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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] RE: Hybrid versus open pollinated

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  • From: Lucy Goodman <goodows AT infinet.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] RE: Hybrid versus open pollinated
  • Date: Sun, 01 Dec 2002 08:07:17 -0500


I have been growing OP maters and saving seeds from them for about 9
years now. I have raised some real beauties and some real stinkers.

With OP's you can save seed though saving seed does involve some special
treatment such as isolation and selection to get good seed for the
future. I have several heirloom varieties that generally out produce the
hybrids because I have been saving seeds from them for years. My
Favorites are yellow taxi, a determinant yellow tomato with small to
medium fruits and can stand subfreezing temps and is ready in about 48
days (when I started they would be ready in 55 days but have been
selecting for earliness). This past season the Taxis, despite being
determinant, produced well from mid June to frost (well, they did not
produce well after mid August, but they were supposed to be dead by than
but instead reflowered and set more fruit). These were planted with the
hybrid 1st lady and had fewer disease problems.

I also like GL-18 (aka Glick's pride) a seed I got to reintroduce to the
world. This is a nice medium red tomato with a very upright growing
habit, almost needs no staking. They taste is decent for a red 'mater.

This year we grew pink Brandywines on red SRM mulch and got no disease
problems (we had to quit growing B-wines for the past 3 years because of
late blight) and a really good yield as well as the maters coming in
about 2 weeks earlier than they usually do.

I find overall the heirlooms hat I have saved seed from for several
seasons (at least 3) do better than the hybrids. But new heirloom seeds
often have problems that take a few years to breed out/acclimate to.

Personally I love the variety that heirlooms give us. I am not happy
with growing just red hybrid tomatoes when there are so many sizes,
shapes, colors and tastes out there. I guess the possibility of disease
has never really scared me. I figure disease will happen at some point
no matter what I do so why deprive myself, my CSA members and Farmer's
market customers of the delight of the many Heirlooms out there (We grow
lots of different heirlooms, not just tomatoes-there are some great OP
zukes, beans, onions, peppers, eggplant, etc., too).

Growing For market has been running several articles about seed saving.
How to do it and why we all should do it.

There are many good books about seed saving as well and if you save you
should read about how to do it correctly.

We seed savers have the big responsibility to keep genetic lines clean
and pure.

Susan Ashcraft's Book seed to seed is a good one as is Carol Deppe's
Book about Breeding Backyard Vegetables (my current favorite on
gardening in general-she is a good writer)


Lucy Goodman-Owsley
Boulder Belt Organics
New Paris, OH
http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/boulderbeltcsa

Looking for a CSA, Farmer's market or other venue for fresh local food?
Check out
http://www.localharvest.com

It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong

Voltaire (1694-1778)




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