A couple of people commented recently and asked about survival seeds.

“Survival Seeds” are just what Hometown Seeds calls one of their packages of non-hybrid seeds. Non-hybrid (or heirloom) seeds are seeds that grow into plants that in turn produce viable seeds (from which plants will grow as you expect them to).

I know, you’re thinking “Well, isn’t that why plants make seeds in the first place?” And “Yes” is the answer to that.

However, most seed manufacturers have figured out how to do some admittedly cool plant variety and species engineering on their seeds so that the plants produce more or bigger fruit or they capitalize on some other trait. Most of the time, this engineering means that no viable seeds are produced from the plant. Virtually all the seeds you but at the Home Depot, Lowes, or Walmart are Hybrid type seeds. Most of what you buy at the local “Garden-only” store are hybrid too.

So these seeds are called “survival” because if you save the seeds you grow, you’ll be able to continue your garden from year to year without buying more seeds. It also comes packaged so that the seeds last a long time before becoming non-viable.

The pack I received contains 16 different types of seeds:

• Lincoln Peas
• Detroit Dark Red Beets
• Kentucky Wonder Brown Pole Beans
• Yolo Wonder Pepper
• Champion Radish
• Lucullus Chard
• Black Beauty Zucchini
• Waltham Butternut Winter Squash
• Bloomsdale Longstanding Spinach
• Scarlet Nantes Carrots
• Long Green Improved Cucumber
• Rutger’s Tomato
• Golden Acre Cabbage
• Romaine Paris Island Cos Lettuce
• Golden Bantam Sweet Corn
• Yellow Sweet Spanish Onion

So could the seeds from this this pack provide all the food needed for a family to survive? It’s possible, I suppose, but I doubt it. They could easily produce the majority of the produce a family would consume, though.

For more on hybrid vs non hybrid seeds, check out What’s the Difference Between Hybrid and Heirloom Vegetables?