Planting heirlooms in our garden is important because…
Hybrid seeds are great—in some scenarios. Like when you want specific and predictable results in your garden. When your goal is to raise the hardiest plants with the most disease resistance, or you’re hoping to get the most prolific yields out of your crops.
Hybrid seeds become a problem when they’re the only option on the shelves. Heirloom cultivars belong to no one—or better yet, these seeds belong to everyone. Planting more heirloom varieties preserves plant diversity, putting unique characteristics back into the seed genetic pool.
As gardeners, we try to safeguard diverse plant species by continuing to plant them, save the seeds, and pass the seeds on to future growers. There are as many heirlooms as hybrid cultivars, so variety isn’t lacking when it comes to heirloom seeds.
Taste is a matter of personal preference, but most folks agree that fruit from heirloom plants tastes far better than hybrids. Why? Hybrids are selectively bred for a specific trait (or more) but heirlooms were primarily cultivated for flavor. Take tomatoes, for example. Heirloom varieties aren’t usually as productive as hybrids, and as a result, heirloom plants concentrate more sugars in fewer tomatoes, whereas hybrid plants dilute a similar amount of sugars in more fruit.
Not only do heirlooms have the edge on flavor, but heirlooms also tend to be more nutritious than hybrids—heirlooms have more vitamins and minerals than a similar hybrid, for the same reason that their flavor is often better. Heirlooms have superior flavor and are ultimately more nutritious than hybrids, so why wouldn’t you grow more heirlooms in your garden?
Here’s where heirloom seeds beat out hybrids in the long run—you can save seeds from heirloom plants and they’ll come back true to type, unlike hybrids. Saving seeds is a process, but it isn’t as hard as it sounds. It’s a good skill to learn if self-sufficiency is on your mind, because you’ll never run out of seeds if you know how to save your own. It’s also the most cost-effective option, since you won’t have to buy the same seeds year after year,
Gardening with heirloom seeds has unique benefits, as these plants are regionally adapted and can be passed down from generation to generation. Growing heirloom varieties can help preserve history and plant diversity, in addition to providing superior flavor and nutrition compared to hybrids.
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