What Heirloom Vegetables Are You Planting?

HoleySmokes

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Since you cant save seed from hybrids, what heirloom vegetables are you planting?
 

Pulsegleaner

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So far on the schedule.
Hooker's Chives (Allium hookeri). Technically more of an alternate species than an heirloom, but since, as far as I know, no one has hybridized it or even tried to alter it significantly from its wild form, I suppose it does count.

Phil's #2 Tomato
Wooly Zebra Tomato
Borneo Jungle Cucumber
West Indian Gherkin (if my mom has her way)
Assorted Liberian Lima beans
Black seeded Horse Gram (Dolichos biflorus)
Assorted mung beans
Velcro Chickpeas (if I can find the jar of seeds in time)
Silver Yamato watermelon
Korean Mountain Garlic
Dabo Okra (maybe)
Falcone Bean alternate coat color #1 (will do #2 next year, don't have room for both at the same time.)

And probably a lot of other things I can't remember at the moment.
 

Zeedman

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TBD, but I save seed for almost everything I grow. All peppers & tomatoes will be heirloom. The only hybrid I grow is sweet corn; and the few commercial varieties are likely to include one bean, one squash, and possibly a few bean & gourd trials from an Asian seed company. The rest, about 80-90% or so of the roughly 3000 square feet, will be heirlooms. Below zero right now & the garden is still months away, I'll update here when the plan takes shape.
 

digitS'

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HolySmokes, you are obviously asking about heirlooms and seed saving in combination.

I've waited awhile, expecting that you might be overwhelmed by lists from our seedsavers/heirloom gardeners. It's likely to happen. Realize that the definition of heirloom plays a role. Often, I see it referred to as a cultivar that has been around for more than 50 years. There are quite a few of those, now. I have noticed that Blue Lake green beans, a popular garden variety, are well beyond that age. I'm not sure why I don't save more bean seed but limit it to Bei soybean and Rattlesnake pole beans. Anyway, we may be buying seed for several things year after year but they may also be heirlooms.

There was a twisted-stem mustard bought off a rack in an Asian market about 30+ years ago that I save seed from every few years. It has "evolved" and, perhaps, crossed with a different mustard now and then - it is no longer much of a twisted stem plant but still has a fairly mild flavor that I appreciate. I especially like that it is so easy to save the seed but I have no idea if it was or has now become an heirloom.

The seeds from several tomato varieties are saved. My tomato patch changes because I feel the need to rescue the seed within a 5 year schedule. There are fewer garden tomato plants in recent years so I have to pay attention to dates but in the local climate, I also find it easy to save the seed for Porter, Buisson, Bloody Butcher, etc.

Steve
 

ducks4you

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Except for some old seeds which will be planted this year somewhere, practically EVERY seed package I have bought for 2023 planting is an heirloom.
Look at the thread regarding the hybrid melon difficult to find started by @Holachicka
Hybrids have their place, but I THINK most seed companies want to make heirlooms available, so why not?
I think we should study.
Seems like the down sides for heirlooms is productivity.
Some hybrids brag that they are not susceptible to fungus and other diseases. I kinda think we have those problems bc of bad gardening practices.
 

HoleySmokes

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HolySmokes, you are obviously asking about heirlooms and seed saving in combination.

I've waited awhile, expecting that you might be overwhelmed by lists from our seedsavers/heirloom gardeners. It's likely to happen. Realize that the definition of heirloom plays a role. Often, I see it referred to as a cultivar that has been around for more than 50 years.

Well actually I mean plants that you can save seed from and they come back true. There are standard varieties of tomatoes that aren't classified as "heirlooms" but aren't "hybrids" so those too. Just not interested in "hybrids" in this thread because of seed saving to clarify. I do grow some hybrds myself but I'm trying to veer away from that if I can.
 

Zeedman

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Well actually I mean plants that you can save seed from and they come back true. There are standard varieties of tomatoes that aren't classified as "heirlooms" but aren't "hybrids" so those too. Just not interested in "hybrids" in this thread because of seed saving to clarify. I do grow some hybrds myself but I'm trying to veer away from that if I can.
So what you are interesting in is anything OP (open pollinated) that will come true from saved seed. Heirlooms fall in that category by definition, but many commercial varieties are also OP (including all beans & peas). Anything not specifically labeled "hybrid" should be assumed to be OP.
 

Zeedman

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Since it is time for me to start peppers, I've at least finalized that list:
*Aji Cristal (C. baccatum, hot) hot salsa
*Alma Paprika (sweet)
Beaver Dam (hot) my 'go to' canned salsa pepper)
*Djuric (sweet) for sweet salsa
*Early Jalapeno (hot)
Greygo (sweet) AWESOME fresh when ripe
*Pelso (low heat) for paprika powder
Pizza (hot) for poppers, pizza, or fresh eating
*Red Chile (hot) for chili powder
*Tennessee Cheese (smoky sweet) sweet salsa
*Thai Giant (hot) dry, chili powder

All of these are OP, from saved seed; those marked (*) will be caged for seed crops. Most of my peppers are grown in a multi-year rotation, but my 3 favorites (Beaver Dam, Greygo, and Pizza) are grown every year. I'm kind of a pepper wimp, so Red Chile (serrano type) and Aji Cristal are the hottest I'll use fresh. Still hope to trial Thunder Mountain (apparently cayenne type) if I can fit it in, or find a local collaborator.
 

flowerbug

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Beaver Dam are peppers grown locally by a friend and she's not sure if they're supposed to be hot or mild.

as usual with some peppers it really depends upon how they're treated and how much stress they get during the growing season.

sadly i'm not growing any hot peppers this season just the mild green and red peppers.
 

Zeedman

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Beaver Dam are peppers grown locally by a friend and she's not sure if they're supposed to be hot or mild.
I would categorize them as 'mild heat'... less than most jalapenos, and definitely mild if the placental membranes are removed. Thick as a bell pepper, and great flavor cooked. This was DW's favorite for making pepper steak, and my favorite for mild- to medium-heat canned salsa. A short DTM, reliably heavy producers, and peppers heavy enough that it doesn't take many to get enough for a large recipe.

Aji Cristal is my favorite pepper for hotter salsa, but that is mostly for giving to fire eaters. I prefer the milder salsas, which I use as an ingredient for chili, spaghetti sauce, or DW's meat loaf. And for my FINALLY perfected salsa bread. :celebrate
 
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