By James Hearn

As we gear up for another fantastic growing season, I wanted to share some exciting insights from the 2025 Tennessee Home Garden Variety Trials. If you're currently flipping through seed catalogs and wondering what to plant this year, these results are an absolute goldmine!

Led by Natalie Bumgarner and Virginia Sykes from the UT Department of Plant Sciences, this program uses an awesome citizen science approach. Instead of relying entirely on institutional farms, they put the seeds straight into the hands of home gardeners across the state to see how the varieties perform across different locations. Last year, 177 participants representing 43 Tennessee counties planted a whopping 747 trials! They tested everything from germination to flavor, gathering invaluable data on what actually thrives right here in our local soils.

Here are a few standout winners from the 2025 trials that you might want to consider making room for in your own garden:

Bush Beans: The cultivar 'Desperado' was a massive hit, earning a 100% recommendation rate from trialers. One gardener even called it a "Great bean I want to plant every year because it shined in all categories".

Okra: Both the hybrid 'Jambalaya 2.0' and the open-pollinated 'Perkins Long Pod' scored 100% recommendation rates. If you're short on space, 'Jambalaya 2.0' was noted as a more compact plant that still delivers great tenderness and production.

Lettuce: The green lettuce trial was one of the highest-rated trials overall. 'Gatsbi', a bibb type, got a 100% recommendation and gardeners loved its taste and appearance.

Radishes: For the first time, radishes were included in the trials, and it was a huge success. The traditional round red hybrid 'Donato' scored a 100% recommendation for its classic taste and ease of growing.

Tomatoes: It was a challenging summer, but the indeterminate trial still produced some tasty Tennessee tomatoes. Both the hybrid 'Chef's Choice Orange' and open-pollinated 'Valencia' performed well, with trialers praising their flavor and how great they are for canning.

This is just a quick sneak peek at the results. There is a huge list of recommended varieties that scored a 70% or higher recommendation rate, covering everything from Swiss chard to zinnias.

If you want to be a part of the fun this year and become an active participant in the scientific process, you can sign up to test out some seeds yourself! For more information on how to participate in the upcoming trials, you can visit tiny.utk.edu/2026HGVT.

Happy planting, and let's make this our best gardening season yet!