What are heirloom seeds?
You’ve probably seen heirloom tomatoes at the grocery store — those weirdly shaped, oddly colored varieties. But what makes a plant an “heirloom” plant?
“They’re old-fashioned styles of plants, usually 50 to 100 years old,” said Candy Fugate, the annuals manager for Grandma’s Gardens in Waynesville. “Growers usually start them from seed. They collect the seeds through generations.”
These older plants are still in their original, non-hybridized form. “Heirloom plants are open pollinated, or not hybrid,” said Betty Hoevel, education coordinator with Five Rivers Metroparks. “That means that if you plant a seed from a specific heirloom plant, you will get that exact same plant. If you plant the seed of a hybrid plant, there’s no guarantee that you will get the same plant, as hybrids are mixtures of at least two varieties of the plant.”
Why try heirlooms?
While hybrid plants have been perfected over the years to withstand disease and look pretty, some flavor is sacrificed by doing so. “Some heirlooms are not as perfect as hybridized plants. The tomatoes crack more easily,” Fugate said. “That’s why they were hybridized. But the flavor is much better. Heirlooms generally have really good flavor.”
Heirloom edibles also have improved color and texture. “In hybridization, traits such as long shelf life, specific disease resistance, more uniform shape of the vegetable, and greater plant vigor are added to the DNA of the existing plant,” Hoevel said. “In order to do this, something must be sacrificed from the original, and that is usually the taste and sometimes the color.”
What to grow?
Fugate said the most popular edible heirloom plants are tomatoes. Most heirloom tomatoes have a bright, bold flavor; they’re not watery like their hybrid counterparts can be. She suggested several varieties of heirloom tomato to try: Purple Cherokee, Mortgage Lifter, Mr. Stripey and Brandywine.
“I love Danvers Half Long carrots — so pretty and dependable and delicious,” Hoevel said. “There are also Chioggia beets, lemon cucumber, red Russian kale, California wonder peppers, white half runner beans and Italian red speckled beans.” She added: “Remember that many of these are seeds or plants that have been constantly grown for a long time, and so may not be thought of or labeled as heirloom.”
Fugate also suggested the California wonder pepper, as well as tasty offerings such as Kentucky wonder green beans, Black Beauty eggplant and Mary Washington asparagus.
Care tips
You can start heirloom plants from seed or purchase them as already started plants from garden centers. Due to their growing popularity, many retailers and online outlets now stock these seeds and plants.
To start these from seed, Hoevel recommended: “Get them started indoors now, so they will be ready to plant outside early-mid May. Follow the package directions exactly. When you water, you want to spray water as opposed to pouring it over the seeds. Make sure the soil is never wet — only moist. Move light source up as plants grow.”
If you’re unsure about growing plants from seed or simply don’t have the time, Fugate said that many people prefer to start their heirlooms from plants that professional growers have already started. This is a faster, less risky option if you’re a beginning gardener.
Care of heirloom plants is fairly similar to care of any other plant. However, Fugate said that these plants tend not to yield a large crop and you should watch out for disease susceptibility.
As for the plants themselves, keep them in a place of pride. “You can grow wonderful, delicious and beautiful heirloom vegetables,” Hoevel said. “Be sure to display them and not keep them hiding in a designated vegetable garden. They’re great in borders and containers.”
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