Scottish growing tool

Variety Selector

Every crop guide and Best Varieties article on this site already compares named varieties in full: this is the fast route to one answer. Pick a crop, answer one or two quick questions, get a recommendation with the sourced reason behind it.

Choose a crop

Covers 80 crops: see the full list

Angelica, Apples, Asparagus, Aubergines, Basil, Bay, Blackberries, Blackcurrants, Blueberries, Borage, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Calabrese, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chard, Cherries, Chillies, Chives, Comfrey, Coriander, Courgettes, Cucumbers, Damsons, Dill, Endive, Florence Fennel, French Beans, Garlic, Gooseberries, Grapes, Honeyberries, Jerusalem Artichoke, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lavender, Leeks, Lemon Balm, Lettuce, Loganberries, Mint, Onions, Oregano, Pak Choi, Parsley, Parsnips, Pears, Peas, Peppers, Plums, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Quince, Radish, Raspberries, Redcurrants and Whitecurrants, Rhubarb, Rocket, Rosemary, Runner Beans, Sage, Shallots, Sorrel, Spinach, Spring Onions, Squash, Strawberries, Summer Savory, Swede, Sweetcorn, Tarragon, Tayberries, Thyme, Tomatoes, Turnip, Winter Savory

How it works

Pick one of the 80 crops, answer one or two questions about what you want from it and where you're growing, and the selector names a single variety with the reason behind it. The questions and answers come from that crop's own Best Varieties article, from its "which one for your situation" picks, so the selector is a shortcut to a comparison that's already been made, not a separate judgement. Every result links back to the full article if you want the other options and the detail.

A worked example

Choose potatoes and the first question is what you're growing them for. Pick a maincrop to store over winter, then say your site is wet, exposed or has had blight before, and the answer is Sarpo Mira. Blight resistance is what it's bred for, it also resists slugs, blackleg and potato virus Y, and it crops heavily and stores well. That matters on a Scottish maincrop bed, which has to sit in the ground through the riskiest weeks for blight. Ask instead for the fastest possible harvest and the answer is Maris Bard, a first early that's usually out of the ground before blight becomes a serious threat.

Reading the result

Many results carry the RHS Award of Garden Merit, which is a UK-wide award rather than a Scottish one. Where a variety has no resistance to a disease that matters, the result says so, so you know what to watch for.