All-America Selections just announced five new Winners, all of which are new edible varieties.
Each of the following new AAS Winners was trialed throughout North America by professional, independent, volunteer judges who grew them next to comparisons that are considered best-in-class. Only those entries that performed better than the comparisons are granted the AAS award designation.
The first five AAS Winners for the 2020 garden season are:
- Cucumber Green Light F1 (National)
- Tomato Celano F1 (National)
- Tomato Early Resilience F1 (National)
- Tomato Galahad F1 (Regional)
- Watermelon Mambo F1 (National)
Growers, retailers and consumers will find these AAS Winners for sale as supply becomes available through the distribution chain. Click on the breeding company link to email the breeder about ordering seed.
Each AAS Winner is marketed through social media, public relations and trade shows and are proudly grown in 190 AAS Display Gardens across North America.
- AAS Display gardens can be found here.
- Retailers can request an All-America Selections Point-of-Purchase package from the AAS office.
- PowerPoint presentations are available on SlideShare or on the AAS website.
- Bench cards and variety markers can be downloaded from the AAS website.
Cucumber Green Light F1
AAS 2020 Edible Winner
National Winner
This little beauty is an excellent mini cucumber, said many of the AAS Judges. The yield was higher than the comparison varieties with more attractive fruit, earlier maturity and superior eating quality. “I would absolutely grow this in my home garden” commented one judge. Grow Green Light on stakes or poles for a productive, easy-to-harvest vertical garden that will yield 40 or more spineless fruits per plant. Pick the fruits when they’re small, between 3-4” long, and you’ll be rewarded with great tasting cucumbers, even without peeling. Succession plantings will ensure a summer-long harvest.
Bred by Known-You Seeds
(Click link for order contact)
http://www.knownyou.com/
AAS Winner Data
- Genus species: Cucumis sativus
- Common name: Cucumber
- Fruit size: 3-5-inch-long fruits, weight 2-3 ounces
- Color: Green
- Plant height: 6-7 feet
- Plant habit: Vining, requires staking
- Garden location: Full sun
- Garden spacing: 20 inches
- Length of time to harvest: 37 days from transplanting
- Closest comparisons on market: Diva F1, Iznik F1
Tomato Celano F1
AAS 2020 Edible Winner
National Winner
Celano is a patio type grape tomato with a strong bushy habit. It is best grown with some support, such as a tomato cage. This semi-determinate hybrid tomato is an early producer of sweet oblong fruits weighing about 0.6 oz. each. Plants grow to 40” in height and spread to 24” and have excellent late blight tolerance. In comparing it to other grape tomatoes on the market, one judge summed it up by saying “(Celano) is sweeter, the texture is better, the color is deeper, the plants are healthier, and the yield is phenomenal.” Prova Celano oggi!
Bred by ProVeg Seeds
(Click link for order contact)
http://www.provegseeds.com/
AAS Winner Data
- Genus species: Solanum lycopersicum
- Common name: Tomato
- Fruit size: Small grape tomato, weight 0.6 ounces
- Color: Red
- Plant height: 3-4 feet
- Plant habit: Bushy, some support helpful
- Garden location: Full sun
- Garden spacing: 2 feet
- Disease resistance: Late Blight tolerant
- Closest comparisons on market: Jolly Girl F1, BHN 785 F1
Tomato Early Resilience F1
AAS 2020 Edible Winner
National Winner
Early Resilience is a rounded Roma tomato with a deep red interior color, uniform maturity and good quality flesh for canning and cooking. Determinate, bushy plants can be staked but it is not necessary. The AAS Judges noted that this variety was very resistant to Blossom End rot, resulting in a high yield and less fruit loss. Similar great taste as the comparisons but a much healthier plant and fruits. (See long list of disease resistance below) Overall, this is an excellent variety that would be a home canner’s dream. This could very well replace some of the other Roma varieties as a new standard in the arena, or maybe “colosseum” of Roma tomatoes!
Bred by Heinz Seeds
(Click link for order contact)
http://www.heinzseed.com
AAS Winner Data
- Genus species: Solanum lycopersicum
- Common name: Tomato
- Fruit size: 2-inch-long, weight 3-3.5 ounces
- Color: Red
- Plant height: 18-24 inches
- Plant habit: Bushy, staking optional
- Garden location: Full sun
- Garden spacing: 2 feet
- Length of time to harvest: 115 days from transplanting
- Disease resistance: Verticillium dahliae race 1; Fusarium oxysporum f.sp lycopersici race 2; Alternaria alternata f. sp. Lycopersici; Stemphylium spp.; Tolerance Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. Michiganensis; Xanthamonas spp.; Phytophthora infestans.
