What are open pollinated seeds?

June 27, 2023

Open Pollinated Seeds are pollinated by natural means. These varieties remain true-to-type, year after year.

That is, the offspring will closely resemble their parents. However there is always some variability. This can be a problem for broad acre industrial farmers who want uniformity in size, colour and harvest dates to meet the requirements to produce a mass consumer product.

For the home gardener variability can be a boon. Plant ripening will vary slightly, extending the harvest period.

The variations within open pollinated varieties also mean that overtime adaptation to new conditions is possible.

Open pollinated varieties can adapt to local environments. They are open to adapting to changing climates yet maintain their varietal qualities. The most obvious advantage of open pollinated seeds is they allow us to seed save.