If you ask me, heirloom vegetable seeds are truly a gardener's treasure. These seeds, cherished and nurtured over time, are not just plants but a legacy passed down through generations. And for those with a passion for gardening, seeking out the best heirloom seeds of 2024 is essential to cultivating a garden brimming with nutritious and flavorful produce. In fact, these seeds are loved by many gardeners all thanks to their superb quality — our favorite happens to be Burpee's Heirloom Vegetable Seeds. Looking to purchase heirloom vegetable seeds? You're in the perfect spot! Here's our carefully curated list of top-tier seeds for your consideration.
Our Top Picks For Heirloom Vegetable Seeds
The Best Heirloom Vegetable Seeds
Best Overall
Experience a stunning burst of colors in your garden with the Burpee Heirloom Vegetable Seeds! This exclusive blend features a delightful assortment of vibrant varieties of carrots. These smoothly tapered roots, reaching 8×2 inches in loose soil, add a touch of wild beauty to any garden. With each packet containing 1500 seeds, you’ll have an abundance of options to create a vibrant and diverse vegetable patch. Sow these seeds outdoors in early spring after the average last frost date, and you can expect to harvest in just 80 days.
These plants grow to a height of 4 inches with a spread of 3 inches, yielding impressive 8-inch roots. The Burpee Heirloom Vegetable Seeds are suitable for all growing zones from 1-11, and they thrive in full sunlight exposure. If you’re looking for even more options, you can explore over 1000 other vegetable, herb, and flower seeds from Burpee. Start your gardening journey with the Burpee Seed Starting Kit for optimal seedling growth, and get these best overall vegetable seeds today!
Pros
- Exclusive blend of colorful varieties
- Abundant seed quantity
- Fast-growing with impressive yields
Cons
- A little expensive
Best Value
It weighs 3.2 ounces, and its dimensions are 8.25 x 1 x 5.5 inches. You will get the 32 varieties of all-natural and healthy vegetable seeds, which will be non-hybrid, non-GMO, and heirloom. Furthermore, this product is 100% naturally grown and has open-pollinated seeds with a higher germination rate. So, you will rest assured of having more sprouts while sowing the seeds.
Pros
- Includes a vegetable growing and seed harvesting guide
- Tested for maximum yield and germination
- Stored in an air-tight, moisture-proof resealable bag
Cons
- Some people didn’t have success
Fastest Germination
As home-grown vegetables are more nutritious and healthy, you should consider growing some for you too. This product weighs 5.9 ounces, and its dimensions are 7.05 x 6.38 x 2.91 inches. These seeds are made in the US.
The set has a total of 43 assorted seeds of different vegetables and herbs. Most importantly, all the seeds are heirloom, and they are 100% Non-GMO. The seeds will provide you a high germination rate within a time frame of 7 to 14 days.
Pros
- An assortment of 43 vegetable seeds
- Very long-lasting when stored properly
- Germinates in seven to 14 days
Cons
- Some customers were missing seeds
Best Variety
In this packet, you are going to get 50 different varieties of vegetables. This package from Grow For It contains a total of 9500 seeds. You can store them inside the resealable moisture-proof foil laminated package to be used for decades. When properly stores, these seeds will be fresh and ready to sow to provide you with fresh vegetables. It has a 32-page guide to educate you about planting, storing, and sprouting.
Pros
- Assortment of 50 seed varieties
- 100% naturally grown seeds
- Non-GMO seeds to ensure consumer’s health
- Non-hybrid, open-pollinated vegetable seeds
Cons
- Germination is slow
Most Eco-Friendly
You will get 34 easy-to-grow heirloom vegetable seeds that provide you a great variety for your garden. The packet has instructions about how to plant the seeds for optimal germination rate.
The company has set new trends by using paper bags for over 200 years. As seeds are living organisms, plastic bags can work as a barrier to their breathability. Moreover, the packets are waterproof. You don’t need to worry about getting mold in the packet as these are resealable and moisture-resistant.
Pros
- Full-size packets for broccoli, corn, and more
- Lasts five years in the right conditions
- Higher yield ensures you’ll get higher ROI
Cons
- Some seeds take long to germinate
Best for Beginners
Garden Basic understands that plastic bags can not only affect the germination rate and quality of the seeds but also harbor mold. That’s why they pack the seeds in specified seed packets. You will get 35 easy-to-grow vegetable varieties and more than 16000 seeds to grow your backyard garden efficiently. All of the seeds present in the packing are Non-GMO and heirloom varieties.
Pros
- Seeds for broccoli, beets, carrots and more
- Complete gardening kit included
- Comes in seed packets
Cons
- Some seeds do not show any growth
High Germination Rate
According to your need, you can get this product in different vegetable varieties, starting from 10 to 25 vegetables. As the seeds are tested to provide you a 95% germination rate, you don’t need to rack your brains about losing your money. It is best for growing vegetables for your family and home garden. By choosing these heirloom seeds, you will rest assured of growing non-GMO vegetables to ensure your family’s health.
