On Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:20:44 -0700, pyotr filipivich
wrote:

John B. on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:08:52 +0700
typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

Not being obnoxious but what in the world are "heirloom veggies"?


Older, non hybrid veggies.

I'm still puzzled. A carrot isn't a carrot any more?

A carrot is still a carrot. But far to many of the seeds you buy
at the store are hybrids. Which means, that if you save the seeds
like grandpa did, next year you will get a mixed bag of carrots
(tomatoes, corn, etc), as the recessive genes play mix and match. In
other words, the seeds do not "breed true" what you plant is not
exactly what you will get. Oh, they will be carrots (etc) - but not
all like the ones you raised last year.

Heirloom seeds are just that - seeds which will "breed true" year
after year after year. And very often, there are varieties of the
plants which will work better in your local than others, you avoid the
mono culture problem, you're not spending money on seeds.
--
pyotr

Back in the day we grew nearly all of our vegetables and as I remember
it seed cost was not extravagant - 10 cents or so a packet. Probably
more now, I guess.


--
John B.