Demystifying seed buying
Heirloom, Non GMO Heirloom, Organic, Conventional:
What does it all mean?
Shopping for vegetable seeds has become a bit more confusing. Every big box store has displays that read Non GMO seeds. Sound good? Read on:
To set the record straight there are currently no GMO, genetically modified garden vegetable seeds available for sale to the general public. Big commercial farms that are not organic use GMO seeds for large scale production of sugar beets, canola, corn and soy.
Let’s break down the choices available to gardeners. Hopefully this will help you make choices that align with your values.
Treated seeds have become widely available and sound wonderful. They are colourfully treated with chemical
insecticides, including neonicotinoids and fungicides. While we love to avoid pests that eat crops or roots, treated seeds are indiscriminate. Many beneficial insects and the vast life under our feet are necessary for healthy soil and biodiversity. We don’t need to kill everything to manage pests.
Non organic seeds aka conventional seeds are grown in conventional systems with synthetic fertilizers, harsh insecticides and fungicides. These chemicals are in the soil and plants those seeds are saved from. These enter into our soil and waterways. If a seed packet doesn’t say Organic or Heirloom, it isn’t.
Hybrid seeds are produced by cross-pollinating two cultivars of a similar plant for achieving the desired traits. Just like GMO seeds, hybrid seeds cannot be saved after harvest as they won’t produce the same as their parent plant and may produce sterile seeds. Buying hybrid seeds means we are creating a dependence on seed companies to supply our seeds. Packets that say F1 are hybrids.
Organic Unlike ‘conventional’ seeds, organic seeds come from healthy soil without the harsh chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. The soil and waterways will be grateful and healthier for the choice.
Heirloom Like a family treasure passed down the generations, heirloom seeds have been carefully saved resulting in a variety of wonderful flavours, a variety of colours and tastes you won’t find in a supermarket.
Why we choose organic and heirloom
Heirloom seeds, even without an organic label, are mostly chemical-free.
During the early days of COVID, we had trouble sourcing some organic seeds and decided to start seed saving from our best crops.True to their DNA, tried and tested over generations, heirlooms produce the best tasting and highest yields in our experience.
Seeds are the starting point of any garden – their DNA determines the size and the quality of the produce that you will be receiving. Picking the right seeds for your gardens will help you get a great tasting yield while doing something good for our soil and water.
