I was wondering the views and opinions of other gardeners. Do you think Hybrids or Traditionals are better? What Hybrids/Traditinoals have you had good luck with.
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DrGardener
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opabinia51
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For me it really depends on what plant I am growing and whether or not I am growing the plant for a food use or not.
For tomatoes I have found that the Heirlooms have far superior flavour and not to mention a wide variety of flavours.
Unfortunately with agriculture; hybrids are actually a bad thing as far as survival of the species is concerned. A lot of plants have either been so inbred or so outbred that they have lost a great deal of their genetic and phenetic qualities.
However, from purely a biological standpoint, hybridization can be a good thing because it mixes genetic information, so long as fertilization is more or less random and not used to illicit certain traits at the expense of other traits.
For tomatoes I have found that the Heirlooms have far superior flavour and not to mention a wide variety of flavours.
Unfortunately with agriculture; hybrids are actually a bad thing as far as survival of the species is concerned. A lot of plants have either been so inbred or so outbred that they have lost a great deal of their genetic and phenetic qualities.
However, from purely a biological standpoint, hybridization can be a good thing because it mixes genetic information, so long as fertilization is more or less random and not used to illicit certain traits at the expense of other traits.
Hi DrGardener,
When you say 'Traditionals' I'm thinking you mean the species of a particular plant. For some herbaceous perennials I've found that I don't like the hybrids. Daylilies are a good example. I prefer the old fashioned look. So many of the new hybrids don't even look like daylilies to me.
Helleborus is one plant where I like many of the new hybrids. The species grow with their flowers facing down so the snow doesn't collect on the inner part of the flower. Hence they often look best when planted at the top of a wall where you can look up or into the flowers. Some of the newer hybrids have the flowers facing up. That's nice along a shady path.
Other perennials have been hybridized so that their flowers have become doubles and triples. The open flower that pollinators can get to is now covered. Great if you are allergic to bees, but bad for attracting beneficial insects, pollinators and butterflies.
I think for me it depends on what the purpose of the hybridization is. Roses have been so hybridized that most no longer have fragrance. For the cut roses that most folks purchase from a florist, they've been bred for a longer vase life at the expense of fragrance.
Newt
When you say 'Traditionals' I'm thinking you mean the species of a particular plant. For some herbaceous perennials I've found that I don't like the hybrids. Daylilies are a good example. I prefer the old fashioned look. So many of the new hybrids don't even look like daylilies to me.
Helleborus is one plant where I like many of the new hybrids. The species grow with their flowers facing down so the snow doesn't collect on the inner part of the flower. Hence they often look best when planted at the top of a wall where you can look up or into the flowers. Some of the newer hybrids have the flowers facing up. That's nice along a shady path.
Other perennials have been hybridized so that their flowers have become doubles and triples. The open flower that pollinators can get to is now covered. Great if you are allergic to bees, but bad for attracting beneficial insects, pollinators and butterflies.
I think for me it depends on what the purpose of the hybridization is. Roses have been so hybridized that most no longer have fragrance. For the cut roses that most folks purchase from a florist, they've been bred for a longer vase life at the expense of fragrance.
Newt
I am in same boat as newt and Opa. because for me I think of fruit trees when Hybrid comes to mind, and how they have come up with really good cultivar so it is easier to grow them organic because of their new resistance. But when it come it some flowers like newt said about the roses, there are some many hybrids that too it seems just like a huge mess. I want to plant a rose this year but I have no idea what kind to get way to many it is just crazy. Also one reason why I don't like some hybrids for vegies and fruit is because most of the time they are hybridized for good shipping, long lasting so they have tough skin and hard insides, so they taste awful.
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opabinia51
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Hope you all don't mind, but I edited the title of the post to add the heirloom roses.
Here's some sites that you should find helpful. At this first site you can click on the left for the different varieties of roses and get an explanation about them as well as view them.
https://www.heirloomroses.com/
This site has similar info and they show you how to propagate roses on the first page. I think they were formerluy called Texas Rose Rustlers. They do not sell roses so it's a site for info only. Do click on 'Resources Guide' on the left for more info.
https://www.rdrop.com/~paul/hulse.html
Lots of good info here on old garden roses.
https://www.thefragrantgarden.com/hrg.html
Another site with info on the different classes of roses. You should probably start with clicking on 'Our Roses' in the upper left of the page.
https://www.vintagegardens.com/
Read the first page here. Then click on 'About Us' and also view 'Rose Culture'.
https://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/index.html
And if you do decide to order from any of the above sites, you can check their references here.
https://davesgarden.com/gwd/
That should keep you reading for a bit.
Newt
Here's some sites that you should find helpful. At this first site you can click on the left for the different varieties of roses and get an explanation about them as well as view them.
https://www.heirloomroses.com/
This site has similar info and they show you how to propagate roses on the first page. I think they were formerluy called Texas Rose Rustlers. They do not sell roses so it's a site for info only. Do click on 'Resources Guide' on the left for more info.
https://www.rdrop.com/~paul/hulse.html
Lots of good info here on old garden roses.
https://www.thefragrantgarden.com/hrg.html
Another site with info on the different classes of roses. You should probably start with clicking on 'Our Roses' in the upper left of the page.
https://www.vintagegardens.com/
Read the first page here. Then click on 'About Us' and also view 'Rose Culture'.
https://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/index.html
And if you do decide to order from any of the above sites, you can check their references here.
https://davesgarden.com/gwd/
That should keep you reading for a bit.
Newt
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DrGardener
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