precious heirlooms

By Cara Lawson

If things like jewelry and artwork come to mind when you think of heirlooms, think again. Heirlooms just don’t come in the traditional items you are likely to see or bid on at an estate sale. You might be surprised to know that heirlooms also come in the form of certain varieties of plants and vegetables.

A recent trend has developed in heirloom vegetables, and many seed companies are supplying the shelves with different heirloom seed varieties. Much like a traditional heirloom, heirloom vegetables have come to be as a result of being grown for a certain amount of time. Vegetables are also considered to be heirlooms if the seeds have been passed down through a family or group who has worked to preserve them. Heirloom seeds are referred to as cultivars, which are a variety of plants that have been intentionally selected or created by cultivation practices.

Heirloom seeds must be open pollinated, since hybrids cannot be preserved by ordinary measures. After each crop, seeds are preserved for the following year’s harvest. Not only does this save the cost of buying more seed, it also produces similar plants from year to year. In contrast, a hybrid seed will not produce similar plants in the future years.

Taste, tenderness and other qualities of the vegetables are key factors in maintaining and developing heirlooms. Heirlooms also give growers a sense of satisfaction and connection to the production process from year to year. Some people are also interested in these varieties because they feel that heirloom varieties possess a better taste than compared to that of recently developed varieties.

For an heirloom to be preserved, it can’t be cross-pollinated with another variety and must be maintained in its existing state. The best way to prevent cross-pollination from happening is to grow only one variety of the vegetable. If you want to grow other varieties as well, keeping the varying specimens at a safe distance or isolated from your heirlooms with help protect from cross-pollination.

Varieties of heirloom vegetables are diverse and include anything from corn to okra. Some common heirloom vegetables include beans, potatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons and tomatoes.

Many heirloom varieties are available locally. Check the interactive map on the Our Ohio Web site home page for the Buying Local Directory.

Cara Lawson is promotion specialist with Ohio Farm Bureau.

Sources: http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1255.htm (Clemson University)

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/copubs/news/garden_
cleveland/2010-03/2.html (North Carolina Cooperative Extension)

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