Roland E. Roberts
Extension Horticulturist
Introduction
Unique climate and topography of the Texas High Plains present exciting challenges and great opportunities to vegetable gardeners. Most vegetables grow very well in their season here as long as they are protected from 15 to 30 mph gusty winds, especially in spring. Here we have a high elevation of 3,000 to 5,000 feet, intense sunlight (result of clear, cloudless skies), and low relative humidity. Most well water is high quality. Many towns use water from Lake Meredith which has elevated soluble salts. Thirty-degree swings between day and night temperature make for warm to hot days and cool nights all through the growing season of over 200 days. Drying winds and temperatures reaching mid to high 80s in April and May make survival of newly transplanted vegetables and successful greens growers heavily dependent on windbreaks. Winds moderate during summer and fall days are relatively calm and very sunny. It has been said that fall seems to just go on forever here. Here, successful gardeners are mulchers, drip irrigators, windbreak makers, and eternal optimists. Vegetables listed here have stood the tests of climate and time. I have grown all of these vegetables successfully here. The varieties excelled in demonstrations and research spanning 29 seasons on the Texas High Plains.
| Asparagus: | Asparagus officinalis | Jersey Giant, UC157 |
| Bean, field, dry, black turtle: | Phaseolus vulgaris | Black Turtle T39, Midnight |
| Bean, field, dry, cranberry: | Phaseolus vulgaris | Dwarf Horticultural Green Pod |
| Bean, field, dry, pinto: | Phaseolus vulgaris | Arapaho, Othello, Pinray, Fiesta, #84350, Olathe |
| Bean, field, dry, white: | Phaseolus vulgaris | Great Northern, Navy |
| Bean, horticultural: | Phaseolus vulgaris | French Horticultural, Dwarf Horticultural Green Pod |
| Bean, lima, bush: | Phaseolus lunatus | Dixie Speckled, Dixie White, Henderson Bush, Baby Fordhook |
| Bean, lima, pole: | Phaseolus lunatus | Florida Speckled, Sieva, King of Garden |
| Bean, mung: | Vigna radiata | TexSprout, Berkin |
| Bean, snap, flat pod: | Phaseolus vulgaris | Greencrop Bush, Jumbo, Romano, Roma II |
| Bean, snap, bush, green oval pod: | Phaseolus vulgaris | Bush Blue Lake 274, Contender, Tenderpod, Earliserve |
| Bean, snap, bush, yellow: | Phaseolus vulgaris | Slenderwax, Goldkist, Dorabel |
| Bean, snap, pole: | Phaseolus vulgaris | Blue Lake Pole, Kentucky Blue, Romano Italian Pole |
| Beet, greens: | Beta vulgaris | Crosby Green Top, Avenger F1, Lutz Green Leaf |
| Beet, roots: | Beta vulgaris | Pacemaker III, Avenger, Cylindra, Lutz Green Leaf |
| Broccoli: | Brassica oleracea var. italica | Green Comet, Mariner, Packman |
| Brussels Sprouts: | Brassica oleracea var. botrytis | Prince Marvel, Jade Cross |
| Cabbage, Chinese, heading type: | Brassica oleracea var. pekinensis | Jade Pagoda, China Express |
| Cabbage, Chinese, lei choi type: | Brassica oleracea var. chinensis | Joy Choi |
| Cabbage, heading green: | Brassica oleracea var. capitata | Early Jersey Wakefield, Market Prize, Blue Dynasty |
| Cabbage, heading red: | Brassica oleracea var. capitata | Cardinal, Red Rock, Red Dynasty |
