Heirloom seeds
produce plants that can be garden-pollinated and still produce viable seeds.
Although both organic and heirloom seeds are sought by environmentally and health-conscious people, organic seeds and heirloom seeds are not the same thing. "Organic" describes how the seed was produced, while "heirloom" describes whether or not the seed's qualities will last from generation to generation. As such, a seed might be both organic and heirloom. Does this Spark an idea?
Organic Seeds
The term "organic" as it refers to gardening and agriculture is a slippery one. The sense of it is that the plants are grown without the use of synthetic chemicals to avoid concerns with health and environmental negative impacts. Seeds labeled as organic must have been produced under the current U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines for organic products. These seeds can be from any source or any type of plant -- heirloom or hybrid -- so long as they otherwise follow USDA organic guidelines.
Heirloom Seeds
Heirloom seeds produce plants that can be pollinated in the garden. Once pollinated, an heirloom plant will almost always produce seeds that are true-to-type, or that are almost exactly like the parent plant. This means the gardener can harvest these seeds and save them for future sowing. Heirloom seeds have often been harvested and handed down for generations because they possess some desirable quality: usually good flavor, interest or beauty. While not always selected for their productivity or pest resistance, many heirloom varieties possess these virtues simply because weaker or less productive plants are more likely to fail, and produce no seed for future generations.
Benefits
Because heirloom plants produce their own, usable seeds, the seeds for the next crop need not be purchased. The quality of the seed can also be controlled, since the grower knows when it was harvested, eliminating the problem of accidentally purchasing old seed. Organic seeds are not usually treated with chemicals, making them safer for the general public to handle and grow.
Problems
Heirloom seeds are not necessarily organic, and may have been treated with chemicals before sale. Some seeds must also be allowed to remain on the plant until they are ready to harvest, often long after the rest of the plant is ready to be harvested or replaced. This means that certain plants or fruits must be set aside exclusively for seeds. Organic seeds, on the other hand, are not always chemical-free. In practice there are many pesticides commonly allowed under USDA rules for organic products that raise concerns about their impact on public health and the environment. As such, many home organic gardeners produce their own seed from organically grown plants in their garden so they have more control over the chemicals or methods used to produce their seeds.
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