Heirloom Tomatoes
While people have been discussing heirloom vegetables for more than a decade, gardeners find it difficult to reach an agreement on exactly what an heirloom variety is. Experts in the field agree that heirloom vegetables are old, open-pollinated cultivars. In addition, these varieties also have a reputation for being tasty and easy to grow.Just how old an heirloom has to be to be considered an heirloom still be decided. Some say heirloom vegetables are those introduced before 1951, when modern plant breeders introduced the first hybrids developed from inbred lines. While many people have good reasons to use that date as a cut-off, many heirloom gardeners focus on varieties that date from the 1920s and earlier. A few, especially those re-creating World War II Victory Gardens, add varieties from the 1920s, 1930s, and the early 1940s. While many of the varieties are 100 to 150 years old, there are some heirlooms that are much older. For example, a few experts think some heirlooms are actually Native American crops that are pre-Columbian in age and culture. Just as different gardeners have different ideas about how old heirlooms are, they also have different ideas about which old varieties are heirlooms. To some, nearly all the old-time varieties are heirlooms. To others, varieties can be old without being heirlooms. When heirloom gardeners refer to open-pollination, they mean that a particular cultivar can be grown from seed and will come back "true to type." In other words, the next generation will look just like its parent.Now, however, there are more and more vegetables that will not come back "true to type." For example, plant nearly any F-1 hybrid tomato, and go through the steps described above to save seed. The next springs, plants it, and see what happens. The seed may not even germinate, since it may be sterile. If it does sprout, the young plants will probably not have many of the characteristics that made its parent noteworthy. Heirloom gardeners are, of course, aware that the term "open- pollination" is a bit of a misnomer, because there is nothing at all open about the pollination of many heirloom vegetables. Take squash and pumpkins, for example. They cannot be left to pollinate each other willy-nilly, or the resulting offspring will be mongrels. That open-pollinated varieties can come back true to type does not guarantee that they always will. Gardeners in the past knew that open-pollinated seed would occasionally produce an off-type seedling. To maintain a seed line, they looked for and rogued out off-type seedlings. Gardeners sho uld do the same today.
Heirloom Potato
es
What draws many gardeners to heirlooms is flavor. We want a tomato that tastes like a real tomato, not a plastic one. They long for corn that tastes like it did when they were a kid. They search for a sweet, juicy muskmelon, and wonder why cantaloupes are crisp and dry. After trying varieties that look good on the pages of seed catalogs but just don't taste like much, they turn to heirlooms. What they find may well be something of a mixed bag. The best of the heirlooms really are wonderful. They have it all. They taste wonderful, look beautiful, and are easy to grow. No doubt about it, these varieties are terrific. There are, however, varieties that take a more experienced hand to grow well. Some are local or regional varieties that may or may not be suited to conditions in your back yard. Others are susceptible to problems unknown to earlier gardeners. Today, certain plant problems are much more common than ever before, and new, resistant cultivars may be the only ones suited to areas where certain diseases and pests are entrenched.Finally, heirlooms can be quirky. Seeds may germinate slower than their modern counterparts, or they may straggle in erratically. Some may pop up after you've given up on them. As they grow, some heirlooms have traits that are downright strange. About all gardeners can do is wait to see what happens, perhaps reflecting on all the things our gardening forebears knew and the wonders of biodiversity.
While people have been discussing heirloom vegetables for more than a decade, gardeners find it difficult to reach an agreement on exactly what an heirloom variety is. Experts in the field agree that heirloom vegetables are old, open-pollinated cultivars. In addition, these varieties also have a reputation for being tasty and easy to grow.Just how old an heirloom has to be to be considered an heirloom still be decided. Some say heirloom vegetables are those introduced before 1951, when modern plant breeders introduced the first hybrids developed from inbred lines. While many people have good reasons to use that date as a cut-off, many heirloom gardeners focus on varieties that date from the 1920s and earlier. A few, especially those re-creating World War II Victory Gardens, add varieties from the 1920s, 1930s, and the early 1940s. While many of the varieties are 100 to 150 years old, there are some heirlooms that are much older. For example, a few experts think some heirlooms are actually Native American crops that are pre-Columbian in age and culture. Just as different gardeners have different ideas about how old heirlooms are, they also have different ideas about which old varieties are heirlooms. To some, nearly all the old-time varieties are heirlooms. To others, varieties can be old without being heirlooms. When heirloom gardeners refer to open-pollination, they mean that a particular cultivar can be grown from seed and will come back "true to type." In other words, the next generation will look just like its parent.Now, however, there are more and more vegetables that will not come back "true to type." For example, plant nearly any F-1 hybrid tomato, and go through the steps described above to save seed. The next springs, plants it, and see what happens. The seed may not even germinate, since it may be sterile. If it does sprout, the young plants will probably not have many of the characteristics that made its parent noteworthy. Heirloom gardeners are, of course, aware that the term "open- pollination" is a bit of a misnomer, because there is nothing at all open about the pollination of many heirloom vegetables. Take squash and pumpkins, for example. They cannot be left to pollinate each other willy-nilly, or the resulting offspring will be mongrels. That open-pollinated varieties can come back true to type does not guarantee that they always will. Gardeners in the past knew that open-pollinated seed would occasionally produce an off-type seedling. To maintain a seed line, they looked for and rogued out off-type seedlings. Gardeners sho uld do the same today.
Heirloom Potato
esWhat draws many gardeners to heirlooms is flavor. We want a tomato that tastes like a real tomato, not a plastic one. They long for corn that tastes like it did when they were a kid. They search for a sweet, juicy muskmelon, and wonder why cantaloupes are crisp and dry. After trying varieties that look good on the pages of seed catalogs but just don't taste like much, they turn to heirlooms. What they find may well be something of a mixed bag. The best of the heirlooms really are wonderful. They have it all. They taste wonderful, look beautiful, and are easy to grow. No doubt about it, these varieties are terrific. There are, however, varieties that take a more experienced hand to grow well. Some are local or regional varieties that may or may not be suited to conditions in your back yard. Others are susceptible to problems unknown to earlier gardeners. Today, certain plant problems are much more common than ever before, and new, resistant cultivars may be the only ones suited to areas where certain diseases and pests are entrenched.Finally, heirlooms can be quirky. Seeds may germinate slower than their modern counterparts, or they may straggle in erratically. Some may pop up after you've given up on them. As they grow, some heirlooms have traits that are downright strange. About all gardeners can do is wait to see what happens, perhaps reflecting on all the things our gardening forebears knew and the wonders of biodiversity.
No comments:
Post a Comment