What's HOT in 2021: Your Guide to New Vegetable & Herb Varieties at Floral Acres!

Floral Acres offers an outstanding lineup of vegetables and herbs for the 2021 spring season!

If you want to know what’s really hot in gardening 2021 take a look below at Armageddon Hot Pepper!  This is a new pepper for Floral Acres along with Ghost and Trinidad Scorpion. Floral Acres offers an outstanding lineup of vegetables and herbs for the 2021 spring season. Here are just a few...

Photo Courtesy of BallSeed

Vegetables

Armageddon Hot Pepper  -  Capsicum chinense

At 1.3 million scoville heat units, Armageddon Hot Pepper is the second hottest pepper in the world.  The hottest is still Carolina Reaper at 1.6 million scoville units.  Armageddon is the world’s first F1 hybrid super-hot chili pepper. This means increased plant vigor and increased yield.  The 2 in. fruit matures from green to red. 

Armageddon reaches a mature height of 24 to 30 in. with a 16 to 20 in. spread.  It is an upright plant that loves the sun with a days- to- maturity of 90-95.

Use a top- quality potting soil and pots with drainage.  Peppers like to be kept moist but not soggy.  Fertilize once a month with a water- soluble vegetable fertilizer.  You may need to stake the peppers as they grow. 

Additional Hot Peppers at Floral Acres

• Trinidad Scorpion
• Ghost

 Photo Courtesy of BallSeed

Martini Cucumber  -  Cucumber sativus

Martini Cucumber is a pale slicing cucumber with white flesh that is sweet and crunchy.  Days to harvest: 55-60; Height: 6-12in; Spread: 48-72in. 

Provide Martini with a trellis and soil amended with compost. Keep the soil moist, watering at ground level.   If you have started your cucumbers inside, introduce them gradually to the full sun over a course of a few days after the last frost.  This cucumber is also heat tolerant and has very tender skin if harvested at 5-6 in.

When planting out more than one, allow 18 in. between each plant.   

Fertilize every two weeks with an all -purpose water soluble vegetable fertilizer. 

Bonus:  Powdery mildew resistant!  

Photo Courtesy of BallSeed 

Flavorburst Bell Pepper  -  Capsicum annuum

Flavorburst is an easy-to-grow sweet bell pepper hybrid. Days to Harvest: 65; Height: 18-24in; Spread: 12-18in.

This heavy producer rolls out 5 in. yellow flavorful peppers all summer long.  You may need to stake your plants!

Use a soil rich in organic matter and pots with drainage.  Provide plenty of sun and water. 

Fertilize once every 3 weeks with a water- soluble all purpose vegetable fertilizer.

Photo Pixabay

Tomato Primo Red  -  Lycopersicon esculentum

Who doesn’t love home-grown tomatoes!  Another large-fruited variety at Floral Acres! This bushy (determinate*) tomato produces large to extra-large fruit – 8.5 ounces.  The tomatoes are smooth, round and firm; with a deep red colour and lots of flavour.

Days to Maturity: 65

Tomatoes are heavy feeders.  Provide a top- quality soil amended with compost. It is very important to have proper drainage in your pots or in the garden.   You can also add 1 tbsp of Epsom salts to the planting hole and work it into the soil before planting your tomato.

Stake or cage this tomato after planting.  These are large tomatoes and will need to be tied as they grow to support the fruit.

Gradually introduce your potted tomatoes to the full sun over a week or so.

Check for water needs daily.  As the roots fill the planters they need water once and sometimes twice a day.    

Fertilize every two weeks with a water-soluble tomato fertilizer.

Bonus:  This tomato is resistant to Verticillium Wilt, Fusarium Wilt (1 and 2), Tomato Mosaic Virus and medium resistance to Tomato Spotted Wilt.

*Determinate – bushy, non-vining

Additional New Vegetables at Floral Acres

• Lemon Cucumber
• Sweet Slaw Cabbage
• Cherry Tomatoes – Celano, Crokini and Gold Spark
• Beefsteak Tomato – Tomato Bushsteak

Photo Pixabay 

Herbs

It is only fitting that the next two herbs come after a tomato.  I can smell the pesto and bruschetta now!

Photo Courtesy of BallSeed

Basil Emerald Tower  -  Ocimum basilicum

Emerald Tower is an upright, columnar, Genovese flavored basil.  Use it fresh for the best taste but its still awesome in cooking recipes too numerous to mention. 

This basil reaches a height of 24 – 36 in. with a spread of 8-12 in.

Use a good quality potting soil and a 12-14 in. diameter pot with drainage.

Basil loves the sun and is very heat tolerant.  Outdoor night temperatures should be 10 degrees C or higher before putting your basil outside.  Keep the soil moist, but not soggy.

Emerald Tower should not flower until late summer or early fall.  Occasionally it will shoot out a couple of blooms in summer – just pinch them off.  This gives it a long leaf growing and harvest season.  The flowers are edible too!

If your soil quality is good, there is really no need to fertilize.  Too much fertilizer can reduce the oil content of the leaves which gives basil its great flavor.  Harvest leaves in the morning for maximum taste and freshness. 

Photo Courtesy of www.provenwinners.com

 Amazel Basil  -  Ocimum hybrid 

A sweet Italian Basil.

Amazel from Proven Winners is a tall, bushy basil that is resistant to downy mildew.  Loves the sun and is heat tolerant! Height: 20-36in; Spread: 12-24in.      

The soil and pot size requirements are the same as for Emerald Tower.   No need to fertilize if the soil is of good quality.  Keep the soil moist, but not soggy.

Harvest and pinch back the leaves regularly to encourage new growth.  This basil is seed sterile.  The plant will flower but will not go to seed.  Pinch off the odd flower that grows during the summer.  Use them in salads or as a plate garnish with Italian tomato dishes. 

Amazel may flower heavily late in the season.  Again, take the blooms off as too much flowering will result in leaf bitterness.  Amazel Basil is propagated from cuttings.

Photo courtesy of BallSeed

Moroccan Mint  -  Mentha spicata var. crispa

Moroccan Mint is a variety of spearmint.   It is used in teas, vinegars, beverages and more. Mint flowers are edible as well as the leaves. 

It is an upright plant with a height of 18-24 in. and a spread of 18-20 in.  Like other mint varieties it is classified as a perennial herb for our 3b zone.  Soil requirements are simple – the soil does not have to be overly rich.  Put your mint in a sunny location and keep the soil moist but not soggy. Fertilize once a month with a half strength application of 20-20-20.  Do not fertilize indoors in winter. 

This is a low maintenance herb, best kept in pots or planters due to its invasive growing habit.  In fall, plant the mint, pot and all in the garden to overwinter.  You can also heavily prune your mint and bring it inside for the winter.  Place it in a cool, bright room.

Additional New Herbs at Floral Acres

• Lemon Verbena
• Parsley Triple Curled

*This blog has been for information purposes only.   Floral Acre plant inventory may vary from day to day.