There are three types of seeds: open-pollinated (or open-pollinated) varieties, heirloom (or heirloom) varieties and F1 hybrid varieties.
Each of these seed types has something to offer depending on the needs, preferences and values of the gardener. For example, from a seed conservation perspective, we must opt for open-pollinated or heritage varieties.
Currently, more than 3 Quebecers produce their own vegetables, herbs and fruits for pleasure and to ensure they consume fresh and healthy food. In their own way, everyone contributes to making Quebec a great garden!
Open-pollinated varieties
Open pollination consists of letting natural mechanisms (insects, birds or wind) pollinate the flowers. Great genetic diversity results from this unrestricted dispersal of pollen among all plants of an open-pollinated variety.
This greater variation within plant populations allows plants to gradually adapt to climatic variations and the different biotopes cultivated from one year to the next.
In addition, open-pollinated varieties produce vegetables with varied shapes and sizes that do not all ripen at the same time, which has undeniable advantages when growing a family vegetable garden!
Gardeners who collect their own seeds must, however, avoid exchanges of pollen between several varieties of the same species to preserve the parental morphological characteristics of these varieties from one generation to the next.
In the era of new technologies, ready-to-use and uncertainty about the future of our communities, growing a vegetable garden allows us to rediscover authentic links with nature. In addition, carefully cultivating ecosystems by including open-pollinated organic vegetable varieties is a valuable civic act.
Heirloom varieties
The heritage label is affixed to varieties selected by a family or community in distant times and whose seeds have been transmitted from one generation to another.
An heirloom variety must be open-pollinated, but not all open-pollinated varieties are heirloom.
For some, a heritage variety must be the result of a selection prior to 1890. For others, varieties introduced no later than the 1950s qualify.
Thanks to extraordinary diversity, a legacy of more than 12 years of selection, heritage seeds meet our needs for food sovereignty and are a source of epicurean discoveries!
F1 hybrid varieties
Hybridization occurs naturally through random crossings during pollination. However, F1 hybrid seeds are deliberately created through a controlled pollination method to obtain precise characteristics: better disease tolerance, fruit more resistant to handling, uniform maturity to facilitate commercial harvest, etc.
The first generation of an F1 hybrid generally displays greater vigor and uniformity due to a phenomenon called "hybrid vigor". However, any seed produced from an F1 hybrid variety proves to be genetically unstable; we cannot therefore keep it to use it the following year and hope to obtain identical or even similar plants.
In addition to losing characteristics of the previous generation, the vigor of plants produced from seed generated by an F1 variety is considerably reduced. Gardeners who use F1 hybrid varieties must therefore purchase new seeds every year.
What to choose ?
Although F1 hybrids have some advantages, only open-pollinated varieties ensure the conservation of the diversity of vegetable species in our diet and prevent the widespread loss of agricultural biodiversity.
Furthermore, when these open-pollinated varieties also come from our plant heritage, the gardener creates a historical connection between the domestication of plants and today's lovingly cooked meal.
By choosing open-pollinated and heritage varieties, you are sure to enjoy yourself, in addition to participating in the preservation of biodiversity and the dissemination of the living history of seeds!