- Closest comparisons on market: Plum Regal F1, Heinz Super Roma F1
Tomato Galahad F1
AAS 2020 Edible Winner
Regional Winner – (Heartland, West/Northwest)
Yes Sir! Galahad is a brave new tomato variety that has a high level of Late Blight resistance because both parents are resistant. In this case, one plus one equals a very strong two! Galahad is a high-yielding, great tasting tomato that grows on a strong sturdy plant. Judges agreed that the sweet, meaty flavor is better than that of the comparison varieties and boasts of being crack resistant. Broad shoulders (just like Sir Galahad?) and large, clean fruits grow on a highly productive, disease-resistant plant. Certainly, a variety you’ll want to use in your battle for tomato greatness.
Bred by EarthWork Seeds, distributed by Garden Trends Wholesale
(Click link for order contact)
https://www.harrisseeds.com/pages/gardentrends
AAS Winner Data
- Genus species: Solanum lycopersicum
- Common name: Tomato
- Fruit size: 3-inch fruits, weight 12 ounces
- Color: Red
- Plant height: 4 feet
- Plant habit: Determinate, compact
- Garden location: Full sun
- Garden spacing: 2 feet
- Length of time to harvest: 75 days from transplanting
- Disease resistance: Verticillium, Fusarium Wilt Races 1-3, Nematode, Gray Leaf Spot, Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, Late Blight
- Closest comparisons on market: Defiant F1, Mountain Merit F1
Watermelon Mambo F1
AAS 2020 Edible Winner
National Winner
Summertime means melon time and Mambo watermelon will grow and yield well even in cool cloudy conditions! Gardeners who plant Mambo will enjoy multiple, perfectly round melons with a beautiful dark green rind and deep red flesh. The sweet crisp flesh is extremely tasty and holds well (doesn’t overripen) if you can’t harvest them right away. Each 9” fruit will weigh about 11 pounds at maturity, which is only 75 days from transplant. A smaller seed cavity means you almost get the look of a seedless melon but the superior taste of a seeded melon. The AAS Judges agree this is one of the easiest watermelons they’ve grown because of high seed germination and vigorously healthy vines.
Bred by Known-You Seeds
(Click link for order contact)
http://www.knownyou.com/
AAS Winner Data
- Genus species: Citrullus lanatus
- Common name: Watermelon
- Fruit size: 8-9-inch fruits, weight 11 pounds
- Color: Green striped rind with red flesh
- Plant length: 12-13 feet
- Plant habit: Climbing, vining
- Garden location: Full sun
- Garden spacing: 12-13 feet
- Length of time to harvest: 75 days from transplanting
- Closest comparisons on market: Top Gun F1, Shiny Boy F1
For breeders who wish to enter the 2020 AAS Trials, there are new pricing incentives for early entries.
Early entries get a price discount.
- Herbaceous Perennial Trial (was $1,200 per entry)
- New Pricing:
- $1,100 for entries received on or before August 15
- $1,300 for received August 16 - September 3
- New Pricing:
- Ornamentals from Seed: (was $600 per entry)
- New Pricing:
- $500 for entries received on or before October 15
- $700 for entries received October 16 - November 1
- New Pricing:
- Edibles from Seed: (was $600 per entry)
- New Pricing:
- $500 for entries received on or before October 15
- $700 for entries received October 16 - November 1
- New Pricing:
- Ornamentals from Vegetative Cuttings: (was $1,000 per entry)
- New Pricing:
- $900 for entries received on or before October 15
- $1,100 for entries received October 16 - November 1
- New Pricing:
For more details about the trials, including entry forms and answers to frequently asked questions, click here.
For a complete list of promotional activities tactics, click here.
Herbaceous Perennial entries are due no later than September 3, 2019.
Edible, Ornamental Seed, or Ornamental Vegetative entry are due no later than November 1, 2019.
All entries are submitted to Jenny Boxell at jboxell@aaswinners.com.
All-America Selections