In terms of growth, there is no difference between a relic seed and a regular seed.
Heirloom seeds
are only seeds of open-pollinated (non-hybrid) plant varieties that have been cultivated for a long time. However, traditional varieties tend to have some unique characteristics, such as different flavors or colors. There is no difference between inherited and inherited seeds or plants, the terms are used interchangeably.Regardless of a person's specific interpretation, most authorities agree that relic seeds, by definition, should be open pollinated. They can also be open-pollinated varieties that were bred and stabilized using classic breeding practices. While there are no genetically modified tomatoes available for commercial or domestic use, it is generally accepted that no genetically modified organism (GMO) can be considered heirloom seeds. Another important point of discussion is that without the continued growth of heirloom plants and the storage of heirloom seeds, seed companies and the government will control the entire distribution of seeds.
Most, if not all, hybrid plants, if re-cultivated, will not be the same as the original hybrid plant, ensuring dependency on seed distributors for future crops. Heirloom seeds are best known as the seeds that are kept every year and passed on from one generation to the next. Since not everyone is lucky enough to receive their grandparents' saved seeds, heirloom seeds are sold in seed packs at stores across the country and in online seed stores, such as our favorite based in Colorado. Heirloom seeds are open pollinated, which means they are pollinated by the wind or by insects such as the honey bee that flies from one flower to the next.
The beauty of heirloom seeds is that they have a rich history, some of them dating back several hundred years (I have been reading about this in my most recent favorite magazine Heirloom Gardener and in the book The Heirloom Life Gardener). I love thinking of generations of gardeners and farmers before me saving the seeds of their best garden products to grow next year's harvest, and that of the following year and the next. Until one day, a package of those seeds falls into my hands to plant in our soil, to grow and produce seeds so that we can save them for next year, and the next day, pass it to Little A when I grow up. Here are our tips on how to save heirloom seeds.
To produce seeds, all plant species need to be pollinated. For open pollination, nature assumes duty by using insects, birds, or breeze to transfer seed from one plant to another. Collecting this seed and growing it will result in the same plant that the seed came from. The most important point is that all heirloom seed varieties are non-GMO.
The DNA of the seed is not modified in relic plants, unlike GMOs, where it is. A seed for a transgenic plant is artificially modified, mainly with genes from different varieties with which the plant does not naturally cross. GMO seeds are modified to resist some pests or chemicals. GMOs are available to commercial farmers and are not commonly used by home gardeners.
Companies have tried to save many varieties of seeds in this way. The practice of growing and storing traditional seeds offers ample rewards to both farmers and farmers' market customers. Organic farmers can use non-organic seeds if there are no organic seed varieties available to buy in their region. Some gardeners report that because organic seeds are harvested from plants that don't rely on pesticides or synthetic fertilizers to thrive, they have adapted to the challenges of their growing conditions and can therefore thrive in harsher conditions, making organic seeds more likely to grow successfully.
and healthy plants when properly cared for. Although some people consider a seed relic if it has been cultivated for 50 years, some consider the number to be 100 instead. The heirloom label does not guarantee that the plants are organic or that no chemicals have been used in the cultivation process, but it is likely that the heirloom seeds, even without the organic label, are chemical-free. New gardeners may wonder how heirloom seeds differ from hybrid seeds and where genetic modification comes into play.
For seed saving purposes, the most significant distinction between these types is that gardeners can keep seeds true to the type of open pollinated and relic varieties, but not hybrids. For the home gardener or specialist crop farmer, the intense flavor and singular beauty are reasons enough to save heirloom seeds. Later Generations Seed from open pollinated or heirloom plants can be saved and, when planted, will produce plants that are essentially identical to the parent plant. If the seeds are too small to allow them to mature on a screen, you can place the seed heads in a paper bag to finish drying them.
If the heirloom seeds are grown in the same place as they were previously grown, they will work well without much pampering. Unlike hybrid or transgenic seeds, heirloom seeds produce plants that are true to type, meaning that the plants are very similar to the parent plant, making it easy for gardeners to predict what the next generation of plants will look like. You can save on buying traditional seeds from companies, as peas, lettuce, beans, peanuts, tomatoes, and peppers are self-pollinating and will double the traits of parent plants. Choose healthy, productive plants from which to save seeds, as the next generation of plants will reflect the characteristics of the parent plant that produced the seeds.
In addition to heirloom and organic seeds, hybrid and open-pollinated seed varieties are also available. . .
