Why not grow hybrids instead of heirlooms?

joseph · February 19, 2015

The way I look at it, heirlooms are varieties that were developed a lifetime ago, in areas far far away with different bugs, soils, climates, and ways of doing things. There are no heirlooms available to me that were developed in my area. Because of my unique growing conditions that pretty much means, that for me, all heirlooms do poorly.

Modern commercial hybrids are tested to do well in average garden across wide ranges of conditions. They perform much better for me. My garden is far from average, but at least the hybrid plant breeders have made some attempt to select for varieties that do well under modern growing conditions.

The tomatoes that I most enjoy growing, and that do the best for me, are the offspring of promiscuously pollinating tomatoes that grew in my garden. I watch for the occasional natural hybrids, and plant those in large quantities. That way the plants get localized to my garden and way of doing things. I get to select for exactly those traits that work for me.

To me, raw tomatoes pretty much taste horrid, so I don't have to worry about whether heirlooms or hybrids taste better.

February 19, 2015	#11
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	The way I look at it, heirlooms are varieties that were developed a lifetime ago, in areas far far away with different bugs, soils, climates, and ways of doing things. There are no heirlooms available to me that were developed in my area. Because of my unique growing conditions that pretty much means, that for me, all heirlooms do poorly. Modern commercial hybrids are tested to do well in average garden across wide ranges of conditions. They perform much better for me. My garden is far from average, but at least the hybrid plant breeders have made some attempt to select for varieties that do well under modern growing conditions. The tomatoes that I most enjoy growing, and that do the best for me, are the offspring of promiscuously pollinating tomatoes that grew in my garden. I watch for the occasional natural hybrids, and plant those in large quantities. That way the plants get localized to my garden and way of doing things. I get to select for exactly those traits that work for me. To me, raw tomatoes pretty much taste horrid, so I don't have to worry about whether heirlooms or hybrids taste better.