Saving the best seed from one season to be planted the next was among the greatest ideas humans every came up with. Selecting the finest seed allowed for the advancement of civilization: Cultivating large quantities of food in one location and learning to store and process it sustained larger populations, which then pursued other social, political, spiritual and artistic interests. In part, seed saving gave birth to civilization.

Today, the business of seed saving is usually associated with heirloom seeds. Heirloom seed is, by definition open-pollinated, so it can be saved true to form. The primary difference between the open-pollinated heirloom and the more modern hybrid has much to do with this concept of coming true from seed.

Hybrid seeds hit the scene in the 1940s and offered perceived improvements in size, yield, uniformity, shelf-life and resistance to insects and disease. But they generally need to be produced, or hybridized, in a controlled laboratory setting.

In the 1950s the uniformity that hybrids provided was exactly what the American consumer and the supermarket manager wanted, so the concept of a perfectly shaped but tasteless tomato stuck.

Heirlooms vegetables have made a strong comeback after years of being marginalized by their hybrid cousins. Heirlooms are winning the popularity contests as we search for reliable garden vegetables that actually taste good. Perhaps the farm market has helped to promote the idea of better taste, but the availability of heirloom varieties makes the biggest impact.

SEED STARTING BASICS

My setup is not elaborate. It basically consists of a kit that includes a plastic dome that fits over a seed tray and pan. You can craft your own using shallow containers (or a shallow flat with drainage holes, like you would get if you bought a flat of pansies), fill the flat with sterile growing medium like a 50-50 mix of vermiculite and peat moss, and once your seeds are sown top it off with some clear plastic.

Moisten your germinating mix in a bucket before filling your flat; it tends to repel water otherwise. Then, take a pencil and make several shallow furrows in the mix. Drop your seeds in (check planting depth on the seed packet—some seeds need light to germinate so you do not want to cover them with your germinating mixture).

Gently moisten again with your spray bottle and cover with a plastic hood or homemade tent (if you prefer the homemade version use Popsicle sticks or something similar to support your tent). Plug in your heated mat, if included in your kit. Germination really does benefit from some bottom warmth. In fact some seed, like peppers, will not germinate without it.

The plastic covering increases the relative humidity and moderates the soil moisture as the seeds germinate. Open the tent daily to see if more moisture is needed; mist accordingly using your spray bottle. Consistency is necessary for both moisture and warmth.

Seeds need varying degrees of warmth to germinate, so for cool season crops you may not need any more heat than what a sunny window or some grow lights will provide. Summer crops will benefit from an additional source, like a heating mat. You don’t want to cook your seeds, just keep them on the warm side.

I grew up with Daddy putting seed trays by heat registers and refrigerator vents—it would drive my mom crazy. This is not the ideal, however, because this is an inconsistent source of warmth and it dries the seedlings out. Grow lights overhead are great because the seedlings grow stout and straight and the light provides consistent warmth. If you use a sunny window instead, remember to rotate the tray daily once the seedlings emerge to keep them straight. At this point, too, you can also start watering the tray from the bottom to maintain even moisture.

Once the second set of true leaves form (these are the leaves that you associate with the particular plant) your adolescent seedlings are ready to be transplanted into their own pot containing transplant mix; you can use small pots left over from store-bought plants. Once they are transplanted, return them to their light source (if they are in a window give them a quarter turn every day so they grow straight). Continue to water your transplants from the bottom when needed, adding some diluted fish emulsion fertilizer once a week.

When conditions are right for your particular plant (check the seed package for details) acclimate them to the outdoors before planting them in the garden. Put them outside in the shade, first, gradually moving them into the sunlight. They will be ready to plant in the garden in about a week.

In contrast to the eerily unnatural super seeds that can claim genetic modification or herbicide resistance, some may think that the old-fashioned heirloom vegetable would be worthless to today’s gardener or consumer. Fortunately the heirloom has benefited from the skepticism over modified seed.

Additionally, science continues to reaffirm the importance of preserving seeds from the past to insure continued diversity for the future. There is valuable information stored in the traits of heirloom vegetables that may actually help to improve all seed varieties.

The home gardener represents the esoteric payoff because there is a cultural side to saving seeds from the past. With old seeds come old stories. We have all heard of the Mortgage Lifter tomato. The story goes that the sale of these great tasting tomatoes helped to pay off the mortgage.

SEED BANKS

Seed Savers Exchange is the granddaddy of the seed banks in the U.S. The Exchange was founded in 1975 and defines heirlooms “as any garden plant that has a history of being passed down within a family.” They recognize the scientific importance of preserving genetic diversity but what resonates with most people are the personal connections we have with plants passed down through the generations. Did the vegetable come with your great-grandmother from the old country or was it given to you by a cherished friend?

Either way, there is a family or community history that is told each year the plant emerges from your soil.

The seed banks that have emerged since emphasize the cultural histories, stories and usage that make these plants relevant. This year consider the genetically superior heirloom and its many virtues: cultural continuity, taste, adaptability and, for some, a tolerance to drought and pest problems. I have firsthand experience and stand by their performance in the garden and at the table.

Starting them from seed makes the process even more rewarding when you slice into your first Cherokee Purple tomato come July.

SEED SOURCES

Seed Saver’s Exchange
3094 N. Winn Rd.
Decorah, IA 52101
563-382-5990
SeedSavers.org

Southern Seed Legacy
Dept. of Anthropology, University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
706-542-1430
Anthropology.unt.edu/anthatunt-ssl.php

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
P.O. Box 460
Mineral, VA 23117
540-894-9480
SouthernExposure.com

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
2278 Baker Creek Rd.
Mansfield, MO 65704
417-924-8917
RareSeeds.com

Bountiful Gardens
18001 Shafer Ranch Rd.
Willits, CA 95490-9626
707-459-6410
BountifulGardens.org

Johnny’s Selected Seeds
955 Benton Ave.
Winslow, ME 04901
207-861-3900
JohnnySeeds.com

Seeds of Change
PO Box 15700
Santa Fe, NM 87506-5700
888-762-7333
SeedsOfChange.com

Territorial Seed Company
PO Box 158
Cottage Grove, OR 97424-0061
800-626-0866
Territorial-Seed.com

Turtle Tree Biodynamic Seed
10 White Birch Road
Copake, NY 12516
800-930-7009
Turtletreeseed.org