Heirlooms

UT Horticultural Specialist Carol Reese talks about heirlooms. Heirlooms can be fun to grow but they can be more difficult because they do not have the disease resistance that have been bred into more modern varieties. This can be a disadvantage to organic gardening because the hybrids may require more chemicals. Many modern varieties of tomatoes compare in flavor to the old heirlooms varieties. In some vegetables like lettuce, kale, and pumpkins the heirloom varieties are still the go-to choice. Heirloom seeds may be hard to find, but can be found in various seed catalogs.

There are also heirloom ornamentals like petunias, hydrangeas, camellias. These varieties give a garden the feeling of an old garden. There are also heirloom trees like magnolia and catalpa. Many ornamentals have been bred from the heirlooms to improve certain qualities.

June 18, 2016

Related Resources:
Hybrids & Heirlooms
Heirloom Vegetables
Heirloom Vegetables