Thin end of the wedge?

[Snadger]

I have been having a rethink about F1 hybrid seeds. I grow quite a few and I thought "Why not, if they are an improvement on open pollinated varieties." Technology moves on and if we didn't keep up we'd still be shivering in caves.

F1's to me are the thin end of the wedge and I'm personally going back to traditional veg. All F1's don't come true by seed, and a lot are infertile. The plants grown from the ones that do give seed that grows, bear no resemblance to the original.
Taste doesn't come into the equation and the nutritional value is way down on traditional veg. Scientists are now starting to clone and splice animal DNA into plants and these CAN cross pollinate with existing plants. We have no idea of the long term affects of this on the gene pool!

We need a huge gene pool to give us the diversity for life to go on. Nature doesn't interbreed plants for size, yield etc, it throws up all sizss for diversity.

I fear we are sacrificing our long term future for short term gain.

One thing that does bring a smile to my face is that open pollinated seeds are usually cheaper than others anyway.

[Nicos]

Well, why do we think/consider that other peeps can/ should/ought decide which plant genetics we would prefer??

nah- I too have given up on letting them decide what I want

[mothhawk]

I try not to buy F1's in veg or flowers (though I confess sometimes I don't notice till the seeds are home) simply because open pollinated plants are better for bees and other insects. The clue's in the name

[Lumpy]

I don't know enough about the difference between the two to comment on that aspect but I do think that plant science has started fiddling just because it can rather than when it should.

I don't want a plant that is half one thing and half another because its unnatural but what I would like is more info offered by the seed companies on how to collect, dry and store seeds as well as more info on bug habitat etc.

[Snadger]

I don't know enough about the difference between the two to comment on that aspect but I do think that plant science has started fiddling just because it can rather than when it should.

I don't want a plant that is half one thing and half another because its unnatural but what I would like is more info offered by the seed companies on how to collect, dry and store seeds as well as more info on bug habitat etc.

The seed companies are hardly likely to want to help you to save your own seed as they would go out of business!

[veggiechicken]

Real Seeds want you to save their seeds and give specific instructions on how to do so.
How To Save Your Own Seed at Home

[Snadger]

Real Seeds want you to save their seeds and give specific instructions on how to do so.
How To Save Your Own Seed at Home

Yeah I know, and quite a few others do also. Doesn't make financial sense to me though and no sign of the mainstream seed companies following suit as far as I know.

[spamvindaloo]

I take your point but I've just got to grow sungold and they are f1

P.S. Am I going crackers, or is it impossible to put a word in italics without it being shifted to the end of the sentence? Had to use bold instead.

[veggiechicken]

I take your point but I've just got to grow sungold and they are f1

P.S. Am I going crackers, or is it impossible to put a word in italics without it being shifted to the end of the sentence? Had to use bold instead.

Yes, you're going crackers - just testing!

Highlight the word, and choose Italics

[spamvindaloo]

Maybe it's the mobile view on my iPad but the word crackers on your post was on the next line after the end of the sentence too. Same as was happening for me. Is this what you see?



Update: yes, it is mobile view that's not working, the word is in the normal place on desktop view.

[veggiechicken]

Living up to your signature, Spammy?

[Nicos]

Thanks folks...we've made a note

[Bren In Pots]

I see the same as you spamV

[Bill Door]

The hybrid is a bit of a dying breed. To produce the same results the same cultivars have to be pollinated. As i understand it the F2 hybrids can revert to the "grandparents". So unless the normal gardener can produce the same conditions as the breeders then the results will be vastly different.

So as I understand it anything that one grows in the garden or allotment may well produce very different crops from the seed saved (if you see what I mean). Everything we grow, therefore, would appear to be some sort of hybrid unless we cosset the "flower" until pollinated with the "correct" pollen.

So you are fighting birds, bees, wind and rain, ultimately mother nature itself.

What do i buy? Well the cheapest of course.

Bill

[spamvindaloo]

I don't think hybrids will become a dying breed so long as the seed companies are able to provide desirable characteristics, be that flavour, yield, pest or disease resistance etc. that people want. I don't personally object to hybrid seed, although I can see the negatives such as I can't save seed and it all tends to be ready at the same time giving a glut and people will choose to buy F1 seed or not (I will continue to buy sungold)

The F2 point - as I understand it, if you plant lots of F1 seed, some of them 'may' germinate. You the select the F2 seed from the plants with the most desirable characteristics and continue on planting F2 seed then F3 after which I 'think' it is meant to be stable. The problem is, none of them may germinate and if they do, they may not produce plants with desirable characteristics or viable seed. So you may just be wasting a load of time and space but could be a worthwhile experiment if you so wish and have the time/space/patience/inclination.