FAQ
I'm Crying 🔪🧅ðŸ˜Â
Onions have a defense mechanism that causes us to cry. When we cut into an onion it breaks cells which releases amino acid sulfoxide and enzymes that produce a sulfur gas. That gas interacts with the natural water in our eyes and the mixture turns in sulfuric acid, which causes our tear ducts to open in an attempt to flush the acid. Unfortunately, more tears mixing with the sulfur gas means more sulfuric acid, and it perpetuates the problem.
How I minimize crying while cutting onions: I cut my onions on a wet dish cloth. The sulfur gas the onions emit is attracted to water and seeps into the material rather than the dampness of my eyes. It is not foolproof, but it minimizes the tearing effect.
To further reduce the crying effect, put the onions in the refrigerator until they are cold, or place them in the freezer for five minutes. The enzymes are less reactive when they are cold.
Seed Definitions
LandraceÂ
Plants that are naturally occurring, indigenous to a certain region, develop characteristics in response to conditions in that area, and have genetic diversity. A landrace plant has evolved over time and adapted to thrive in a certain climate to withstand pests, diseases, and the cultural practices of that locality.Â
An example: Sierra Redwoods grow natively only at a specific elevation in the Sierra Nevada, California.
It seems nowadays that vendors who sell "landrace" seeds are only focusing on the two words "genetic diversity", meaning the vegetable/fruit will not be uniform, rather they will vary in shape, size and color.
Open-pollinatedÂ
Pollination that occurs via wind, insects, birds, or other natural forces. Open-pollinated seeds are genetically diverse since there is no restriction of pollen flow between plants. This allows plants to adapt to local climate and growing conditions. As long as pollen is shared by the same species, the seed will remain true to type.
True to TypeÂ
Also known as "true to seed" or "true seed". Seeds that produce plants with characteristics of both the male and female parents.Â
HeirloomÂ
A plant that has a history of being passed down within a family or community. All heirloom plants are open-pollinated, but not all open-pollinate plants are heirloom.Â
HybridÂ
Pollination between two species or varieties.Â
F1 is the designation of a first generation of hybrid. The "F" stands for "filia" meaning "daughter" in Latin. In self-pollinating plants, seeds inherit the exact characteristics of the single parent. In cross-pollinated, seeds inherit qualities of both parents. F1 seeds are high yield, disease resistant, have vigorous growth, and are considered to be best quality.
F2 is a second generation hybrid and it is at this point that they have a lot of genetic variation. There is reduced yield and less vigorous growth than an F1. They have some disease resistance and are considered to be normal quality.
F3, the third generation, no longer has F1 or F2 qualities. They have less growth and smaller yield than F2, and are more prone to disease.