Choosing Organic and Heirloom seeds

For folks in Northern Regions, the beginning of February is always an exciting time. This is when we gardeners order/purchase our seeds and start scrubbing pots and tools getting them ready for planting. Some seeds, such as certain cold crops we can even start now!

To the novice gardener, however, choosing seeds can be a mixture of excitement and frustration. With thousands of varieties and buzz words like "organic" and "heirloom", choosing simple tomato seeds can be exasperating. Here are a few helpful facts to help make the process a little easier.

First up, the buzz words. "Organic" seeds are seeds that are harvested from plants that were grown organically. Typically, these seeds are left untreated. It's important for you to know that organic seeds may NOT be GMO-free. GMO seeds can still be labeled organic if the plants are grown without pesticides.

"Heirloom" seeds are GMO-free. To be considered heirloom, seeds must be 7th generation or later without any genetic modification. Heirloom does NOT mean organic. Heirloom plants may be grown using the full range of pesticides and herbicides as long as they are not labeled organic. GMO seeds are typically never labeled as GMO. Instead, seed companies use clever marketing strategies to gloss over the fact that the seeds are genetically modified. You can quickly weed out the modified seeds by looking for phrases like "Hybrid", "grower-made", "exclusive strain" and industry cues such as a large letter followed by a number such as "F1" after the seed name.

So, if you want seeds that are heirloom and grown organically, it's important to read seed packages and only choose seeds that are labeled as both organic AND heirloom.

Next up, consider your harvest. If you're looking to grow tomatoes for canning for example, don't choose varieties that are "low-acid" as they will interfere with the canning process. Some varieties of vegetables have different light/space requirements for growth as well. Be sure to check growth times and requirements for each before making your selection. For example, if you want to grow green beans, but don't have space for a trellis, you might want to consider growing a bush variety instead.

Last but not least, remember to have fun! Don't be afraid to experiment and keep a journal of the seeds you use along with the results to reference in the future. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how helpful this can be!

Until next time,

Be well!