Heirloom Seeds

Heirloom Seeds
Harvested from open pollinated plants and have been kept going by gardeners after most seed dealers and nurseries have stopped growing them.

Main differences
They often taste better or more nutritional than hybrid varieties or GMO, however, they usually lack certain traits that makes them less desirable to commercial dealers. Some may take longer to grow, they may not have as long a shelf life, or they may be less resistant to disease.

Tradition
Before the middle of the last century it was common for farmers and gardeners to save the seeds from year to year. Because each grower often planted seeds the previous harvest, fruits, vegetables, and herbs evolved into regional strains that were adapted to local climate.

Hybrid Varieties
In the middle of the last century hybrid varieties were introduced by cross pollinating two different varieties of the same plant. The new hybrid often has certain characteristics that make them more attractive for commercial growing. This leads to many varieties at risk of disappearance.

Hybrid Seeds
Listed as F1 types on the back of any seed packet. They will produce seeds that are not true to the mother plant and, often, produce fruit with genetics from both or either parent plant making them less predictable. Many hybrids produce useless plants in the next generation. Hybrids are not the same as genetically modified plants (GMO) which have been genetically altered to guarantee certain traits.

Important Tradition
The tradition of saving seeds from the previous crop, means that heirloom varieties are continuously selected for either weather tolerance, or longer / earlier / later season. This practice not only ensures genetic diversity it also ensures that our food is not reliant on a few suppliers. Most of the fruit / vegetables we eat were developed over many centuries all over the world.