Question re Sungold tomato seeds

[21again]

I grew Sungold toms this year for the first time and they tasted fantastic.

As they are F1 seeds, is it worth saving any of the seeds from those that I have grown to sow next year or should I just go and buy some new seeds?

They were £3 for 10 seeds so quite expensive.

I have been collecting seeds from other plants but I read that they may not be true to the original plant if I grow them from these tomato seeds.

What do other members do?

[bluemoon]

They won't breed true, so no, most will revert back to parental types. Though you will get a few true Sungolds you'll have no way of knowing which plants these are until they fruit, which means a lot of wasted greenhouse space growing plants which are not what you were after, and may well be inferior, just to get a few of the 'right' ones. If you want to experiment and see what happens then it can be fun and you may find something grows that you like even more, but if you have limited space it isn't worth it.
Tomato seeds are reliable though, usually if you want say 6 plants you only have to sow 6 seeds, so I'm just frugal with them.

[rogesse]

Bah humbug! I tried the Sungold for the first time this year and fell in love.

I guess I knew keeping the seed would be pointless but was hoping.....

[zazen999]

Some seeds are worth buying fresh each year......

[PAULW]

Should have gone to Whyvale 50p sale

[rustylady]

I will definitely be buying Sungold again next year. They were superb.

[Two_Sheds]

Sungold are the only ones I sow (although people give me other types as gifts or swaps)

[Flummery]

I saved Sungold seeds and grew them on a couple of years ago. It's true that you don't know which are the good ones till you taste them, but to save wasting masses of greenhouse space, I planted up flower buckets with 4 plants in each and nipped them out after the first truss. A few were tough skinned and prone to splitting - if Sungold has a fault, that's it, one or two were bland, but I've got 2 strains going that will be F4 next year, and they are corking. I'm not buying Sungold any more. Give it a whirl - you only lose a couple of buckets of compost. You might gain a good plant of your own. There are people in the USA growing sungold 'selection' at F9 or 10 - Once next years' are confirmed as good (I'll be growing them as full sized plants next year) I shall stop counting and give it a name of my own!

[Incy]

Should have gone to Whyvale 50p sale

It's still on I went on Sunday

[smallblueplanet]

If anyone gets a spare 50p pkt of Sungold they'd like to swap for some chillies/peppers/toms/aubs I'd be grateful (pm me) - they were very tasty when we had some a couple of years ago.

[kentvegplot]

I am saving some too, as I had good success with Piccolo F2 this year.

If you need to buy more, I bought from Unwins and there were about 30 seeds in the packet for £2.99, not the 10 seeds that 21again had to pay.

[muckdiva]

If anyone gets a spare 50p pkt of Sungold they'd like to swap for some chillies/peppers/toms/aubs I'd be grateful (pm me) - they were very tasty when we had some a couple of years ago.

I have a pack you can have. PM me your address.

By the way, a good way to save money on F1s toms is to sow just a couple of seeds quite early in the year and cosset the plants till you can take cuttings -just let the side shoots get to a reasonable size and then whip them off the main plant and pot up in another pot, put poly bag over the top for a few days until they root and bob's your uncle.

[smallblueplanet]

Thats a good tip muckdiva - thanks, have pm'd you.

[tamsin]

I'm trying the above, but taking cuttings now. I'm hoping even if the plants are leggy and horrid by spring I can just use them for more cuttings.

[rogesse]

Very good tip - I did it and me and all my loved ones have sungold tom plants galore

I'm trying to harvest the last off before the dreaded blight strikes