VEGETABLES & VARIETIES FOR THE TEXAS HIGH PLAINS
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.
Common Name Genus species Horticultural Varieties 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