Pros
- Available in four sizes
- 95% germination rate under optimal conditions
- Includes a plant-growing guide for your assistance
Cons
- Not enough seeds considering the price
Simple Instructions
This product weighs 0.634 ounces, and its dimensions are 5.75 x 4.3 x 0.6 inches. These seeds will enable you to grow your own healthy and nutritious vegetables to be readily used.
There are 12 different seeds available in the pack, including Red Bell Pepper- California Wonder 3000, Eggplant-Long purple, Golden Yellow Tomatoes- Jubilee, and much more. So, you will be able to grow fresh vegetables at your home to rest assured of eating nutritious and healthy vegetables.
Pros
- Comes with 12 different seed packets
- Optimal growth rate for indoor and outdoors
- Will sprout all year long
Cons
- Germination time is a bit long
Buying Guide: Heirloom Vegetable Seeds
Heirloom vegetable seeds are very popular nowadays when it comes to home gardening. It is one of the best choices that a person can make if he or she wants to get fresh and delicious vegetables grown at home. If you are planning to buy the seeds, then there are a few things that you should know for the right purchase.
The following buyer’s guide is going to tell you all the important details so that you can pick the right product for your use:
What Are Heirloom Seeds?
The term heirloom or heritage is used to describe the different seed varieties. According to the experts, these are open-pollinated seeds and have been cultivated for the last 50 years. Some even say that it has been cultivated even before World War II. For your information, the open-pollinated plants will produce seeds that are bred true to their type. This means when you are going to plant the open-pollinated variety, you will get a very similar plant to the original parent plant.
Moreover, heirloom vegetables that are self-pollinating such as tomatoes, lettuce, beans, and more. The collection of their seeds can be easily done when they get ripped or dried. Note that some types of open-pollinate crops, such as squash and cucumber, can also cross-pollinate if you plan to grow more than one variety.
Check the video below from Epic Gardening to understand the difference between heirloom, hybrid, organic, and GMO seeds.
What Are the Reasons to Plant the Heirloom Seeds?
Now, we are going to have a look at the reasons why you should be growing heirloom seeds in your home garden:
Diversity
You are going to get a lot of diversity when using the heirloom seeds. For instance, if we talk about tomatoes, you will see that red tomatoes have become the standard in supermarkets. This is all due to the savvy seed saver that we get the different varieties in yellow, burgundy, white, pink, and purple.
Flavor
Have you tried sun-warmed heirloom black cherry tomatoes? If not, then you should try it to get the best flavor. The great flavor is one of the important selling points of the heirloom seeds. This is one of the best reasons the gardeners and other experts prefer it.
Seed saving
It is also very easy to collect and save the seed from the majority of the heirloom vegetables and flowers. Once the seeds are completely dry, they should be placed in labeled seed envelopes, and they should be stored in a dry location. In this way, you can plant the seed in the next season as well.
Affordable
The price is also one of the best selling points of the heirloom vegetable seeds. The heirloom seeds are affordable compared to the hybrid varieties that result from carefully controlled plant breeding.
How Have We Chosen the Products?
Below are the three key points that we look at when we select the products for you. Even as a buyer, you can also follow these points when you are going to buy any product:
Customer reviews
The first thing that a buyer should look at when purchasing any product or heirloom vegetable seeds is that they should read the customer reviews. It is now a trend that most brands provide different reviews to give an idea to the buyers about the quality. For instance, websites like Amazon have customer reviews that will help you know about the quality of products and customer service provided by the brand or a company from the people who have already used them.
Brand
The next important thing you should look at is the brand from which you will purchase the product. The brand reputation is very much essential when it comes to the business. You should pick a brand that has proper years of experience in selling a particular product. Moreover, as mentioned above, you can also read reviews to get an idea about a company or business’ reputation.
Price tag
Lastly, you should also look at the price of the product. It is best to compare at least two or three different products from online stores or in-store. You can pick the one that fits perfectly with your budget. Furthermore, it is best even to pay a little extra to get quality products for long-term use.
What Is the Price Range for Heirloom Vegetable Seeds?
The heirloom vegetable seeds are very affordable in comparison to other seeds. You can expect to pay a price of $20 depending on the quantity and number of the variety you will get. The price can vary when the number of seeds and varieties of vegetables is increased. Normally, you can get a pack of 20 to 35 different vegetables that you can easily grow at your home.
You can buy the seeds from the gardening store or buy them from an online store. You can also look at the discounts and promotions available to save some money.
People Also Asked
What is special about heirloom seeds?
The best part about the heirloom is that they are guaranteed Non-GMO. These can't be genetically modified. You will not have to worry about GMO seeds. Note that GMO seeds are not available to the home gardener; they are also available to commercial farmers.
Is it difficult to grow heirloom seeds?
The heirloom seeds come back true to their original plant year after year. For instance, the Brandywine tomato, an heirloom, has the best flavor in any available varieties. But this is very challenging to grow. The best part is that this type lacks resistance against the disease, making it more vulnerable to the problem that can affect the crops.
Why should I buy heirloom seeds?
If you are looking to grow the vegetable or fruits at your home to get the best flavor, then heirloom seeds are the best option you can try. Moreover, those vegetables and fruits will be nutritious, and they are less expensive.
