Hybrids & Heirlooms

Hybrids are plants that are a cross between two varieties. This type of modification is achieved by pollinating the flowers of one type with the pollen of another. It is only possible in very closely related species. The seeds collected from plants grown from hybrid seeds may have the characteristics of either of the hybrid’s parent plants, but don’t generally have the characteristics of the hybrid

Heirloom certain factors have been widely agreed upon for a seed/crop to be considered heirloom:

•seeds usually dating back at least 40-50 years or more.

•Open pollinated: when pollination occurs by insect, bird, wind, humans, or other natural mechanisms- The collected seeds are to "breed true" with regards to the traits of the parent plant; Once the seeds are planted and replanted, passed down from generation to generation through standard breeding and retain original trait = Heirloom (❗️all heirloom are open pollinated but not all open pollinated are heirloom)

•Some argue a variety can only be an heirloom if it was passed down amongst families or communities

•Generally speaking, heirlooms have superior taste, quality, hardiness and often more nutritious when compared to all other seed types

•Less uniform than other types, the fruit and vegetables from heirloom seeds tend not to ripen all at the same time

❗️Some sources mark the end of WWII as the cutoff for the creation of heirloom varieties as hybrid varieties began to appear several years later.