Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - Burpee....suspicious on some of their tomato names...

Hermitian · December 31, 2011

Many gardeners don't understand the meaning of hybrid or heirloom.

First: All tomatoes are hybrids. This was true when the Spanish and Dutch first brought them out of the Western Hemisphere in the 1520's.

Second: Heirloom plant (by case law) means "reproduces true from seed" and "off patent". Now I know many people that think there are more requirements as well, but sellers in the U.S. are only bound by the "reproduction" and "off patent" clauses.

For example, Burpee's "Better Boy" is both a hybrid and an heirloom.

December 31, 2011	#28
Hermitian BANNED Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vista, CA Posts: 1,112	Many gardeners don't understand the meaning of hybrid or heirloom. First: All tomatoes are hybrids. This was true when the Spanish and Dutch first brought them out of the Western Hemisphere in the 1520's. Second: Heirloom plant (by case law) means "reproduces true from seed" and "off patent". Now I know many people that think there are more requirements as well, but sellers in the U.S. are only bound by the "reproduction" and "off patent" clauses. For example, Burpee's "Better Boy" is both a hybrid and an heirloom. __________________ Richard _<\|\|>_