Varietal Selection
Cucumber, Pumpkin, and Squash
Variety selection can be challenging given the large number of choices available. Consider the length of the growing season, soil type, climate conditions, and production practices unique to a farms location when selecting varieties. Very little testing of cucumber, squash or pumpkin has been done in Utah as there are not resources available to evaluate varieties in the different regions where cucurbits are produced. To further complicate matters, there are hundreds of different varieties available for purchase. Remember, most varieties will grow and produce fruits in Utah, but not all may be suited to your location. When selecting a new variety, evaluate it based on fruit size, earliness, vine growth habit, and disease resistance. Vigorous vine growth helps produce sufficient leaf cover to minimize sunburn but excessive vine production may limit productivity. If viruses and fungal diseases have been problems, look for varieties with some resistance to these issues. Heirloom varieties, while popular at farmers markets, generally lack disease resistance and are more prone to cosmetic defects.
If certain diseases have been a problem or you’re replanting where cucurbits have been grown in the past, you may want to select varieties with some disease resistance/tolerance characteristics. Not all varieties carry disease resistance or some have partial resistance to selected diseases. Some seed suppliers have specific disease abbreviations. Always check with the seed supplier or reference their seed catalog for a full list of varieties and disease resistance packages or talk to your seed salesperson about unique needs and issues.
The table below shows a few of the types or varieties that are known to be grown under local conditions. We recommend that growers regularly test new varieties and compare them to what you already grow. On-farm testing is the best way to identify varieties that are most suited to your farms local and unique conditions.
Variety Suggestions – Cucumber, Summer Squash, Winter Squash, and Pumpkin
| Fruit Types | Varieties or Types |
|---|---|
| Summer | crookneck, patty pan, round, straight neck, yellow, green and stripped zucchini |
| Winter | acorn, banana, buttercup, butternut, delicate, hubbard, kabocha, spaghetti, turban |
| Pumpkins | Atlantic Giant, Autumn Gold, Big Max, Connecticut Field, Howden, Moonshine, Munchkin, New England Pie, Polar Bear, Small Sugar, Spirit, Spookie, |
| Cucumbers Pickling | Atlantic, Calypso, Cross Country, Jackson, Multipik, Napoleon, Pikmaster, Quest, Shenandoah, Vlasset |
| Cucumbers Slicing | Centurion, Dasher II, Meteor, General Lee, Marketmore 76, Raider, Slice Nice, Striker, Turbo |
| Cucumbers Tunnel |
Diva, Iznik, Katrina, Socrates, Unistar |
Melons
Selection of melon varieties can be challenging given the large number of choices available. Some of those things that influence production like the length of growing season, soil type, climate conditions, and production practices are unique to a farm's location. Very little testing of melons has been done in Utah due to lack of time or resources to evaluate varieties in the different regions where melons are produced. To further complicate matters, there are hundreds of different varieties available for purchase. We recommend that you regularly test new varieties and compare them to what you already grow. On-farm testing is the best way to identify varieties that are most suited to your farm’s local and unique conditions.
Most varieties will grow and produce fruits in Utah but not all may be suited to your location. When selecting a new variety, evaluate it based on fruit size, earliness, soluble solids (sweetness), vine growth habit, and disease resistance. Vigorous vine growth helps produce sufficient leaf cover to minimize sunburn, but excessive vine production may limit productivity. If viruses and fungal diseases have been problems, look for resistant varieties. Heirloom varieties are popular but lack disease resistance and are more prone to cosmetic defects.
If certain diseases have been a problem or you are replanting melon sites with melons, you may want to select hybrid varieties with some disease resistance characteristics. Not all varieties carry disease resistance or some have partial resistance to selected diseases. Always check with the seed supplier or reference their seed catalog for a full list of varieties and disease resistance packages or talk to your seed salesperson about unique needs and issues.
Variety Suggestions – Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Specialty Melons, and Watermelons
| Fruit | Types Varieties |
|---|---|
| Cantaloupe | Trinity, Edisto Star, Yuma Grande, Top Net, Anita, Sweet East, Western Charm, Olympic Express, Olympic Gold, Western Express, El Camino, Primo, Torreon, Coronado, USAM90000 |
| Honeydew Melons | Precious Dew, Dewlightful, #252 HQ, Moon Dew, Honeybrew, Snow Mass, USAMX 23000, USAMX 63001, Dulce Nectar |
| Casaba-Crenshaw Specialty Melons | Juan Coronel, Ananas Hyb EM815, EM850 Galia F1, Casaba Golden Beauty, Tamara, Visa, Lilly |
| WATERMELONS | |
| Seeded (Diploid) – Open Pollinated | Crimson Sweet, Jubilee, Sugar Baby, All Sweet, Cal Sweet, Charleston Grey |
| Seeded (Diploid) – Hybrid | Sentinel, Sangria, Mara, Sweet Star, Fantasy, Sweet Fashion, EM Scarlet, Carmen, Starbrite, |
| Seedless (Triploid) – Red Flesh | Coopertown, Majestic, Fascination, Distinction, Marita, Affirmed, Citation, Millionaire, Ruby, Tiger Eye, Liberty, Freedom |
| Seedless (Triploid) – Yellow Flesh | Yellow Buttercup |
| Pollinators | Gladiator, Polimax, Ace, Wild Card, Sidekick, Accomplice |