Heirloom seeds The ultimate guide to selecting and growing heirloom seeds

How do I choose the best heirloom seeds?
Are heirloom seeds harder to grow?
How do I get heirloom seeds?
What is special about heirloom seeds?
Do heirloom seeds come back every year?
How do you know if a seed is heirloom?
Will 20 year old seeds grow?
Are heirloom tomatoes harder to grow?
Should I plant heirloom seeds?
Do heirloom seeds reproduce?
Are heirloom seeds illegal?
How do you save heirloom seeds?

How do I choose the best heirloom seeds?

Choose varieties that are known to perform well in your region. Know your growing season length, frost dates and if you're going to directly sow seeds or start them indoors. Over time, heirloom seeds grow accustomed to the area or region's climate, soil type and pests, Clemson University Extension explains.

Are heirloom seeds harder to grow?

Heirlooms evolved long before resistance to genetic disease or insects was possible. Take, for example, the Brandywine tomato, an heirloom that has probably the best flavor of any variety but can be a challenge to grow. ... Heirloom seeds are easily saved from season to season with no loss in characteristics.

How do I get heirloom seeds?

Heirloom seeds are often available at your local nurseries. When you purchase seeds locally, you can be assured that your seeds are appropriate for your growing region. Heirloom seed companies are easily accessed online, too. When ordering online, be sure the seeds you order are compatible with your region.

What is special about heirloom seeds?

Thanks to generations of open-pollination, heirloom seeds have also evolved to be more resistant to disease and pests typical in the areas where they're grown. This reduces the need for farmers to buy pesticides and prevents soil and water contamination from pesticide use and leakage.

Do heirloom seeds come back every year?

You Can Keep Saving Heirloom Seeds Each Year

All plants need to be pollinated in order to produce seeds. ... The problem is that the seeds from hybrid plants don't usually come true to type, which means they won't produce a plant with the exact same characteristics again.

How do you know if a seed is heirloom?

Heirloom vegetables or seeds refer to any type of seed that has been grown for a number of years (since 1940 or before seems to be the general rule) and passed down from gardener to gardener.

Will 20 year old seeds grow?

There is a good chance that those old seed packets will have a high percentage of seeds that will germinate just fine. Most seeds, though not all, will keep for at least three years while maintaining a decent percentage of germination. And even a group of very old seeds may have 10 or 20 percent that still sprouts.

Are heirloom tomatoes harder to grow?

Growing heirloom tomatoes can be tricky, though, often requiring more labor and producing lower yields than modern tomato varieties. The biggest concern with heirloom tomato production is disease. ... As a result, heirlooms may not produce for as long a time period as disease-resistant varieties.

Should I plant heirloom seeds?

First, heirlooms are generally known to produce better taste and flavor. Heirloom fruits and vegetables are also known to be more nutritious. ... Don't forget that you would also be playing an important part in preserving the genetic diversity of plants by growing heirloom seeds.

Do heirloom seeds reproduce?

Do heirloom seeds reproduce? Heirloom plants reproduce seeds that can be saved. Be aware that because of open pollination, heirlooms you intend to save seeds from should not be planted near other plants due to risk of cross-pollination.

Are heirloom seeds illegal?

While saving seed and even exchanging seed with other farmers for biodiversity purposes has been a traditional practice, these practices have become illegal for the plant varieties that are patented or otherwise owned by some entity (often a corporation).

How do you save heirloom seeds?

A dark closet in a cooler part of the house or a dry, cool basement are both good spaces to store seeds for a year or two. Once properly dried, seeds can also be sealed in airtight containers and stored in the refrigerator or freezer for several years. The seeds of some crops are naturally longer lived.