saved heirloom seeds or bought seeds best?

11 years ago

I'm hoping to get the opinions of experienced heirloom vegetable growers. I've been growing exclusively heirlooms in my vegetable garden for 3 years now and I find that some varieties do really well and others struggle or fail entirely. The ones that both grow well and are tasty I grow again the following season. What I've heard is that, by saving seeds from what I grow in the garden and using them in subsequent seasons, those plants will adapt to my specific garden and improve over the years. The problem is that the seed packets I originally buy usually come with enough seeds for several years worth of planting, and when they grow so well one year, my inclination is to use them again the next time to get the same good result. Would I be better off saving and using seeds from plants I actually grow (and that do particularly well) to get the aforementioned adaptation process going, or should I use up those I purchase because they already showed good results?

If I were to use my own saved seeds, is it best to save new seeds each year for the following year to continue strengthening the variety? (what I save are usually way more than I would use in one season)

Thanks

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Comments (6)

Macmex
11 years ago
Blaferby,

I have seen improvement in yield, etc. when saving and using seed from my own garden. But I don't know how much of that is because of selection and how much is because I learn how to better grow the given variety.

I've been seriously saving seeds since 1984. Here's what I would suggest. You can go ahead and use your extra seeds, for as long as you desire. But make a practice of producing some new seed every year that you can. Save each batch separately, and label it accurately. Eventually your original seed will give out. It's always possible that you might get an unintentional cross in a batch of seed. By saving several batches, you better ensure the survival of the original variety. If you really want to go the extra mile, save some of your seed in a sealed jar, in the freezer. This essentially halts the aging process of the seed. I once grew out a squash from seen which had been 25 years in a freezer. It germinated as if it were only a year old, and... I was amazed how my more recent seed stock had morphed over the years. I had essentially narrowed the gene pool, changing the mix of characteristics in the variety.

George
Tahlequah, OK
Edymnion
11 years ago
The thing about the plants adapting to your location is a half-truth.

If you grow a dozen per year, and save seeds from only the best ones, grow a dozen the following year, save only the seeds from the best ones, etc, then yes, in enough years you will get a strain that is better adapted to your location than the store bought generic stuff.

However, thats because you are basically breeding them at that point. If you just plant one or two and keep the seeds for next year and one or two, then no, they aren't going to adapt because you aren't weeding out the poor ones, you're just growing a single line.

So yeah, if you're doing medium scale growing and willing to wait 5-10 years to see any real result, by all means plant what you save and they will adapt. If you're a small scale grower (just whats in the small plot in the back yard), then odds are that you are better off just getting store bought seed every year (unless you're growing something rare/unusual).
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It is NOT "generally thought" as the article claims but is just an opinion, unsubstantiated by any published scientific research. It is sometimes proffered by some amateur horticulturalists who want to justify their growing practices. That they fail to take into consideration all the affecting variables of climate, annual weather, seed saving techniques, growing conditions provided, cross-pollination, genetic purity of seed, the subjective nature of 'taste', etc. pretty much undermines their claims. For example, can they say the same thing if the plants are grown in say Duluth vs. Montevieo, MN with its very different native soil? How about Utah rather than MN? What happens if year 2 of the project is exceptionally wet or exceptionally dry? Dave
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buckyz4
11 years ago
Make sure if you are saving seed it is not cross pollinating. Not sure what kind of plants you are saving seeds from, but if you have multiple varieties of the same plant the seeds would not be true (If you have 4 different heirloom varieties of tomatoes growing next to each other the seeds would all be cross pollinated and no guessing what the next generation would be)
digdirt2
11 years ago
What I've heard is that, by saving seeds from what I grow in the garden and using them in subsequent seasons, those plants will adapt to my specific garden and improve over the years.

I agree with Edymnion that that claim is, at best, a half truth. It, environmental adaptation/improvement in the average home garden, isn't supported by scientific evidence. But there is lots of anecdotal information on it developing over years of breeding and careful selection.

So no, it isn't as simple as just saving your own seeds. There are many other variables that have just as much effect on the crop and would also have to be controlled to substantiate the claim.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't save your own seeds. You should, especially if you insure against cross-pollination as much as possible. If just means don't grant a lot of truth to the claims of adaptation just because you save your own seeds.

Dave
Macmex
11 years ago
Here's a link to a basic guide, I sometimes share, on saving tomato seed. Even if your plants are planted together "in a jumbled heap," it's worth saving seed. You might have to rogue out some crosses. But it's still possible to keep your varieties.

George

Here is a link that might be useful: Saving Your Own Tomato Seed
nc_crn
11 years ago
I would advise anyone saving seed (or getting seed from a friend) to soak their seeds in a 10% bleach/90% water mixture for 2-3 minutes. Dry with a towel after soaking and let them sit out to fully dry in a non-humid space before storing them.

It's a fast/cheap extra level of safety to your seed supply.

It's a lot easier to keep disease out of your garden than to take care of it after the fact.

saved heirloom seeds or bought seeds best?

Comments (6)

Macmex

Edymnion

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