This is not true for hybrid seeds! Of course, this assumes that the seeds grow at all — in some cases, the seed will be sterile unable to germinate and grow into plants. This means that farmers and gardeners have to keep buying hybrid seeds year after year from seed companies to get the same hybrid plants that they want.
Heirloom tomatoes are so named because they are passed down from one generation to the next, like a family heirloom such as a piece of jewelry, a watch, etc. Heirloom tomatoes are generally at least 50 years old, and come from open-pollinated plants that is, they are not hybrid or genetically modified.
Many people believe it is important to keep these heirloom varieties alive to preserve the genetic diversity of plants. For more information, check out this article on heirloom tomatoes from Wikipedia.
Farmers and gardeners will often pass heirloom tomato seeds to their children. You can also find heirloom seeds at a seed swap or seed exchange. At these events, farmers and gardeners meet to exchange seeds, including heirloom varieties that have been in the family for over 50 years some are over years old!
For more information, check out this article from Wikipedia on seed swaps. Finding heirloom seeds at seed swaps also helps farmers and gardeners to find new varieties of plants to grow and to cultivate their own favorite varieties over time. No, heirloom tomatoes are not genetically modified that is, an heirloom tomato or plant is not a GMO. Here is the difference between heirloom, hybrid, and genetically modified tomatoes.
An heirloom tomato variety has generally been passed down from farmer to farmer for at least 50 years. For more information, check out my article on the difference between heirloom and organic seeds. A hybrid tomato variety has been selectively bred by cross-pollination of two parent plants that have desired traits.
These varieties are often created at universities or seed companies to fulfill certain requirements, such as high yield, disease resistance, thick skins for good storage, etc.
Generally speaking, hybrid tomatoes are also non-GMO crops, since selective cross-pollination does not involve gene splicing or making artificial changes to the DNA of a plant. As with hybrid tomatoes, this is due to a desire to create certain traits in the plant, such as disease resistance or lack of seeds. From the book 'What's the Difference?
Reprinted by permission. Brette Warshaw is the author of 'What's the Difference? What's the Difference? They also last longer. And cocktail tomatoes are larger than grape and cherry tomatoes, but still of the small, sweet ilk. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.
By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Filed under: What's the Difference? Pocket Flipboard Email. More From Eater. They also can grow to be quite large, but the same vine could also produce medium or smallish fruit.
They are not completely consistent in size, but always tasty! Read up on the particular heirloom tomatoes you choose so you can be aware of what to watch for to assess ripeness. Since an heirloom tomato is one that has been specifically selected over generations of plants for its traits, it is possible to take the seeds from a tomato grown in a home garden and use them to grow that same variety during the next growing season.
These tomatoes can be very hardy, disease resistant, and produce fruit that is consistent in size and shape. Being disease resistant is probably the biggest and most important benefit. There are few things as frustrating as growing a big beautiful plant, have lots of fruit forming, then get a plant virus that destroys your crop. Often the seeds are sterile and will not sprout at all.
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