Heirloom seeds are becoming increasingly popular with gardeners as more and more people look for ways to reduce their reliance on commercial agriculture. Heirloom seeds are simply seeds that have been passed down from generation to generation, often within a family. They are open-pollinated, meaning that they will produce plants that are true to type (unlike hybrids, which are bred for specific characteristics and will not necessarily come true from seed). Heirloom seeds can be planted in any type of garden, from large farms to small urban plots.

There are many reasons why someone might choose to grow heirloom plants. For many people, it is a way to connect with the past and growing plants that have been passed down through generations can be a very special experience. Heirloom plants can also add diversity to your garden as they often have unique characteristics that set them apart from commercially-grown varieties. And finally, growing heirloom plants is a great way to help preserve our plant heritage for future generations.

Name: F1 hybrid

What Is It? A plant that has been bred for specific characteristics using parents from two different species or subspecies. F1 hybrids are usually sterile (cannot reproduce) and must be purchased anew each season.
Advantages: Consistent results, high yield potential, often disease-resistant.
Disadvantages: expensive, may require special care (e.g., staking), may not come true from seed.
Bottom line: If you want dependable results and don’t mind spending a little extra money, an F1 hybrid is a good choice. Just be aware that you’ll need to buy new seed each year and that the plant may not produce offspring that look exactly like the parent plant.

Name: Open-pollinated

What Is It? A plant whose pollen has been transferred by insects or other means (including wind) from the male organ or stamen of one flower to the female organ or pistil of another flower of the same species. The resulting seed will produce a plant that is true to type (looks like the parent plant).
Advantages: generally cheaper than F1 hybrids, easy to save seed from year to year, often well-adapted to local conditions
Disadvantages: results may be variable (depending on local conditions), may require more effort to achieve good results
Bottom line: Open-pollinated varieties offer gardeners the greatest flexibility in terms of price, adaptability, and the ability to save seed for future planting seasons. However, they can be somewhat more finicky than F1 hybrids and may require more effort to get good results.

Heirloom seeds are an increasingly popular choice among gardeners as more and more people look for ways to reduce their reliance on commercial agriculture. Heirloom seeds are simply seeds that have been passed down from generation to generation, often within a family. They are open-pollinated, meaning that they will produce plants that are true to type (unlike hybrids, which are bred for specific characteristics and will not necessarily come true from seed). Heirloom seeds can be planted in any type of garden, from large farms to small urban plots. There are many reasons why someone might choose to grow heirloom plants, including connecting with the past, adding diversity to your garden, or preserving our plant heritage for future generations.