Urban Farm and Kitchen

  • Recipe Index
  • Grilling
  • Garden
  • Book
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Grilling
  • Garden
  • Book
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • Grilling
    • Garden
    • Book
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Gardening

    Breaking Down the Heirloom, Hybrid, Open Pollinated and GMO labels

    By Luay Ghafari | Updated: Dec 3, 2023 | May contain affiliate links.

    • Share
    • Email

    If you're starting out and new to seed starting, some of the terminology might be overwhelming and even worrying. This article will give you a clear and concise breakdown of GMO, Hybrids, Heirlooms and Open-pollinated seeds.

    Open Pollinated Seeds

    Open pollination or open pollinated refers to seeds that will breed true either by birds, insects, wind or even humans. When plants of an open-pollinated variety self pollinate or are pollinated by the the same varietal, they will generate seeds that will produce plants identical (or almost identical) to their parents.

    There are many open pollinated varieties out there. Some of your favorite crops are probably open pollinated. The wonderful thing about growing open pollinated varieties is that you can let your plants go to seed so that you can harvest and save it for future use. It's also a great way to share seeds with friends.

    dragon tongue purple and yellow beans
    Dragon Tongue Beans
    purple peas handing from the vine.
    Purple Peas

    There are many benefits to growing open pollinated varieties. They tend to be more cost effective (whereas hybrid seeds require specialized breeding and production techniques), they are tried and true and therefore we know exactly what we will get from them and they are of course tasty. The downside to open pollinated varieties is that they may not be disease or pest resistant like some of the hybrids available on the market (more on that later)

    Heirloom Seeds

    Heirlooms are "old world" varieties that have existed for many years, passed down from one generation of gardeners to the next, because of their distinctive qualities (like taste, shape, growth habit, etc.). Although there isn't a set standard that is recognized all over the world, for a variety to be considered heirloom it must be stable and have been bred for many years. Some will say 50 years is sufficient to grant a variety the heirloom label. Others will say 100 years is the minimum.

    I find that most home gardeners think of tomatoes when they see the word heirloom. Heirloom tomatoes tend to look the least like your standard red globe tomato and come in many shapes and sizes. Many people swear that they taste better too (and I agree!). They are fun to grow and add lots of color and texture to your dinner table. After all, we are growing tomatoes so we can eat them, right? Who wants to eat boring round red tomatoes all the time?

    Plate with red costoluto genovese tomatoes.
    Costoluto Genovese, Heirloom
    Plate with black krim tomatoes.
    Black Krim, Heirloom

    There is a trend lately to slap the Heirloom label on everything to make it sound quaint or cute or to tug on our gardening heartstrings. I find it completely disingenuous. It is false advertising and bad marketing in my opinion. Varieties that are relatively new hybrids and that are stable open-pollinated should be called just that! Stable open pollinated! But this is just my opinion and I'm sure others will disagree with me.

    So in summary, heirlooms are generally open pollinated but not all open pollinated varieties are necessarily heirlooms.

    Hybrid Seeds

    Hybrids are varieties that have been specifically bred for certain traits like disease resistance, fruit shape, color, growth habit, high yield or other characteristic. Many people confuse hybrids with GMO but more on that in a bit. Hybrids are produced by crossing 2 plants to produce offspring that has desirable traits.

    You will often see a label of F1 given to a hybrid variety. This means that the seed is the first filial generation of offspring of distinctly different parental types. Seeds from Hybrid tomatoes can be saved and replanted but will not produce the same hybrid variety. They will produce a plant that more closely resembles one of the parental types.

    citrine orange cherry tomato.
    Citrine, a Hybrid orange cherry type of tomato

    Whenever I explain this to someone I like to use the analogy of dog breeding. A Labradoodle is a crossbreed dog created by crossing the Labrador Retriever and the Standard, Miniature, or Toy poodle. The end result is still a cute and loveable pet. It is not something that should be viewed as wrong. All this to say is that hybrid seeds should not be feared.

    Hybrids can come about in different ways. They can be created accidentally. For example planting 2 varieties of tomatoes close to each other may result in fruit with hybrid seed. Although tomatoes are self fertile there's still a small possibility of the wind, an insect or pollinator transferring pollen from one variety to the pistil of the other variety.

    They can also be created with human intervention. Many seed companies have breeding programs. Just like any business, they want to provide their customers with new and exciting varieties.

    Legal issues with certain hybrids

    Some hybrids are also patented by their owners so you cannot save their seed or you'll be in violation of their copyright. One of my favorite lettuce varieties is Salanova from Johnny's Seeds. I grow it from seed every year. It is patented (Utility Patent). This means that it would be illegal to let it go to flower and save the seed. This is why I personally purchase these seeds every year. It is important to make sure that your gardening hobby doesn't turn into a potential headache.

