So what's the difference between organic and traditional seeds? Organic seeds are USDA-certified, non-GMO seeds that come from plants grown only with natural fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides. Can be hybrid or open pollinated.
Heirloom seeds
are always open-pollinated and come from plant varieties that are at least 50 years old. They can also be organic and are generally non-GMO.Organic seeds are harvested from certified organic crops. The seeds can be a hybrid or traditional variety. Organic Farmers Must Look for Organic Seeds to Qualify for USDA Organic Certification. If they can't find organic vegetable seeds or organic herb seeds, they are allowed to use conventional, untreated seeds.
An important thing to consider for heirloom plants is whether they are organic or non-organic. In most cases, heirloom plants are organic because they are usually only used by small-scale gardeners who don't use pesticides or other harmful chemicals. However, there may be minor cases where chemicals are involved, since traditional plants do not always have an innate level of protection similar to that provided by hybrid plants and transgenic plants against diseases and pests. Remember, heirloom refers to the inheritance of a plant, while organic refers to a cultivation practice.
While the family heirloom sounds very pastoral, it only describes the genetic makeup, and it's quite possible that the seeds in your heirloom were raised with synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, so if the heirloom and the organic are important to you, you'll need to make sure it has both designations. Organic seeds are seeds that have undergone the rigorous organic certification process. What that means is that the seed comes from a mother plant that was grown on an organic farm. The rest depends on you.
If you want organic fruits and vegetables you have to grow them organically. Planting an organic seed and then spraying the surrounding area with Round-up doesn't make an organic orchard. Some people claim that heirloom plants are those that were introduced before 1951, while others claim that heirloom varieties are those that were introduced before the 1920s. While you can definitely buy heirloom seeds, the best way to get them is locally through seed exchange.
With the increasing demand for heirloom seeds, you'll find that it's not as difficult as before to obtain them. Heirloom seeds are always open pollinated (see open pollination description earlier in the article). Once you find the traditional varieties you love, saving your own seeds is the best way to ensure they adapt quickly to your soil and growing conditions throughout your life. Tammy: Hybrid organic seeds aren't “bad”, planting hybrids just means you can't save your own seed from year to year, because you can't trust the hybrid to truly reproduce in the next generation and produce the variety you want.
In general, you should consider that relics are seeds that can grow back and pass from one generation to the next. Most seed companies will have the option to buy organic seeds, although they are more expensive than traditional or conventional seeds. Heirloom seeds come from open-pollinated plants that transmit similar characteristics and traits from the parent plant to the daughter plant. We also stock as many traditional and open-pollinated seeds as possible, to help farmers and gardeners continue to grow for generations to come.
This means different things for different plants, but high-quality, organic, prepared and pelleted hybrid seeds feature prominently in our herbal and vegetable seed collections. .
