Pour réussir ses cultures, un choix judicieux des semences s'impose

To succeed in your crops, a judicious choice of seeds is essential.

To grow successfully, soil and management are of great importance, but the genetic factor should not be underestimated. Despite its small size, the seed contains all the information that will determine the shape of the future plant, its vigor, its sensitivity to parasites, its mineral content, and its vitality. Therefore, special attention must be paid to the choice of cultivars as well as the quality of the seeds. But, first, the gardener must determine the species that will take root in the garden.

The choice of species

There are more factors to consider when choosing a crop than you might think. The taste and dietary needs of the household are the main factors, but you also have to consider the space available, the climate, pests, and the gardener's experience. When space is limited, corn, potatoes, and winter squash should be avoided in favor of onions, leeks, lettuce, tomatoes, and cabbages, which are more productive for the area used. Vegetable growing times should also be matched to the hardiness zone. For example, in northern regions, it is difficult to obtain abundant harvests of peppers, melons, and eggplants unless you cheat by using shelters; radishes, peas, lettuce, carrots, beets, onions, and cabbages are better suited to northern conditions. The presence of insects and diseases in the growing environment also plays a role in the choice of crop. To solve a problem at the source, you can abandon the cultivation of plants that are victims of recurring problems. For example, you should avoid growing broccoli and cauliflower where the swede midge is a problem and cucumbers where the leaf beetle is prevalent. Finally, a novice should not attempt difficult crops such as melons, cauliflower, artichokes, or celeriac. Instead, they should concentrate on easy-to-grow vegetables such as beans and peas, lettuce and chicory, carrots, and beets, just to get the hang of it.

The choice of cultivars

The number of cultivars offered by seed companies and the many terms they use to describe them complicate gardeners' choices. Some seed companies offer up to 100 tomato cultivars. Their often catchy names contribute to confusion. Designations like Ultrasonic, Fireball, or Ultra Girl certainly capture attention, but they in no way describe the qualities of the tomato that will be harvested. To make a wise choice, you must choose a seed company that provides relevant and rigorous information in its catalog. When selecting cultivars, several factors are taken into account, including the following:

Characteristics of the edible part

The characteristics of the edible part are closely linked to the pleasures of the table. The majority of gardeners devote themselves to gardening to consume fruits and vegetables that taste better than those in supermarkets. You can identify the ideal cultivar by interpreting the descriptions in the catalog. Another good reason to choose your seed company carefully. In general, cultivars developed for commercial use, mechanical harvesting, and transport are less flavorful. You must also consider the size of the vegetables. Thus, you can choose a giant or miniature squash, a small, fancy carrot with a delicate flavor, or a larger one, excellent for juice and stews, a beefsteak tomato, an Italian tomato, or a cherry tomato. The quest for the perfect cultivar is endless! This is what makes the exercise exciting.

Plant characteristics

Not all vegetable cultivars require the same amount of space. Some are short and stocky, while others are climbing and spreading. For example, the Spacemaster cucumber takes up half the space of a standard cultivar; the bush bean does not need to be staked like the pole bean; the determinate tomato is shorter and more compact than the indeterminate tomato, which grows continuously. Therefore, cultivars should be selected based on the available space.

Growth time

Most seed companies assign a growing time to each cultivar. This data, often random, nevertheless constitutes a reference to consider in cultivar selection. In northern regions, early cultivars are the first choice. However, since earliness often affects the taste quality of a vegetable, later cultivars should be chosen when the season permits.

Resistance to insects and diseases

Geneticists are constantly developing new cultivars with resistance to a growing number of diseases and pests. Some cucumber cultivars are completely free of cucurbitacin (a bitter substance found in the foliage and sometimes in the fruit), which makes them less attractive to the striped cucumber beetle: this is the case with Suyo Long. Many modern cucumber cultivars are resistant to angular leaf spot, anthracnose, and mosaic. Several tomato cultivars are insensitive to tobacco mosaic and verticillium wilt; others are not affected by nematodes, microscopic worms that parasitize the roots. To address certain parasitism problems at the source, choosing a resistant cultivar is an interesting solution.

Seed quality

Once the species and cultivars have been chosen, particular attention must be paid to the quality of the seeds used. The age of the seeds affects the germination rate. The table at the end of the text indicates the storage time of the main species. Many observations indicate that organic seeds keep longer than industrial seeds. Seeds should be stored in a cool, dry place; a cool cupboard is suitable. Stored in the freezer in a well-sealed container, they can be stored for up to 20 years in most cases.

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Seed germination rates vary from one seed company to another. It is therefore important to choose your suppliers carefully. It is worth noting that seeds sold in pharmacies, hardware stores, or supermarkets do not always meet the quality standards you would expect. It is better to order directly from proven seed companies. Organic or naturally grown seeds are better suited to ecological cultivation than those produced using massive doses of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. They produce more vigorous, more resistant, and better adapted plants. There is now a growing number of organic or naturally grown seeds on the market, which allows gardeners to grow their crops using a complete biological cycle.

Locally produced seeds produce plants better adapted to the local climate, yet another reason to support a regional producer. The increased supply of hybrids encourages the monopoly of seed companies; in fact, seeds from hybrid plants cannot be saved, because their descendants will not develop the same traits. To find the traits of hybrid cultivars, one must return to the supplier, which is entirely to their advantage; moreover, hybrid seeds are more expensive than seeds from open-pollinated cultivars.

To produce seeds, you must work with open-pollinated cultivars that reproduce the characteristics of the parents, provided that the required separation distances between two cultivars are respected. By carefully selecting the mother plants and the fruit bearing the seeds you wish to preserve, you can increase the quality of a cultivar year after year. This is what we do at the Jardins du Grand-Portage.

Although there are currently only a limited number of genetically modified vegetable cultivars in North America, the threat looms. In fact, in 2005, Monsanto acquired Seminis, the largest vegetable seed production company in North America. We could therefore soon see genetically modified squash, cucumbers, beets, corn, and tomatoes appearing in some catalogs. Gardeners will have to remain vigilant in the future if they wish to avoid this genetic pollution. Finally, avoid using treated seeds. The fungicides with which they are coated to protect them from rotting are dangerous poisons that are harmful to health during handling and to the birds that would feed on them. In addition, these poisons sterilize the soil around the germinating seed, which undermines the intimate associations between the microorganisms and the nascent plant, whose growth will inevitably be affected. In healthy, well-structured soil, seeds will not rot if they are sown at the right time.