Native and heirloom vegetables for West Virginia gardeners

West Virginia’ s diverse climate, topography and soil types give West Virginia gardeners the opportunity to grow many types of vegetables and small fruit crops. For generations, gardeners have selected vegetables and fruits that possess superior traits to pass on to neighbors and family members. These treasured varieties are heirloom, or heritage genetic material, which must be preserved for the future.

As agriculture becomes more consolidated, we are rapidly losing genetic material; therefore, our future food supply depends on preserving our heirloom vegetables and fruits. When propagated, these

Table 1. Suggested heirloom vegetables for the West Virginia gardener.

Crop Variety Comments

By Lewis W. Jett, WVU Extension Specialist – Commercial Horticulture open pollinated varieties possess the same characteristics as their parents. Heirloom varieties have superior taste and flavor, and in some instances, superior tolerance to stress such as drought or pests.

The following is an abridged list of suggested heirloom varieties for West Virginia gardeners.

Asparagus	Purple Passion, Mary Washington,	Purple Passion and Mary Washington will produce small berries;
	Wild Asparagus	Wild Asparagus can be harvested in early spring.
Beans	Pole: Brown Cut Short, Red Cut	Potential suppliers for heirloom beans are:
Short, Preacher Bean, Rattlesnake Pole, October Tender Hull, Logan Giant, Fat Man, Nobel Bean Half Runner: Volunteer, Josephine Jackson Broadbean: Windsor		Betty Flanagan 467 Ritchie Farm Road Summersville, WV 26651	Sustainable Mountain Agriculture Center 1033 Pilot Knob Cemetery Road Berea, KY 40403 859-986-3204
Beets	Bull’ s Blood, Crosby’ s Egyptian,	Bull’ s Blood is well suited to beet greens; Chioggia is candy-cane striped
	Chioggia, Golden Beet	and sweet.
Cabbage	Savoy Ace, Jersey Wakefield	Savoy cabbage is very cold tolerant.
Cantaloupe	Charentais	Excellent flavor; may split when vine-ripe.
Garlic	German Extra Hardy, Wild Garlic	German Extra Hardy is a“ hardneck” variety; Wild Garlic can be harvested in early spring.
Lettuce	Deer Tongue, Tom Thumb,	Add heirloom types to complement flavor and color of salad mixes.
	Buttercrunch
Onion	Wild Onion	Wild Onions can be harvested in early spring.
Peas	Lincoln	Does well in hot weather.
Peppers	Corno di Toro, Bulgarian Sweet,	Excellent sweet, non-bell peppers with great color.
	Aconagua
Potato	Russian Banana, French Fingerling,	There is a great diversity of skin and flesh color with heirloom
	Irish Cobbler	potatoes.
Squash	Cushaw( green or orange striped),	Excellent for pies and baking.
	Neck Pumpkins
Tomatoes	Brandywine, Black Krim, Orange	Wide assortment of sizes, colors and shapes with many heirloom
	Oxheart, Cherokee Purple	tomatoes; market should be determined for appearance or taste.
Watermelon	Moon and Stars	Excellent quality and storage.

Insert provided by WVU Extension Service and Davis College of Ag., Natural Resources, and Design Spring 2016

West Virginia Farm Bureau News 17

WV Farm Bureau Magazine May 2016 | Page 17

Native and heirloom vegetables for West Virginia gardeners