    I personally grow quite a few hybrids for various reasons (disease resistance, yield and selection). Check out my 2020 Tomato Review Here.

    Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)

    While hybrids are created through selective breeding (crossing plant A with plant B) , GMOs tend to be produced using high tech methods (gene splicing). The distinction here is that GMOs are varieties that do not occur naturally whereas hybrids occur through selective breeding. It is important to note that GMO seeds are not available to regular gardeners. Only commercial farmers can purchase GMO seeds (most common GMO seeds are corn, canola, soy and alfalfa).

    If I were you, I'd be more worried about consuming processed foods with high fructose corn syrup. I'd also try and source non-GMO soy and tofu products. Seed packs labeled non-GMO are also misleading because as I said, GMO seeds are NOT available for non-commercial consumers like home gardeners. I do recommend you do your own research if this is a topic that is important to you.

    More Urban Gardening and Food Growing

    • Zucchini, 8-ball and other summer squash on a countertop.
      Growing Squash: From Seed to Table
    • Cherry tomatoes on a large straw tray.
      11 Things to do With Your Cherry Tomato Glut
    • Holding a basket of shallots.
      Growing Onions, Shallots and Leeks: From Seed to Table
    • An array of carrots.
      Growing Carrots: From Seed to Table
    • Share
    • Email

    Comments

    1. Tom says

      May 17, 2023 at 1:10 pm

      Hi, Salanova appears to be in "Plant Variety Protected" status (Johnny's Selected Seeds literature), which has an exemption for seed savers that have legally purchased it to save it for the sole use of replanting on their land. USDA: https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/plant-variety-protection/pvpo-frequently-asked-questions Look at #16.

      Reply
      • Luay Ghafari says

        May 17, 2023 at 1:23 pm

        That's a good point. However, Salanova is sold in many countries so the USDA exemptions do not apply.

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Gravatar profile

    Welcome to Urban Farm and Kitchen!

    Picture of Luay G

    Hi! I'm Luay, a cook, recipe developer, gardener, educator and photographer and this is my little slice of the web! I launched Urban Farm and Kitchen as an ode to seasonal, local, garden-to-table recipes and I look forward to continue sharing my passions with you all! More about me>


    Grilling Recipes!

    • A plate of shish tawook skewers with a side salad, pickled sumac onions and garlic sauce.
      Authentic Shish Tawook (Grilled Chicken Skewers)
    • Beef kofta on a plate with a side of vegetables and drizzled with yogurt sauce.
      Beef Kofta (Spiced Ground Beef Kebabs)
    • Chicken souvlaki skewers on a platter garnished with dill, mint, sliced lemons and a side of yogurt sauce.
      Greek Chicken Souvlaki Skewers Recipe (with Sides)
    • A platter with rice, chopped salad, sumac onions and harissa chicken skewers.
      Harissa Chicken Skewers (with Sides)


    Newest Recipes!

    • A bowl of Kale Chickpea Feta Salad with chopped kale, chickpeas, cucumber, fresh mint, dill, and a creamy dressing, garnished with feta.
      Kale Chickpea Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
    • Grilled Joojeh Kabob chicken skewers with a golden char served on a white platter, garnished with fresh dill, cherry tomatoes, and lemon slices.
      Joojeh Kabob (Persian Saffron Chicken Kabab Recipe)
    • Middle Eastern Beef Shish Kebabs with yellow bell peppers, red onions, and zucchini on skewers, garnished with fresh mint and parsley. Served on a white platter with a lemon wedge and a small bowl of sauce.
      Middle Eastern Beef Shish Kebabs (with Sides)
    • Tahdig Crispy Persian Rice on a platter.
      Tahdig (Crispy Persian Rice with Saffron)

    Jpeg of book cover, Seed to Table, with a top-down view of salads on the cover.

    Seed to Table, my first book, is available for purchase worldwide!


    Featured in

    Logos of websites and publications where Urban Farm and Kitchen has been featured.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Legal

    Privacy Policy & Disclosure

    Accessibility Statement

    Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    Sign Up!

    Contact

    Contact

    Media Kit

    At no cost to you, I may earn from qualified purchases made through affiliate links on my website. Read the Disclosure.

    Urban Farm and Kitchen operates from Toronto, Canada, the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

    Copyright © 2025 Urban Farm and Kitchen.  All rights reserved. The content on this website may not be copied or reproduced in any way whatsoever without prior written permission. Urban Farm and Kitchen is a registered trademark (Can).

    • Share on Facebook
    • Pin it
    • Email