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Debate: should we save seeds from hybrid plants or not?
I was at the Denver botany swap last Saturday and got into it with a guy named Mark who breeds tomatoes. He said saving seeds from hybrids is a waste because they won't grow true. But I've got a Cherokee Purple hybrid from 3 years ago that still produces identical fruit. What do you all think, is he right or am I getting lucky?
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shanel1321d ago
Did you get that Cherokee Purple from a big seed company or a small breeder? Because I've noticed the bigger operations tend to stabilize their hybrids way more before releasing them, sometimes to the point where they're basically open-pollinated but they still call them F1 for marketing. That might be what's happening with your plant. On the flip side, Mark's not totally wrong for the average home gardener who grabs a random packet from the hardware store. Those mass-market hybrids are often just thrown together for one season of vigor and they'll give you a mess of different looking fruit if you try to save seed. But if you know your source and you've got three years of proof, I'd say trust your own experience over some guy at a swap who might be pushing his own heirloom collection. Have you tried crossing your saved seed with another variety to see if it still behaves like a true hybrid or if it's settled down?
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Used to be on Mark's side of this argument. I thought all hybrids were a total crapshoot and told people to stick with open-pollinated stuff if they wanted to save seed. But hearing about your Cherokee Purple changing my mind on that. shanel13 makes a really good point about some companies stabilizing their hybrids more than others, which explains why your plant stayed consistent. Maybe the real rule is you gotta know where your seed came from before you make any hard and fast claims about saving them. I'd still be careful with random hardware store packets though, those are definitely a gamble.
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