Heirloom vs. hybrid
Photo credit: Flickr/See-ming Lee
If you need more proof that gardening in general and vegetable gardening in particular has become a national topic, look no further than Wednesday's Wall Street Journal and a story by Anne Marie Chaker on the latest battle in the on-going war between heirloom and hybrid. Tomatoes, of course.It is the most planted plant in the country, and last year was a disaster for tomato lovers when blight wiped out both commercial and home-grown crops.
Heirloom tomatoes, the WSJ story tells us, have become hugely popular for their fanciful colors and their rich and wide-ranging flavors: from sweet to smoky.
But heirlooms - grown from seeds that have been passed down from generation to generation without any genetic mucking about -- are also very vulnerable to disease and insects. And these plants don't produce very abundantly. So now, the Journal says, seed companies like Burpee and Park are offering heirloom look-a-likes that are hybridized for disease resistance and higher yield.
The heirloom stalwarts are appalled, of course
Comments
A few seasons ago I planted heirlooms. The first crop was beautiful and tasty.
The rest of the season was wiped out by a succession of blights.
I would love to grow more tomatoes like that for their flavor but honestly, my garden is small enough to where losing one plant makes a huge difference.
Sorry, heirlooms.
Posted by: bryanintowson | April 21, 2010 4:59 PM
Look alikes??? Can we get more shallow?
I had 2 Brandywine plants last year, bought from the Towson Garden Club ladies at their annual sale held at Kenilworth. (Watch for it! Prices reasonable, interesting selection and the Garden Clubbers will talk gardens with you forever!) Didn't yield as much as my Big Boys and Early Girls, but, Oh! My!
Posted by: Eve | April 22, 2010 10:51 AM