| Cabbage, savoy: | Brassica oleracea var. sabauda | Savoy Ace, Savoy King |
| Cantaloupe (Muskmelon): | Cucumis melo Reticulatus group | Ambrosia, Israeli (Ogen), TAM Uvalde, Rocky Sweet, Don Carlos |
| Carrot: | Daucus carota subsp. sativus | Gold King, Texas Gold Spike, BetaSweet, Scarlet Nantes, Snakpak |
| Cauliflower: | Brassica oleracea var. botrytis | Snow Crown, Stardust |
| Celeriac: | Apium graveolens var. rapaceum | Large Smooth Prague, Marble Ball |
| Celery: | Apium graveolens var. dulce | Florida 683 |
| Chives, Common: | Allium shoenoprasum | plant divisions |
| Chives, Garlic: | Allium tuberosum | plant divisions |
| Collards: | Brassica oleracea var. acephala | Blue Max, Georgia Southern, Vates |
| Corn, Ornamental: | Zea mays | Indian, Rainbow, Seedway Elite, Strawberry |
| Corn, Pop: | Zea mays | Robust 21-82W (replaces White Cloud), Japanese Hulless, Yellow |
| Sweet Corn, Early: | Zea mays | Early Sunglow (yellow su, cold soil tolerant), Seneca Daybreak (yellow se, smut/rust/cold soil tolerant), Seneca Arrowhead (bicolor se, blight/rust/wilt/cold soil tolerant) Spring Snow (white se, cold soil tolerant) |
| Sweet Corn, Mid-Season: | Zea mays | Bodacious (yellow se, not smut tolerant), Terrific (bicolor se, smut/wilt tolerant), Brilliance (white se, maize dwarf mosaic/rust/smut/wilt tolerant) |
| Sweet Corn, Late Maturing: | Zea mays | Merit (yellow su, smut tolerant), Seneca Dancer (bicolor se, rust/smut/wilt tolerant), Argent (white se, rust/smut/wilt/cold soil tolerant) |
| Cress, Upland: | Barbarea verna | Curly cress |
| Cucumber, Greenhouse: | Cucumis sativus | Bruneve, Brunex, Vetomil |
| Cucumber, Pickling: | Cucumis sativus | Calypso, Carolina |
| Cucumber, Slicing: | Cucumis sativus | Burpless, Dasher II, Sweet Slice, Sweet Success |
| Dill: | Anethum graveolens | Bouquet, Long Island Mammoth |
| Eggplant: | Solanum melongena | Black Magic, Classic, Black Bell |
| Eggplant, Oriental: | Solanum melongena | Millionaire, Ichibon, Tycoon |
| Endive, Broad Leaf: | Cichorium endivia | Florida Deep Heart |
| Endive, Curly Leaf: | Cichorium endivia | Green Curled, Salad King |
| Garlic: | Allium sativum | California Early, Elephant, French Mild, Mexican Pink, Texas White |
| Honeydew Melon: | Cucumis melo Inodorus group | TAM Dew (honeydew type) |
| Horseradish: | Armoracia rusticana | Maliner Kren |
| Jerusalem Artichoke: | Helianthus tuberosa | No variety; order tubers |
| Jicama: | Pachyrhizus erosus | de Agua |
| Kale: | Brassica oleracea | Dwarf Scotch |
| Kohlrabi: | Brassica oleracea | Early White Vienna, Grand Duke |
| Leek: | Allium ampeloprasum | American Flag, Electra, Titan |
| Lettuce, Butterhead: | Lactuca sativa | Buttercrunch, Salad Bibb |
| Lettuce, Head: | Lactuca sativa | Great Lakes 659 MT, Summertime MTO |
| Lettuce, Leaf: | Lactuca sativa | Salad Bowl, Raisa (red), Black Seeded Simpson, Green Ice |
| Mustard: | Brassica juncea | Southern Giant Curled, Tendergreen |
| New Zealand Spinach: | Tetragonia tetragonoides | no varieties |
| Okra: | Abelmoschus esculentus | Annie Oakley, Emerald |
| Onion, Short Day: | Allium cepa | Texas Grano 1015Y, Red Burgundy, White Granex |
| Onion, Intermediate Day: | Allium cepa | Texas Grano 438, Cimarron, Riviera, Yula, Calred, Alabaster |
