Eco Women: Protectors of the Planet!

Seed catalogs are a type of pornography for most avid gardeners.  Lush photos of ripe fruit, gorgeous buds and blossoms in a range of color, healthy foliage–like most pornography, seed catalogs depict fantasy plants, airbrushed and “fixed” to titillate us.

We’ve all experienced the disappointment of real-life gardening.  Sometimes a plant is too quick to bloom and the fruit is small and tasteless.  Sometimes a plant is ill-suited to our zone, prone to disease or pests, or not hardy enough to survive weather conditions.

The best gardeners push the fantasy photos from seed catalogs from their minds and accept the imperfections dealt them through nature.  One way to do this is by purchasing heritage or heirloom seeds instead of hybrid seeds.

What’s the difference?

*  Hybrid seeds have been genetically engineered to achieve a particular goal, such as resist disease, bloom bright pink instead of purple, or produce gigantic fruit.  Heirloom or heritage seeds are plain, old, ordinary seeds unadulterated by science.  Hybrid seeds are “tweaked” to make them productive in a wider range of climates while heirloom or heritage seeds do best in their native zones.  In the hybridization of seeds, good qualities are often sacrificed to achieve a better level of one quality.  For example, a zinnea will bloom faster but lose its ability to reproduce, producing “dud” seeds that cannot be replanted.  In fact, taking away a plant’s fertility works to seed companies’ advantage because this guarantees a faithful customer base year after year.  By purchasing heirloom or heritage seeds, you purchase an unlimited supply of future seeds if you’re willing to harvest and save the seeds in a dry, cool space until the next growing season.
* Heritage or heirloom varieties offer a wider range of possible fruits and vegetables.  There are over 20 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, but only half as many types of hybrid tomatoes.   Another disadvantage is taste.  Heirloom or heritage vartieties don’t lose their flavor because they haven’t been genetically engineered to grow faster or grow bigger.   One wonders, though, who wants a 3 foot long zucchini that tastes like paper when everyone knows a 9-inch zucchini makes for a better salad or side dish?

* Biodiversity is another argument in favor of purchasing heritage or heirloom seeds.  By eliminating all types of plants in favor of a few, the long term effects on our environment include reduced insect and animal populations and increased invasive species.  It’s easy to see the charm and health of a prairie or a rainforest–each piece of that ecosystem contributing to others.  It’s more difficult to appreciate the beauty of, say, hundreds of acres of nothing but corn–and dirt and dust.

*  But taste, fertility and beauty aside, there’s one very clear argument for the purchase of heirloom or heritage seeds and plants for this year’s garden:  harvesting.  A hybrid seed or plant is genetically engineered to produce fast in a brief period of time.  This is why so many gardeners find themselves swamped with tomatoes or squash for about 2 weeks–bounty up to their eyeballs and then it’s over.  The hybrid plant has exhausted itself by producing so much so fast, so it shrivels up and dies, regardless of the weather or the season.  A heritage or heirloom variety will produce a gradual harvest until frost kills it.  Imagine enjoying fresh beans, tomatoes, squash or peas all season long as opposed to only for a couple of weeks.  This is how our forefathers gardened and enjoyed harvests before Montsano redesigned and redefined harvesting.  By growing heritage or heirloom varieties, a gardener will have enough fresh food for a longer period of time–less food going to waste, better tasting food with better ecological benefits.

Eco Women say:  plant heritage or heirloom seeds and plants this spring.  You won’t regret it!