Why not grow hybrids instead of heirlooms?

SummerSky · February 18, 2015

My dad is a firm believer in hybrids, and only wants to grow them. To him, they taste just fine as long as long as care is given to growing and picking them. They are almost always large, impressive, healthy plants that produce consistently. They are the workhorses of the garden that hardly fail to produce decent fruit, despite whatever conditions. I can't argue with him over it, because his hybrids are everything he is looking for in a tomato.

I, on the other hand, find his perfectly round red tomatoes quite boring. While I will always grow a few hybrids, I'm far too curious to limit myself to them. For me, gardening is more than just producing food. I see no reason to curb my explorations because heirlooms and open pollinated varieties can be hit or miss at times. I also don't see any reason to stop growing hybrids, simply because they have a bad reputation among other growers

February 18, 2015	#11
SummerSky Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Michigan Posts: 126	My dad is a firm believer in hybrids, and only wants to grow them. To him, they taste just fine as long as long as care is given to growing and picking them. They are almost always large, impressive, healthy plants that produce consistently. They are the workhorses of the garden that hardly fail to produce decent fruit, despite whatever conditions. I can't argue with him over it, because his hybrids are everything he is looking for in a tomato. I, on the other hand, find his perfectly round red tomatoes quite boring. While I will always grow a few hybrids, I'm far too curious to limit myself to them. For me, gardening is more than just producing food. I see no reason to curb my explorations because heirlooms and open pollinated varieties can be hit or miss at times. I also don't see any reason to stop growing hybrids, simply because they have a bad reputation among other growers