edu/). Glenda Humiston serves as vice president of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (https://ucanr.edu/).