Garden Corner – New 2019 All-American Selections

Kelly Jackson
Christian County Extension Office

New 2019 All-American Selections

Part of the fun of gardening is trying new plants with an unusual shape or color. But with limited space or budget how do you know that a plant you pick is worth the effort. The All-American Selections (AAS) is a non-profit organization that helps take the guesswork out of the multitude of varieties produced each year.  AAS growing tests are conducted across North America and judges score each entry. Only the highest-ranking varieties are given the stamp of approval. Most local garden centers carry the AAS Winners. For 2019 you should look for four new ornamentals and seven vegetables.

Tomatoes rated high and took 4 of the vegetable recommendations this year. Red Torch is a small striped oblong tomato only reaching 1.5 inches and weighing 1.5 ounces but the plant is a prolific producer. Great flavor and tolerant to stressful conditions make it very suitable for containers. The cherry-type tomato Sparky is bred for long shelf life but that doesn’t mean it tastes like cardboard. With a Brix score (measurement of sugars in fruit) of 8.5, it’s one of the sweetest tasting tomatoes you can find. The tomato Fire Fly is slightly smaller than a cherry tomato (a little less than 1 inch in size) and matures to a pale white to pale yellow color. Mild acid flavor makes them great for snacking. On the opposite end of the tomato spectrum, make room for Chef’s Choice Black a big 8-ounce beefsteak tomato. This is the sixth introduction in the Chef’s Choice series, and all are worthy of growing.

Up next is a variety of watermelon suited for a container or small garden. The compact Cal Sweet Bush reins in traditional watermelon vines to only 14 to 18 inches with each plant still yielding 2 to 3 fruits up to 12 pounds in size, without sacrificing on taste. Another winning melon, Orange SilverWave is a unique melon from South Korea with sweet, orange flesh and variegated rind. Grows best on a trellis to hold the vigorous vines. Expect up to six 5-inch melons per vine.

Just Sweet pepper is a small four-lobed pepper of a vivid yellow color and sweet flavor. Fruits grow up to 3 inches long on a compact bush. Another winner for container gardeners.

Switching now to flowers, Baby Rose nasturtium is the first winning nasturtium in 70 years and Baby Rose is a great re-introduction. Its mounding form means less flower flopping and the rose color is uncommon in nasturtiums. Plus, both the leaves and flowers are edible.

Wave Petunias are still very popular and the newest introduction, Wave Carmine Velour, was one of the highest scoring plants in the AAS trials. This carmine red bloomer is an excellent landscape performer.

Viking XL Red on Chocolate is a large dark-leafed begonia with vibrant red flowers in a compact form. Judges noted that it seemed weather-proof and disease-free. Finally, Big Duck Gold marigold rounds out the list with its very large golden-yellow flowers on top of solid 15” plants that continue blooming the whole season. Their size makes them suitable as a mini hedge or filler in new perennial beds.

AAS has been selecting proven winners since 1933 and a complete list of those winners can be found on their website (www.all-americaselections.org). AAS winners are selected from many new cultivars, based on garden performance as well as performance in the greenhouse. Although no plant offers a guarantee of success in an individual garden, the AAS winners have proven themselves worthy over a broad range of growing conditions. Try these new selections alongside your old standbys so you’ll have a means of comparison. AAS winners are available through local garden centers and mail order catalogs this spring.