F1 seeds

[niknik]

I want to try seed saving this year..............

so does a packet of seeds HAVE to say if they are f1 hybrids , or not?

No point trying to grow the same from saved seeds if they are F1 as probably won´t come through the same.

[doofaloofa]

Considering the premium price of F1 seeds, I would be suprised if they did not state it on the packet

Mind out though, some plants must be closed pollinated if you want true offspring

[elisabetta]

niknik,
I was under the impression that all F1 seeds are hybrid and therefore there is no point in saving them for the next year....

[Odsox]

Saving the seeds from F1 seed can be worthwhile. If the F1 plants can only pollinate amongst themselves then they will be F2 seeds and should be broadly similar, but not exactly the same, as the parents.
If you are growing more than one variety of a plant and they can cross pollinate, then it's pot luck. Some will be very similar and some could be totally different. But then, that's the way new varieties are created.

[diggernotdreamer]

Many years ago, when I grew one variety of tomatoes a year, I grew Sungold F1 tomatoes, but was not that impressed with them. Some volunteer tomatoes came up the following year and I let them grow out of interest, so they were F2, I thought they were better than the F1 sort. Took them to our tomato tasting at our gardening group and they beat all the other tomatoes for flavour, including F1 sungold that other people had grown.

[niknik]

well , will just have to see what happens!

I am hoping to keep varieties separate, in "cages" to prevent cross pollination.....

Just have to wait and see what happens, but could be several years, before i see any interesting results!