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raw_nature

Confused! Heirlooms, OP?

Raw_Nature
11 years ago

Hello.

I am trying to grow all heirloom vegetables and save all my seeds so I will not have to buy any seeds whatsoever.

Now I know there are multiple definitions of heirloom, but it is really just an old fashion plant passed on from generation, correct?

Open pollination just means that the plant is pollinated by natural conditions like a plant in a open field would be, correct?

So how in the world does open pollinated heirlooms produce "true" seed?

Appreciate your help,
Joe

Comment (1)

  • farmerdill
    11 years ago

    Open pollinated simply means that the plant has been stabilized through many generations as opposed to a an F1 hybrid which is a first generation cross. Hybrids tend to revert to the parent plants and are therefore said to not come true from seed. Open pollinated plants if not cross pollinated will produced seeds that replicate the mother plant.
    "Heirloom" has become a catchy word that has multiple definitions. They are open pollinated but that is about the only consistant component of the definitions.
    Saving seeds takes some precautions as cross polination takes place more in some species than others.