Hybrid or OP tomato ?

[Cutecumber]

Momol,

Moles Seeds (large, mostly agricultural, UK seed merchant) list the Balconi pair as F1.

It could just as easily be a mistake of course - never believe what you read on a website

I reckon if you emailed them you might get a confirmation either way.

Moles Seeds Tomato F1 Balconi Red

[veg4681]

Someone had to ask the obviously daft question.....what's OP?

I've sown balconi red and yellow too along with super marmande, black cherry and an italian beefsteak who's name I can't remember or pronounce!

None of mine have germinated yet though been a week now, hope I haven't killed them!!!

OP = Open Pollinated. The OP seeds from your crops will be okay for saving unlike F1 hybrids that won't come true to type (of the original vegetable) should you save the seeds and sow them.

[momol]

Momol,

Moles Seeds (large, mostly agricultural, UK seed merchant) list the Balconi pair as F1.

It could just as easily be a mistake of course - never believe what you read on a website

I reckon if you emailed them you might get a confirmation either way.

Moles Seeds Tomato F1 Balconi Red

Many thanks CC,

Oh dear, it looks like Hybrid after all , our local seeds company (Vreken) also publish it as F1. That means no seeds saving or I might try to dehybrid it if the F2 seeds is stable. Luckily I don't have that much seeds (only 15 seeds per package).

[peanut]

Thanks for explaining that Veg4681!

[smallblueplanet]

Oh dear, it looks like Hybrid after all , our local seeds company (Vreken) also publish it as F1. That means no seeds saving or I might try to dehybrid it if the F2 seeds is stable. Luckily I don't have that much seeds (only 15 seeds per package).

Shouldn't you see this as a challenge - 'grow your own' momol tomato variety?

[Snadger]

Slightly of tack, and appologies for hijacking the thread ...... a bit, but I've often wondered, what the difference is between an open pollinated variety and a Heritage variety as they both come true from seed? Any grape have a definitive answer?

[smallblueplanet]

Not definitive, I always thought heritage were just 'older' varieties of OP?

[Paul Wagland]

I agree - heritage seeds are always OP, but not all OP seeds are heritage....

Heritage is quite a loose term in my book; it just means the seed has been around for years, not necessarily that they are in some way good (though they very often are).

[Cutecumber]

All heritage seeds are OP - that's kinda the point.

I've seen a few definitions involving the seed having been around for 80 years etc, but the term is used with gay abandon by any seed company needing a marketing tool to sell non-hybrids at the moment.

[momol]

Shouldn't you see this as a challenge - 'grow your own' momol tomato variety?

I don't think we can dehybrid any F1 and claim is as own variety.

Snadger, the heirloom type is a OP (it can be from ex hybrid but has been dehybrid and stabilized). I read it somewhere (if I still remember it correctly), anything prior to 1930 are consider as Heirloom.

[Flummery]

Gosh! Me Ma's an heirloom!

[Cutecumber]

ha ha!

Next stop antique

[Snadger]

Gosh! Me Ma's an heirloom!

That must make you OP then Flum!

[momol]

So, what type of plant species is that ?

[Flummery]

That must make you OP then Flum!

I daren't ask her though!