I’ve shared this list of commonly available heirloom seeds in the past as so frequently companies repackage common seeds as “heirloom” and double the price. Heirloom seeds are attractive to many gardeners due to their non-GMO and non-hybrid status and the ability to harvest seeds for future planting.
The reality is that many seeds commonly sold at Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and similar businesses are in fact heirloom and very inexpensive. The very same seed variety packaged as “heirloom” in a colorful mylar bag will sell for 2-4X what the “budget” seed pack will sell for.
From Burpee.com –
“Heirloom varieties are open-pollinated–meaning that unlike hybrids, seeds you collect from one year will produce plants with most of the characteristics of the parent plant. And that’s key to their survival.
Many heirloom varieties were preserved by home gardeners who saved seed from their family gardens from year to year. Other seeds traveled around the world in the pockets or letters of immigrants, which is why, though the tomato evolved in Central America, we have varieties from Russia, Italy, Japan, France, Germany and Kentucky.”
Here is a list of commonly available heirloom seeds. If you see an error or know of one to add feel free to comment below:
Artichoke, Green Globe
Asparagus, Mary Washington
Basil, Greek
Bean Shell, Bush Dragon’s Tongue Wax
Bean, Bush, Early Bush Italian
Bean, Cannelino
Bean, Gold of Bacau
Bean, Italian Rose
Bean, Lima, Big Mama
Bean, Pole, Green Anellino
Bean, Purple Podded Pole
Bean, Runner, White Half
Bean, Snap, Red Swan
Bean, Triumphe De Farcy Bush
Bean (Pole) Romano
Bean – Harvester Bush Snap
Bean – Kentucky Wonder Pole
Bean – Henderson Bush Lima
Bean – Top Crop Bush Snap
Bean – Cherokee Yellow Wax
Bean – Contender Bush Snap Beans
Beet, Albino
Beet, Bull’s Blood
Beet, Chioggia
Beets – Detroit Dark Red
Beets – Ruby Queen
Beets Early Wonder
Broccoli, De Cicco
Broccoli, Green Sprouting Calabrese
Broccoli, Purple Sprouting
Broccoli, Romanesco
Broccoli – Calabrese
Broccoli – Waltham 29
Brussels Sprouts, Catskill
Brussels Sprouts, Long Island
Cabbage, Brunswick
Cabbage, CharlestonWakefield
Cabbage – Copenhagen Market
Cabbage – Early Jersey Wakefield
Cabbage – Golden Acre
Cabbage – Michihili
Cabbage – Pak Choy White Stem
Cabbage – Red Acre
Cabbage – Savoy
Cantaloupe, Hales Best Jumbo
Carrot, Danvers 126 Half Long
Carrot, Touchon
Carrot – Chantenay Red
Carrot – Little Finger
Carrot – Scarlet Nantes
Carrot – Tendersweet
Cauliflower, Snowball Self-Blanching
Corn, Country Gentleman
Corn, Golden Bantam
Corn – (Sweet) Golden Beauty
Cucumber, Lemon
Cucumber, Straight Eight
Cucumber – Boston Pickling
Cucumber: Lemon
Cucumber, National Pickling
Cucumber, Spacemaster Cucumber
Cucumber – Poinsett 76
Cucumber – Marketer
Cucumber – Marketmore 76
Eggplant, Black Beauty
Eggplant, Long Purple
Lettuce Head – Iceberg
Lettuce – Black Seeded Simpson
Lettuce – Buttercrunch
Lettuce – Salad Bowl Green
Lettuce – Romaine
Onion – Red Creole
Onion – Tokyo Long White
Onion – White Lisbon Bunching
Pea – Green Arrow
Pea – Mammoth Melting Sugar
Pea – Wando
Pea – Lincoln
Pea – Alaska
Pea – Oregon Giant
Pepper – Hot, Cayenne
Pepper – California Wonder
Pepper – Jalapeno
Pepper – Sweet Banana
Pepper – Grand Bell
Pumpkin – Jack O Lantern
Pumpkin – Small Sugar
Squash – Crookneck
Squash – Straightneck
Tomato – Delicious
Tomato – Beefsteak
Tomato – Rutgers
Turnip – Purple Top White Globe
Watermelon – Congo
Watermelon – Charleston Grey
Watermelon – Sugar Baby
Watermelon – Crimson Sweet
Zucchini – Grey
Zucchini – Dark Green
Zucchini – Black Beauty
This list is available in PDF format – Click HERE
I’m glad to see this worthy post! I have some Black Beauty eggplant seedlings going. Might be a little late to be starting them in SW Florida. Still harvesting Georgia collards and red Russian kale daily but the heat is coming on strong which will take them out pretty soon. The okra will love the heat though so the food will keep flowing.
