An article print of late in theNew York Timeshas append fuel to the open - pollinated seeds ( OP ) vshybrid seed ( F1 ) debate . pit George Ball of Burpee against Rob Johnston of Johnny ’s Seeds , NYT author Michael Tortorello paints defenders of heirloom seeds like Johnston as anti - science Luddites and incarnate stock breeder like Ball as laughing whale hell - dented on destroying the mom - and - pop heirloom - only seed company .
I had n’t realized that there was such a passionate argumentation about which seed to implant in my garden . And we ’re talking backyardgardens here , notagricultural farmingor GMO ’s – that ’s a subject for a dissimilar post .
What’s the difference between OP seeds and F1 seeds?
Hybrid seeds(F1 in seed catalogs)
F1 semen , also known as hybrid seeds , are from the first generation of a plant produce by breeding two related to plants together . This is done to develop a particular trait like size , color , sweetness , or disease resistance . In most instances , the new intercrossed plant and its source become the patented property of the company or university that bred the plant . loan-blend are not to be confound withGenetically limited Organisms(GMOs ) , which are create with recombinant DNA techniques to produce , for representative , corn germ with a pesticide built into its genes . GMOs are primarily produced for Big Agriculture . Typically , if you institute the seed produced by the fruit or vegetables of an F1 crossbreed in your garden , the plants will not be dead on target to the parent industrial plant – they may only bear a passing resemblance to what you were expecting . But it might also perform just like or better than the parent plant – it ’s a gamble .
Open-pollinated seeds(OP in seed catalogs)
Open - pollinated ejaculate admit Heirloom seed , as they are farm from parent plant life that have been cross-pollinate by nature bybees , flies , gnats , wind , etc . , for many generation . They can not be patented . A seed from an opened pollinate works , when properly pick out , dried , and stored , should produce relatively identical crops class after year , open to dirt and weather condition conditions . If you prefer to grow only Open Pollinated heirloom fruits and veg , there is a huge selection atSeed Savers Exchange .
The OP F1 garden seed divide
Now you’re able to probably see the dividing lines : the corporate plant life stock breeder who requires that you purchase the same seeds every year vs the heirloom seed company which sells you the seed once for you to grow , glean and hold open year after year .
Which side is a humble gardener to stand on ? A tomatobredto resist blight or a tomatoselectedto resist blight ? Corn bred to taste sugary sweet or corn selected for sweetness ? Are n’t there do good to both ? If I like the taste of a particular variety ofsweet cornortomatoand it farm well in my garden , I ’m extend to set it twelvemonth after year . If it disappoints in some way , it usually does n’t get a second prospect and I move on down the lean of one C , perhaps one thousand of substitute selection ( that ’s a simple reading of natural natural selection ) .
One of the thing I enjoy about horticulture is experimenting with different plant and spring up things I have n’t grown before . The Danvers Carrot , an heirloom from the mid-19th century , is ripe at dwelling house in my raised beds along with F1 Beefsteak Lycopersicon esculentum and heirloom Black Krim tomatoes . Whether it ’s OP or F1 is n’t of import to me . I judge a fruit or vegetable by how well it arise and taste , not who its parents were . Besides , every nurseryman have it off that ANYTHING grown in their garden tastes better than supermarket produce , whether OP or F1 . So vote your sense of right and wrong with your gardening budget . The market will choose who thrives .
