Tell anyone that you are gardening with heirlooms, and most likely you will hear the question: Why garden with heirloom seeds? So, let’s look at the reasons for choosing heirlooms over other options. The first is the fact that the seeds are true to their parents, which means that if you save the seeds this year and plant them next year, you will get the same traits of the previous plants. Heirlooms have the age behind them to give a wonderful, complex flavor, hardiness, and adaptability that you do not see in other options. This provides you with a way to have a sustainable and independent food source for your family, providing a satisfying accomplishment for you and your family while offering therapeutic exercise.
Definitions
Hybrid Seed: A seed that is from cross-pollinating two genetically different plants of the same species. The resulting seeds from hybrid seeds should not be saved, because they may not have the same traits as their parents.
GMO Seed: Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seed has been modified with a genetic code that is not a natural part of the plant. Examples include Bt. Corn, Bt. Wheat, or Bt. Cotton which the DNA of a bacteria that kills the insects the infect the plane which cause mold to grow more readily on the plant.
Open Pollinated Seed: A non-hybrid non-GMO seeds are seeds that have resulted from the natural pollination of the parent plant. They will have the same traits as their parents. Pollination of plants can occur from nature such as: bees, moths, wasp, birds, wind, or even self-pollination.
Heirloom Seed: An open pollinated seed that has been passed down through generations (i.e., older than 50+ years). This means that the seed is grown, and the resulting seed then used the later down through the year and generations.
Heirloom vs Open Pollenated vs Hybrid
Hybrids are bred for specific traits, usually at the cost of other traits. In other words, if bred for large fruit size then the nutrient levels could be less. They are usually bred by hand or in a controlled environment, which will make them more expensive. You must purchase new seeds every year to get the produce that you want.
GMO Seeds are just unnatural, and studies are coming out that show the side effects of GMO seeds. I personally choose not to ingest any product from these seeds. That is very hard to do shopping at the grocery store, another strong reason to garden with heirlooms.
The only difference between open pollinated and heirlooms is the length of time they have been around. The longer a seed is grown, especially in the same area, the more the values: flavor, hardiness, and adaptability is evident. They breed true to their parents, that is have the same traits as their parents, so you can save the seeds and grow them the following season with similar results. This means that you can buy the seeds once and grow them for many years.
Getting the Flavor, Hardiness, and Adaptability from Age
The flavor of the edible parts of plants is part genetic and part environmental. While this is true those traits change over time, so with attention to them seeds can gain more flavor over time. So, for example, a variety of green beans that have been passed down over 2 or 3 generations will have a lot more complex flavor than a variety that was developed in the last 5 years. The great thing about growing heirlooms is that they already have the age to have added a lot of complexity, and with careful attention you can continue to add to that complexity over the time that you grow them.
Hardiness and Adaptability is in part “survival of the fittest” and in part selective breeding. If a plant is not hardy enough that it dies before producing seed then its genetics are not passed down, so only the hardiest plants produce seeds. Selective breeding, saving seeds from only the plants that exhibit traits that are wanted. When combined the resulting seeds are superior to their parents while staying true to their basic traits. This make the plants able to be grown in environmental changes that happen year to year, like drought one year and deluges the next.
You just cannot do that with hybrid seeds.
Heirlooms Allow You to Gain a Sustainable Independence
There are an ever-increasing amount stories in news about companies using unsafe and unethical methods in producing the food you buy at the grocery store. Knowing where your food comes from and what was used to produce it is a great weight off your mind. A way to ensure the health of your family, that is completely in your hands, means that there is less fear of the unknown.
The fact that you can purchase seeds once and grow them for years to come, speaks to the fact that they allow for a sustainable independent food source for you and yours. The simplicity of growing food for your family and saving enough seed for the next season should make this a no brainer.
The Pure Joy of Gardening
The simple act of gardening is very therapeutic and to both young and old and provides a good physical exercise at the same time. Add to that the joy of watching the seeds that you purchased change to grow better, taste better, and produce better every year. That results in a very satisfying feeling of accomplishment.
Let’s Recap
Heirlooms produce seeds that can be used year after year which makes economic sense. While you can get this with just open pollinated seeds, the flavor, hardiness, and adaptability that heirlooms have developed over the generations make them the better choice. All of this leads to being able to obtain a sustainable independent food source with which to feed our families. While protecting them from unethical practices, methods, and poisons. Top all that off with the satisfaction of seeing all that you have achieved.
What are you waiting for? Get started today.
Please if you have any questions or comments, please contact me with the form below.
