F1 hybrid seeds

[Flummery]

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one methinks!
I've grown Sungold, when it first appeared, as a promotion you could get a packet for free if you bought two other seed packets!. I must admit, I wasn't impressed at all with the taste! Give me Gardeners Delight anyday!
I suppose taste is a personal thing, one mans meat is another mans poison!
The taste of F1 sweetcorn is not an issue to me as it's only F1's that will give me any sort of outdoor crop!

I've found the opposite Snadger. I'm growing Sungold again this year (amongst others) because I love it - a great balance of sweetness and acidity. I wouldn't grow Garderers' Delight again - I found it disappointing. It's a good thing we don't all agree or some seed would go right out of production.

[Alison]

I'm obviously easily pleased, like both Sungold and Gardener's Delight! Grew both last year but have decided for a total change this year.

[Snadger]

Here's a question within a question! Are named varieties of seed potatoe F1 hybrids?

[newgardengirl]

I have a question.

When I started out buying seeds a few weeks back, I was originally going to just get squash seeds out a squash. But a gardeney friend advised me not to because there's no way of telling if the squash was an F1 hybrid and therefore the seeds wouldn't grow very well. Is this the case with most seeds these days then? Should one always buy (non-F1) seeds in the first instance when first starting out, instead of just getting seeds from a shop-bought fruit, because you don't know the exact circumstances in which the fruit was grown?

[Palustris]

First of all to Snadger. Since seed potatoes are not actually seeds, then they cannot be F1 hybrids.
Newgardengirl. The seeds from a shop bought squash could well germinate as easily as any bought seeds, but since they are pollinated by bees, what squash you get may be different, depending on what other squash were growing near your seed parent. If the farmer was only growing one variety,then you would get that variety.
Personally I would always buy seeds purely and simply because the squash which is sold in shops is a pale imiatation of the wonderfully tasty ones you can grow for yourself. Butternut is a waste of time, when you could grow Buttercup etc. If you only grow the one yourself then you can save the seeds thereafter.

[pigletwillie]

A few of the F1 varieties I use, namely some tomatoes, sweetcorn and occasionally other odds and ends but try to either save my own seed or use open pollinated varieties.

The problem with saving F1 seed is that you have no idea what the parentage is. With open pollinated seed you would expect both parents to be worth growing in the first place and therefore have some good atributes, with alot of the F1 seed either or both of the parents may well be pants individually but produce a fine result when combined. Sowing these seeds therefore is a complete lottery as you just have no idea what atributes will shine through.

Last year a plot neighbour sowed saved F1 sweetcorn seeds, the crop was spectacular, some plants were 2' high and some 10', some had 4 cobs, some none, some were sweet some fit for winter feed for cattle. It was a complete hotchpotch but very interesting to observe.

[Snadger]

First of all to Snadger. Since seed potatoes are not actually seeds, then they cannot be F1 hybrids. .

An F1 hybrid plant is grown from an F1 hybrid seed. If you then vegetatively reproduce this plant you still have the F1 hybrid plant. Hence my question, are named varieties of seed potatoes F1 hybrids?

[Two_Sheds]

Off the point, but seeing you Snadger has reminded me...I typed "bocking 14 russian comfrey" into Google Images and up popped... Snadger's avatar. Bizarro

[Snadger]

Off the point, but seeing you Snadger has reminded me...I typed "bocking 14 russian comfrey" into Google Images and up popped... Snadger's avatar. Bizarro

Thats probably where I stole it from originally!

[Snadger]

I've just tried it......Denises avatar is there as well...how strange?

[nick the grief]

One of the main drivers for F1 Hybrids is the commercial arm of Horticulture. It doesn't matter if its flowers or veg the grower wants to know that if he (or she) plants 1000 plants they will be able to harvest 1000 whatevers on that day and take them to market.

The main draw back with open pollenated varieties is just that, the variety be it height colour, shape cropping they just ain't uniform. Now I don't know about you but if I plant 24 cauli's I'd prefer 1 a week for 24 weeks not 24 tomorrow & nowt for the next 6 months so this is an attribute in my book.

Also, if you are offered some of "old Berts" carrot seeds the chances are it will do just as good as the stuff from the seed houses as Old Bert will have selected it from the ones thar performed best for him and thereby the local conditions. The best example of this is brussel sprouts. If you get an old variety bred in Kent on good old heavy clay and thentry and grow it in Norfolk on light fluffy peat they will blow before you can harvest a oner

So I agree with Geordie (who couldn't agree with a good looking gorilla with a chest to rival Mrs D ) Grow the heritage varieties & keep the gene pool alive - they probably tase better anyway

[zazen999]

And bumping this one, very good but the title is misspelt so it didn't show in any searches....just going to change that now.

As usual...Geordie's post is absolutely fabulous.

[Flummery]

An F1 hybrid plant is grown from an F1 hybrid seed. If you then vegetatively reproduce this plant you still have the F1 hybrid plant. Hence my question, are named varieties of seed potatoes F1 hybrids?

I think technically it's a clone. (Must have missed this bit of the thread last time round!)

[Kath]

There is SO much information here. Thanks to you all.