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JennGM
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| Posted: May 20 2009 at 5:04pm | IP Logged
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We're planting our garden, and I'm finding the choices of vegetable plants confusing.
I understand heirloom.
I thought I understood hybrid as a combination of different parts of plants to make a better species. But doing so means you can't use the seeds again? They won't grow?
And biogenetically engineered (is the right term) is different from hybrid?
Now, if I have a plant labelled organic, does that mean it CANNOT be a hybrid?
Is it required by law for plants for sale to be labeled as hybrid?
TIA!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: May 20 2009 at 5:10pm | IP Logged
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hydrid is a cross between plants.. you can grow the seeds but what you get could be a real mix of the two original plants.. but not necessarily look anything like the first plant you grew..
It would be like two brown eyed people with blue eyes recessive having children.. they could get blue or brown or anything in the middle for their children's eyes.
vs a heirloom type of plant that you can grow seeds from.. that would be like two blue eyed people have children.. the children will be blue eyed too.
no clue on the engineered plants or organic.. organic doesn't make any sense to me for seed.. hmm unless they mean without any of the chemicals used on them that might be used on commercial seed.
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Angel
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| Posted: May 20 2009 at 5:55pm | IP Logged
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It's my understanding that organic seed comes from plants raised without chemicals, pesticide, etc. and the seed itself is not treated with fungicide. (Sometimes peas, corn, melon, and squash seeds are treated with a pink fungicide.)
hybrid just means what jodie said. You could gather seed from a hybrid plant, but the plants you got from the seed wouldn't be like the parent plant.
Bioengineered means they have been mucking about with the actual genetic code of the plant. 'Non GMO' means they haven't -- "Non genetically modified".
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Angela
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JennGM
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| Posted: May 20 2009 at 5:56pm | IP Logged
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JodieLyn wrote:
| no clue on the engineered plants or organic.. organic doesn't make any sense to me for seed.. hmm unless they mean without any of the chemicals used on them that might be used on commercial seed. |
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I saw a lot of organic seeds and plants this year. Home Depot has some "Eco" plants that were marked "organic" but the type of tomatoes they were selling were Early Girl, Champion II, Celebrity -- all Burpee brand that I *thought* were hybrid.
So that's why I was asking. I'd love a reference to find out how or what is required for labeling plants.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Angel
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| Posted: May 20 2009 at 5:59pm | IP Logged
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Hybrid seed/plants can be organic, if they were raised according to organic methods. They can't, however, be called "heirloom". I don't *think* they would be allowed to be bioengineered/GMO and still be called "organic".
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Angela
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JennGM
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| Posted: May 20 2009 at 6:02pm | IP Logged
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Angela, thanks for the help. I think I was cross-posting with your original post. Both you and Jodie have been very helpful.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Karen T
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| Posted: June 11 2009 at 12:06pm | IP Logged
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I do all my gardening completely organically but I don't go as far as buying only organic seeds. I agree with supporting any farmers who are working to make more organic things available, so if the organic seeds are easily available and have the same types of plants I want for my garden I'll buy them over the regular, but as far as worrying about the little bit of chemical that might be on the seed, which then sprouts, grows for months in my garden before producing food - I don't worry about it!
I like to try heirlooms when possible - there are some great old varieties out there! but I don't mind a few hybrids here and there too.
Karen T in Md
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: June 11 2009 at 4:02pm | IP Logged
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Hybrids are a political issue, too. Those who control the hybrids could eventually control the seed population if Heirlooms disappear. Think Monsanto... 
We always buy heirloom if we can. We grow without chemicals but I'd rather have an heirloom seed that we can gather seed from, any day, over a hybrid, even if its organic.
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Hybrid? Organic?
