Heirloom Gardening
Heirloom gardening
Heirloom gardening has become popular in the United States and U.K. in the last twenty years or so. Preserving old varieties of vegetables and flowers for nostalgia and for the better and unique flavors of them has made this a valuable pastime.
Why are heirloom plants necessary?
Today plants are mass produced and the older varieties have been left to wither on the vine, so to speak. Many folks have taken up the cause to keep traditions alive with older versions of vegetables, fruits and flowers. Not only is it rewarding in its own right, but profitable.
What is considered an heirloom plant?
A cultivar is a cultivated plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of desired characteristics; it is usually distinct from similar plants and when propagated it retains those characteristics. From Wikipedia
Heirloom plant is an open pollinated cultivar that is no longer used in mass production. To be considered an heirloom plant the cultivar must be between 50 and 100 years old.
One of the main requirements of heirloom plants is that they are open pollinated which means pollination is by nature such as birds, insects and weather conditions. This type of pollination leads to impracticable genetic results which makes heirloom plants so unique. Open pollination has also made the heirloom plants hardier and more able to withstand certain diseases and extreme weather.
How have they been preserved?
Heirloom seeds have been passed down from one generation of a family to the next. Old seed companies have also contributed to heirloom plants by keeping the seeds available to customers.
Besides seeds, heirloom plants especially roses have been passed down through generations by cuttings off the original plants, at one time this method was common among rose growers.
What is seed saving?
Seed saving is the traditional method retaining the seeds or tubers from the current plants in order to grow similar plants the following year. This maintains the consistency of the vegetables, flowers and fruits that grow year to year. This is an important part of heirloom gardening.