| Onion, Long Day: | Allium cepa | Candy, Yellow Sweet Spanish, Vega, Carmen, White Sweet Spanish, Sterling |
| Parsley: | Petroselinum crispum | Plain Italian, Moss Curled, Banquet |
| Parsnip: | Pastinaca sativa | Harris Model, Large Hollow Crown |
| Pea, Garden or English: | Pisum sativum | Little Marvel, Wando, Knight |
| Pea, Garden or English, Edible Podded Snowpea: | Pisum sativum | Mammoth Melting Sugar, Oregon Sugar Pod #2 |
| Pea, Garden or English, Edible Podded Snap Pea: | Pisum sativum | Early Snap, Sugar Ann, Super Sugar Snap |
| Pepper, Bell, Sweet: | Capsicum annuum | TAMBELL-2 (green to red), Commandant (green to red), Admiral (green to orange), Yellow Bell and Golden Bell (green to yellow), King Arthur (green to red) |
| Pepper, Non Bell or Chile: | Capsicum annuum | TAMU Hidalgo (serrano), TAMU Mild Chile-2 and TAMU Sweet Chile (mild, sweet long chile), Big Jim (medium, big long chile), TAMU Mild Jalapeno II, Firenza (hot jalapeno), Tula (medium hot, jumbo jalapeno), Pecos (medium hot, jumbo jalapeno), Delicias (medium hot, jalapeno), Dulce (sweet jalapeno), TAMU Veracruz (hot jalapeno) |
| Pepper, Habanero: | Capsicum chinense | Habanero |
| Potato: | Solanum tuberosum | Texas Russet Norkotah 278, Atlantic, Yukon Gold, Red LaSoda |
| Pumpkin: | Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita maxima | Magic Lantern, Merlin, Fairytale, Prizewinner, Munchkin, Mystic, Oz, Snackjack |
| Radish: | Raphanus sativus | Champion, Cheriette, White Icicle |
| Rhubarb: | Rheum rhabarbarum | Texas High Plains Green, Valentine |
| Rutabaga: | Brassica napus | American Purple Top |
| Salsify: | Tragopogon porrifuolius | Mammoth Sandwich Island |
| Shallot: | Allium cepa var. ascalonicum | Shallot |
| Southern pea | Vigna unguiculata | Texas Pinkeye, Early Scarlet, California Blackeye #5, Arkansas #1, Zipper Cream, Cream 40 |
| Spinach | Spinacia oleracea | Melody, Fall Green, Ozarka II |
| Squash, Summer | Cucurbita pepo | Dixie, Supersett, Multipik, Superpik, Zucchini Elite, Seneca Zucchini, Gold Rush, Eight Ball |
| Squash, Winter | Cucurbita maxima | Sweet Meat, Waltham Butternut, Vegetable Spaghetti, Buttercup Burgess, Carnival, Ambercup, Table Ace |
| Sweet Potato | Ipomoea batatas | Hernandez, Vardaman |
| Swiss chard | Beta vulgaris | Large White Rib, Rhubarb Chard, Bright Lights, Silverado |
| Tomato | Lycopersicon lycopersicum | Carnival, Celebrity, Santiago, Sunmaster, Cherry Grande, Spitfire |
| Tomatillo | Physalis ixocarpa | Toma Verde |
| Turnip, roots | Brassica rapa | Just Right, Purple Top White Globe, Shogoin |
| Turnip, greens | Brassica rapa | Seven Top, Tyfon |
| Watermelon, Seeded | Citrullus lanatus | Star & Stripes, Big Stripe, Pinata, Super Gold, Summer Gold |
| Watermelon, Seedless | Citrullus lanatus | Tri-X-Carousel, CS 4830, Gem Dandy, Triple Sweet, SummerSweet 5244 |
The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended, and no endorsement by the Cooperative Extension Service is implied. Educational programs conducted by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service serve people of all ages, regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts Cooperating.
southernpea grower guide 2-8-2000