Comments on: Heirloom Vegetables -a Better Choice? Yes, and No https://gardern.co.za/2010/12/heirloom-vegetables-better-choice-yes/ Horticulturist Matt Mattus shares gardening expertise, research and science from his home garden and greenhouse. Thu, 13 Aug 2020 22:38:46 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 By: John Grimshaw https://gardern.co.za/2010/12/heirloom-vegetables-better-choice-yes/#comment-4136 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:42:13 +0000 #comment-4136 The concept of 'purebred' heirloom vegetables – or any other open-pollinated seed-raised plant – is to me somewhat dubious. There is continuous genetic drift away from the original's characteristics, visible and invisible, and it takes real diligence to select for the same characteristics year on year. It may never have been a particularly uniform selection to begin with, so what we see today of most heirloom vareties is an approximation of the original. They do, of course, preserve a diversity of genes, but 'purebred' is pushing the point too far.

Purebred animals are somewhat different, in that (usually) there are (now) written standards for each breed and the animal is expected to conform to these; also, far fewer individuals result, so culling to type is easy. Even so, genetic drift occurs and King Charles II would probably not easily recognize his spaniels today.

John Grimshaw
johngrimshawsgardendiary.blogspot.com/

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