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There are several types of seeds that people use in their home gardens. The one that most self-sustained gardeners use is called an "heirloom seed."
Heirloom seeds have many benefits that others do not.
1. Heirloom seeds aren't genetically modified in any way. Many people have reported adverse side effects from genetically modified foods. (That's a topic for another day.)
2. Often, "normal" seeds are sterile. This means that if you grow a plant with this type of seed and collect its seeds, those seeds will not sprout. You have to buy new seeds every year. Heirloom plants produce fertile seeds, so you can collect and use seeds for generations.
3. It's kind of neat to think that these were the same seeds that the generations before us used. These seeds have been naturally produced.
4. You're helping save endangered plant varieties!
If you have a home garden, do you typically use heirloom seeds?
-Jessica
I have used a mixture of both heirloom and hybrid seeds. My tomato seeds were always heirlooms and many of my peppers were as well. The others such as my corn and melons were usually what my hubby decided looked good that particular year. I didn't always plant the same melons or other veggies every year so preserving the seeds was not a big factor on those for me. Perhaps it should have been and would have saved me a few hundred dollars some seasons when it came time to purchase seeds.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to my tomato an pepper plants since I was using the seeds from strains of plants that I KNEW my family preferred there was never any wondering how the end product would turn out. It was also better than the mystery of what the hybrid seeds would bring. We had many that boasted how they should have grown, we gave some of them several tries and always the end results were the same an left us far disappointed. Our heirlooms rarely let us down...food for thought for us on that one.
I would love to garden this year again but the past couple years of hard heat and drought were a bit much on my plants. I always checked and bought correct varieties for my planting zone but sometimes mother nature has other ideas on what our climate should be LOL
Maybe in a few years I will once again plant a garden but I am going a different route this time to see how to be self sustaining, this time, with goats!
Kassdc
Although I do not garden (definitely not a green thumb), I prefer heirloom tomato when I purchase them from the market. I think the closer to the original form of the seed is always better.
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