Hwre for non F1's

[marchogaeth]

Nine "pot luck" bush tomato plants from something that fell of and went rotten last year that are covered in fruit and starting to ripen. I didn't have room for them but what could I do? I crammed three in each of three sheep lick buckets that I had holed.

17 mange tout from seed that had fallen off the last few plants while I was waiting to harvest seed. I know they don't like being transplanted, but even if only half survive they are going to be cropping just ahead of the others I just planted in the tunnel.

Have you benefitted from not using F1 seed (other than seed saving ) safe in the knowledge that any offspring will all produce true to parentage?

[veggiechicken]

I have some of those "pot luck" toms as well, from some toms that fell off in the GH last year and I "overlooked" during my winter clearout. It amazes me how every single seed in a fallen off tomato will germinate, whilst the carefully, individually sown ones from a packet can be such prima donnas

[arpoet]

I had loads of tom plants growing amongst peas one year when I had the lottie. I think they germinated in the compost heap just before I added it as a mulch. Seem to think we got a few off.

[Potstubsdustbins]

The only tomato seeds that don't germinate are the one's you are waiting for.

[catgirl]

I've got a load of tomato plants growing in the polytunnel on the allotment. I only got it in May and the person who had it before me never cleared the tunnel out, so his old tomato plants had self-seeded everywhere. And just to show you how hard these plants try - I've never watered inside the tunnel or done anything other than dig the ground over (once!), and they're the best tomato plants I've ever grown!