Update on a new collaborative project that kicked off in August 2017:

This summer, a team of OSU Extension Benton County Master Gardeners assisted in data collection on variety trials of tomatoes and peppers.  The plots were planted & maintained by Dr. Jim Myers (OSU Department of Horticulture) at the OSU Vegetable Research Farm in Corvallis.   Each cultivar was rated for how well it would perform for home gardeners in Oregon.  Factors we were measuring included yield, pest damage, fruit quality (size, susceptibility to sunburn, cracking, etc.) and, of course, flavor!  Dr. Myers gave an demonstration and description  of how to rate the different factors and then the team was off.  Over eight weeks, the team rated (and tasted) over 100 cultivars of tomatoes and over 90 cultivars of sweet & hot peppers.

The data is being analyzed now and we hope to provide an list of cultivars recommended for western Oregon in time for the 2018 gardening season.

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What’s YOUR favorite cultivar of tomato and pepper?