Growing from original bought seeds or seeds from own grown

[21again]

You grow a plant from bought seed and the plants are healthy and fruitful and you save the seed.

What do most people do the following year if you still have the original bought seeds left, do you use those to grow your new plants or use the seeds from the plant that you grew the year before?

This of course is assuming it isn't from F1 seed.

[SarzWix]

I usually do half & half, to see if the ones I've saved work any better than the originals I discovered last year that the Purple Plum tomato seeds that I'd saved must have crossed somehow with a red tomato because they were distinctly redder than the originals!

[Snadger]

I grew Channel Islands Walking Stick Kale last year. I had the dillemma of sowing my own kept seed or using the rest of the bought packet?

I thought "Well, whats the point of keeping my own seed if I don't use it" so I used my own!

My kale will probably be carp, and I really should have sown a bit of each, but hey ho, pointless bitching over what might have been......there's always next year and I'm sure the chooks will like it however it grows!

[Snadger]

I usually do half & half, .........................!

Very sensible Sarz..........

[Paulottie]

Some things don't often come true without isolation (Brassicas, Runners and Curcubits mainly) these I sow mainly originals.

Sweetcorn should be in the above group but is too expensive to buy.....I tend to grow a few plants in sheltered isolation at home to produce seed that is normally pretty true

Some do and are best with fresh seed and definitely adapt over generations (selecting the best each time) to suit your particular situation (EG Parsnip, carrot, parsley, garlic, leek, French beans) These I don't bother sowing old seed just new

Toms, chillies peppers etc may require some selection/isolation....as mentioned above. They are slower to change though. These I might grow 1/2 old and 1/2 new

[21again]

Thanks Paulottie.

I won't be going as mad as I did last year which was my first year of growing.

We have more than enough seeds to be going on with in fact too many.

I think I will have to go through my seed box and offer some on the seed forum.

[piskieinboots]

excellent question 21

[21again]

excellent question 21

Thanks Piskie but not as good as this question that I posted

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...our_45430.html

[Flummery]

Depends what it is. The sort of things I save are heritage plants and you often only get 10 or a dozen to start with, so not much chance of not sowing the lot! I save peas and climbing french beans. I don't grow runners but I wouldn't try saving them if I did as they cross summat rotten.
I save crimson flowered broadies too, by growing them in my home garden, as these cross too, and most of the allotment holders grow them.
Tomatoes - modern varieties are ok but you have to kee an eye on the beefsteak types as the bit that accepts the pollen pokes outside the cone of anthers, so they CAN be pollinated by insects.
Other stuff I buy when the old seed's used up - this can be years but I get decent germination. I think seed companies put about this rumour that you need fresh seed every year. And yes, Snadger, I AM a cycnic. Years of experience have gone into that!

[Alison]

Ditto what Flum says - which saves me typing as much

[gojiberry]

Other than peas ans beans there is very little that gets a chance to go to seed as I am always looking for the next space for plants coming along.

Ian

[Alison]

Other than peas ans beans there is very little that gets a chance to go to seed as I am always looking for the next space for plants coming along.

There's a difference between things just going to seed which I see as accidently / bolting and growing them to save seed. I'm trying to save more and more each year and do find that I get a very good germination with my own seeds but then again they're as fresh as they can be and I have 100% control over the way in which they are stored and know they haven't been under hot lights or whatever whilst for sale. One of my plans this year is to build a couple of extra beds so that I can incorporate some seed saving beds into my overall rotation so that I'm not holding up a bed that I want to plant the next crop into. Hope this makes sense, does to me, I think