F1 seeds - to keep or not to keep?

[veggiechicken]

Some advice please?
My seed stash is far too big for my needs, even though I've weeded out the oldest of them. The next step may be to take out all the F1 seeds and keep/grow only "real" seed.
I've looked at tomatoes and have 11 packets of F1 already
My question is - are there are any F1 seeds that are so good I should grow them in preference to real seed?

[Thelma Sanders]

I think Sungold and Sweet Million F1s are worth growing

[veggiechicken]

Its quite interesting doing this actually! 3 out of 4 Sweetcorn are F1, All the red/purple PakChoi. 3 packets of Sweet peppers........keep going VC.......

[Potstubsdustbins]

I agree with TS with regards Sungold. Yes the seed can be expensive but I expect and usually get 120 toms per plant and boy do they taste good.

Colin

[veggiechicken]

Most of the F1 toms were the tumbling types. Sungold is one I didn't have!!
Who'd have thought that so much Spinach would be F1
Most of the Aubergines are!

[solway cropper]

I've never grown F1 toms as there are just so many 'heritage' varieties to try but some of the F1 cukes are very good. Like Colin says, seed can be expensive but one year I got something like 18 cucumbers from one plant which makes the cost of the seed largely irrelevant.

With things like carrots, cabbage and parsnips I've never found any advantage over 'ordinary' seed.

[Potstubsdustbins]

When I think back to the start of my gardening life I am amazed at the amount of seed I wasted. Now I only sow what I need plus 1 for contingencies.

Therefore my packet of seeds last so much longer. I wonder why it took me so long to realise that I could sow lettuce seeds individually and get 500 lettuce from 1 packet.

The only seeds I sprinkle now are cress everything else goes in in 1's & 2's.

Colin

[zazen999]

I'd grow them and then just save from other stuff.

I'd not chuck them out! I can't chuck seeds out. It's against the house rules. Even seed in the bottom of my bags/pockets/socks [don't ask] gets sown at the lottie.

[veggiechicken]

I'm just embarrassed at all the F! seeds here. I don't consciously set out to buy them - but when they're 50p at the end of the year, I just grab Mostly Unwins Gro-sure it seems! They may end up in the VSP. Its very handy having that here - salves my conscience

[Doive]

I have loads of seeds from years past. The only ones I bin are carrot seed as that doesn't seem to keep well. I don't tend to grow F1 stuff, but I've bought a few this year to see if there is much of a difference between them and 'real' seed. Hoping to grow a few prize winning examples of various things, so will have F1 and real seeds growing back to back.

[veggiechicken]

Number of F1 seed packets so far = 67 I'm not even going to guess how many seeds I have left
Please stop tempting me with all these cheap seed offers !!!

[kathyd]

I'd grow them and then just save from other stuff.

I'd not chuck them out! I can't chuck seeds out. It's against the house rules. Even seed in the bottom of my bags/pockets/socks [don't ask] gets sown at the lottie.

What about out of date seeds? I've got loads which should have been planted last year and I was going to throw them out...

Ah, just seen Doive's post

[Stew_L]

What about out of date seeds? I've got loads which should have been planted last year and I was going to throw them out...

Ah, just seen Doive's post

Take a gamble and plant them anyway.

Last year I did that with a pack of climbing french beans that had some mouldy ones, few years old, etc - most germinated so had 40+ plants! Gave lots away.

[zazen999]

What about out of date seeds? I've got loads which should have been planted last year and I was going to throw them out...

Ah, just seen Doive's post

I've got seeds saved in 2000 and are still germinating. Just sow them!

[WendyC]

I tend to think of the dates on seed packets as like best before dates on food. Seeds won't stop germinating if that date is passed, you just might not get the same germination rates. If they are in foil packets they have quite a long shelf life. Having said that some seeds deteriorate quicker than others once opened parsnips being the first one to spring to mind. These are best from a fresh packet each year.