I highly…recommend getting your seeds now, learning, and trying your gardening now. The learning curve and familiarity will literally benefit you now and later when it counts. And for sure when your livelihood depends on it later. Only then, when it’s critical. There is no “learning curve” it’s do or die. Not the time to be learning.
I made and enjoyed my first cup of chamomile tea last eve. Chamomile are in bloom all over the mountain, both German and Roman varieties. A little honey made it tasty. Has anyone tried an infusion of chamomile and Glenfiddich?
PR
PR I have not tried it with Glenfiddich.. I have tried Glenfiddich with Glenfiddich .. which has worked well for a couple things.. Chiefly stress and age related soreness 🙂
Does make me want to grow some chamomile .. I’ll give you a shout later
Luckily I got mine in January as the two main heirloom seed businesses are mum and dad have sold three years worth seeds in 5 days and shut down to process all the orders and not sure when they will be reopening.
We have almost all heirloom tomatoes in our garden. Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Black Prince,, Green Zebra, Rutger’s Select, San Marzano, Box Car Willie and Caspian Pink. Next year we are thinking of doing all Rutger’s since it is such vigorous growing plant.
we can buy heirlooms certainly .. The acid test is planting the seed generationallly, and getting good results right ? We have a couple organic farms around here and I’ve had several conversations with the farmers. They pick a variety of corn lets say and plant that alone .. no others near .. The thinking being that cross pollination will make some of the resulting seed a hybrid of the two (seed and egg).
Those guys have a wealth of knowledge.. but aren’t terribly scientific.. Still the conversation is good and you get a lot if you just smile and listen.. then sort fact from fiction later. That sort is not always obvious or easy.
Not all plants are cross pollinated .. Some require male plant material from a different plant, some have male and female plants .. depends om the species…
Pollinators travel on average about 2 miles in a radius .. with the rare examples of some bats and birds.. “Open Pollination”
Of course you can bag the plant flowers on some .. shake it when ready and swap bags and shake it again to control pollination.. or some other isolation..
I’ve spent some, but not enough time looking at companion planting as well .. a known issue with what goes well with what in proximity .. seems mystical at this point ..
This is the first year I’m planting a generation of what seed I harvested.. not all but some .. guess we’ll see. I want some idea of what I’m doing before I need it… takes lots of time.. and identifying which goes to seed and how much, while harvesting the rest.. then harvesting and preservation of the seed. I can truthfully say I have proven I have much to learn .. but I am and that’s something.
I’ve used seedsnow, baker creek, adams seed, ,, when Emergencies Essentials sale roles back around I’m going to buy a couple of those and plant one of them, just to see how they do.
I have lots of dirt to play with . a whole nuther topic.. amending it on a large scale is daunting. Once the hothouse and well are done, I’ll have more capacity .. then time will be the bear. I jumped through the classification of being a farm this year so I can deduct some of the expenses. I might as well use some of what I am paying in, if I am going to do it anyway.
