Seed Saving: Knowing the Difference Between Hybrids, Heirlooms, and Open-Pollinated Plants

Lots of home gardeners are interested in saving seeds.  Aside from saving money, saving seeds helps to preserve interesting varieties, diversify crop genetics and preserve cultural identity and heritage.  While knowing how to save and store seeds is important, an even bigger decision comes with knowing how to select seeds and how to plant them. 

Hybrid plants are the result of a controlled breeding process, developed through a series of crosses where the parent plants impart the offspring with desirable traits.  Hybrids are often developed to resist disease, to have stronger, more vital growth, and even to have higher yields and rates of survival.  However, due to the involved process in developing the hybrid, the genetics of the hybrid aren't stable enough to allow the seeds to be self-sustaining.  This means that instead of traits of the parent plant, you end up with a random mix of traits from the grandparent plants and earlier generations.  Not a reliable choice. 

One misconception regarding hybrids and GMOs is that the hybrid is genetically modified.  Not true, and in fact, there are currently no genetically modified seeds or plants available to the general public of home gardeners.

Open-pollinated plants are those who have stable genetics, where seeds can be saved with a promise that the offspring will be similar.  Due to the variability of the natural pollination process, there may be variations from individual to individual.  In order to save seeds, though, it is often necessary to isolate the plants to ensure that there is no cross pollination from other varieties in the garden, in the garden next door and sometimes as far as miles away!

Heirlooms are simply open-pollinated varieties that have developed outside of the commercial plant trade and have a historical or cultural significance or back story.  However, not all open-pollinated seeds are heirlooms.  There is no hard and fast definition of "heirloom" as some also consider age a determining factor in the designation.  The common age is usually 50 years.  The seeds have been passed from generation-to-generation and often have a local or even familial significance.  Heirloom seeds may be saved with the expectation of similar offspring.

Several smaller seed companies have found a niche in the market by exclusively selling heirloom seeds.  Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is one such company and is headquartered in Mansfield, Missouri with outlets in Petaluma, California and Wethersfield, Connecticut.

Hickory County Master Gardeners recommend contacting your local Extension Service for more complete growing information.

  

Sources:  Extension, America's Research-based Learning Network at http://www.extension.org.      The Whole Seed Catalog from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and at http://www.rareseeds.com.

Posted: 2/26/2014