Selecting Cultivars

• New cultivars are released by seed companies each year.
• Don’t be unduly influenced by glossy pictures and extravagant claims in a catalog!
• New cultivars should be trialed on a limited basis before an established cultivar is replaced.
• Many states publish lists of recommended cultivars (the commercial vegetable production guide for Virginia contains cultivar recommendations). These are cultivars that have performed well in Virginia over a number of years.
• The All-American Trials test newly released cultivars from seed companies at a number of locations around the country. If a cultivar is an All-American winner, it simply means that it has performed well at a number of locations in the US. There is no assurance that a new cultivar will be superior to existing cultivars until its performance has been tested in your area.