Always open to suggestions and learning from the rest of you folks.
good list and topic..JR
Goingray58…check out these 2 links. they may help with the companion planting. It worked for us when we tried it. Good luck.
http://www.ufseeds.com/Vegetable-Companion-Planting-Chart.html or this one:
http://www.heirloom-organics.com/guide/companionplanting.html
Thanks! MI Patriot
I’ll have to do some studying ..
I see some things I know and some regional stuff
I’ll read up .. appreciate it.
Excellent information. I’ve gathered quite a few heirloom seeds the last couple of years and I’m trying them this year. So far, my plants look great – but with all the rainfall we’ve had and the cooler weather, I guess they should. Anyone know the statistics on how long saved seeds will still work? I’ve heard five years. Wouldn’t want to hit the Shumer and have seeds that weren’t reliable. Keep Looking UP
I’ve heard the same thing.. I am sure much of it depends on how they were harvested, stored in Nitrogen, a freezer .. or cool dry place. I’ve planted old seeds out of their original envelopes years after they were sold that had been rattling around in a shop drawer. Since it isn’t absolute.. and type of seed makes as much difference and storage method.. I’m just going to start cycling out the seed and planting from saved previous year or two.. and if they fail I’ll repurchase a replacement. This year I started half new and half old.. and more than I need if they all come up. I’ll be up to my armpits in some stuff this year.. good thing I been collecting garage sale Mason jars and canning stuff.. I guess I’ll be posting those successes and failures in a few months. If history is an indicator. Lots of process.. learning, and feeding mistakes to the chickens, or compost pile… 🙂 Don’t waste anything… nope.. I have to cultivate patience and sense of humor some days too.. Oh and have a tolerance for the more NATURAL fragrances of life.. definitely isn’t Channel. Post your results… the more of us that do the fewer mistake we all make personally ….
My last order was from Baker Creek back in the Fall since Winter is the growing season here for a lot of things. Most of the seeds I ordered from them did well.
We had a friend just place an order with Baker Creek, and said they were out of many things she wanted. The local mom pop stores might be better for choice, if they are open. Just try and get non-hybrids (Heirloom). Hybrid seeds will produce good food first generation, but saved seeds often will not .. either producing and inferior product or are sterile.
Just a thought and an update. Don’t want anyone to count on an order that won’t come, or is incomplete with a back order.
GG58
It is not enough to get the seeds, you must learn to save your own.
As JBernDrApt asked, how long do they last? Well, depends on the seed, how they are prepared, and how they are stored.
P-Nuts, better plan on planting every year and this is a must have crop both for food value and fixing nitrogen. Go ahead and hull them and store in jars. Take up less space. Easier to cook as well. Treat like peas and beans but go easy in soups as they will overwhelm the flavor.
Other crops will last a few years.
If not planting you should make a list, buy what you think you will like / need, and do this each year to ensure you have an adequate supply. Do not discount the value of seeds as a barter item.
Plant herbs as well.
Count on not having fertilizers, lime, or insecticide.
Need to know how to compensate for this.
Better get a few hundred pounds of what the soil test says you need while you can get it to use as you learn.
Must know about companion planting, even plants with no food value but used just to enhance the garden and repel bugs.
Also, crop rotation, works even in a small garden.
You may have to not plant a vegetable one year if bugs are a problem. This will “starve them out”.
If your land is good for some crops plan on trading with those who do not seem to be able to grow these.
Also, some crops, like corn, need a larger patch to get good pollination.
Saving you seeds will give you plants adapted to your area and soil.
There are good weeds and good bugs as well.
So, your library needs about 10 to 15, maybe 20 books, on these subjects.
I got most of mine from the Seed Savers Exchange.
Keep notes on what works and what does not.
A spread sheet on when to plant for spring and winter.
Also, what you like and don’t.
You will need seed starting skills and a place to start the plants.
Spring gardens start several months prior to planting, as do the fall garden. Start the year with a calendar dedicated to the garden, easy to forget when to start the seeds and lost time is never found.
That dirt poor hick farmer is a lot smarter than the city slicker gives him credit for.
Thanks for sharing Brutus!