Hooper`s Garden Center - Seed Information Breakdown

Here at Hooper’s Garden Center we are often asked "What kind of seeds do you sell?" Are they hybrid, GMO, Heirloom, Open Pollinated or Organic? Although on the surface this may seem rather confusing, in reality the answers are quite simple. Today, seeds are generally bred in an open pollinated environment, through a hybrid cross, and through genetic modification. In hopes of answering some of these questions Hooper’s provides the following simple and brief explanations to help you with your seed making decisions:

Open Pollinated Seeds:
Open pollinated or OP plants are simply plant varieties that are capable of producing seeds that will produce seedlings just like the parent plant. Pollination is provided by wind, insects, and birds.

Heirloom Seeds:
Heirloom seeds are not a special species of plants. The term heirloom is used to describe any type of seed that has been saved and grown for a period of years and is passed down by the gardener that preserved it. It has a provenance, of sorts. To be capable of being saved, all Heirloom seed must be Open Pollinated ensuring offspring which is true to type of the parent plant.

Hybrid Seed:
A hybrid seed is a seed that has two different parents of the same species. Plant breeders cross breed compatible types of plants in an effort to create a plant with the best features of both parents. Say you have a red tomato and you cross that red tomato with a yellow tomato. The resulting offspring will be the hybrid. These hybrids, and many of our modern plants, are the results of these crosses. While plants can cross-pollinate in nature and hybrids repeatedly selected and grown may eventually stabilize, many hybrid seeds are relatively new crosses and seed from these hybrids will not produce plants with identical qualities. You can save seed from hybrids and they will germinate but only about 1/3 of those seeds will come back true to the parent plant from which you saved the seed.

There are a couple of different kinds of hybrids out there. F1 is the most common sold. F1 hybrid refers to the first generation of offspring plants produced by a cross of two or more genetically different varieties of plants. F1's are bred for vigor, homogeneity, and resistance to disease. However, seed saved from F1 hybrids are unpredictable (not growing true to type) and sometimes sterile. Hybrids should not be confused with genetically modified organisms or (GMO).

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO):
Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO are quite the hot topic these days. A GMO can be any plant, animal or microorganism which has been genetically altered using molecular genetics techniques such as gene cloning and protein engineering. Plants like corn that has the pesticide Bt engineered into its genetic makeup to make it resistant to certain pests are GMO crops. Bt is a natural pesticide, but it would never naturally find its way into corn seed. GMO seeds are surrounded by debate, but one thing we can say:

Hooper’s Does Not Carry Any GMO Seeds

Organic Seeds:
Certified organic seeds are harvested from plants grown without synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, and preservatives and therefore, harbor no residues from these chemicals. Open Pollinated, Heirloom, and Hybrid Seeds may all be sold as organic or non-organic seeds. To be labeled as Organic all it takes is for the mother plants to have been grown on a certified organic farm and the resulting seed having been harvested, cleaned, dried and packed on that organic farm.

Courtesy of Hooper`s Garden Center
2205 Highway 35 East
Kalispell, Mt 59901
(406) 752-2770
www.hoopersgardencenter.com