Gardening and Saving seeds

HYBRID VS. NON-HYBRID SEED PLANTING

 Hybrid seeds are generally what you find at most garden departments. They are produced by artificially cross pollinating plants.  They were originally produced/bred to improve on the existing crop of plants, to yield better uniformity, quantity, color, unique flavor, improved resistance to plant disease and insects etc. Today these are the predominant seeds that you'll find when you visit a garden store or department. Hybrid seeds are famous for their vigor and productivity but they also often don't breed true and can throw back to ancestors having really bad characteristics or sometimes they don't breed at all. 

Non-hybrid seeds on the other hand are a little harder to find.  (please see list of links below)  They are also known as Heirloom Seeds and Open Pollinated seeds.  They are not usually as big or colorful as the hybrid seeds, but provide more nutritional value and save money by providing the ability to save seed from these plants and replant them producing more and more plants.


HYBRID SEED FACTS             

1. Easier to come by 
2. More variety 
3. Package is less money
4. seeds cannot be saved
5. new seed must be every planting
6. requires some chemical substances and fertilizers to maintain healthy plants.  
7. Large amounts of water and irrigation in order to grow these plants.
8. Not produced for nutritional content
9. Produced for more company revenue

NON-HYBRID SEED FACTS

1. A little harder to come by in garden departments
2. Seeds can be harvested, and replanted, providing a unlimited amount of planting.
3. requires knowledge and a little time to harvest and store seeds from plant.
4. better nutritional content more wholesome.
5. Sustainable gardening- able to save seeds and replant
6. Food storage security - if food supplies are challenged, non-hybrid seeds provide security in the ability to plant a sustainable garden.
7. Crop Diversity- planting non-hybrid seeds protects the these crops from becoming extinct.
8. Investment- Seeds are an excellent investment to money, stocks or even gold.  When times are tough food is needed.
9. lower cost of living - in difficult times one of the best ways to reduce your cost of living is growing your own food, and saving your seeds form personal harvest is an immediate way to save money on your next year's produce. 

So are you convinced?  If so, here are some links that sell non-hybrid seeds, you can also buy non-hybrid seeds at some health food stores, Wild Oats, Whole Foods and some specialty garden stores are starting to carry a wide range of Non-Hybrid/Heirloom seeds.

http://www.organicaseed.com
http://www.emergencyseedbank.com
http://www.eldoradoheirloomseeds.com/
www.emergencyessentials.com (these non-hybrids are on sale right now)

http://www.heirloomseeds.com/
www.fedcoseeds.com
www.superseeds.com
www.rareseeds.com
www.ebay.com  (search for heirloom or non-hybrid seeds)
www.seedsaversexchange.com

There are so many  more places that I could not list.  Just google search words (heirloom seeds, food storage seeds, non-hybrid seeds, or Open-Pollinated seeds).