Saving seeds

Xeramtheum, I've noticed in your postings references to saving seeds from your flowers. I've often wondered if it would be worthwhile to save seeds of hybrids. Is this what you do? Would like to hear your thoughts, you are so knowledgeable on these things.

The following is very basic information.

Hybrids are seeds that came from the paring of two different parents. The seeds are called F1 generation or Filial 1. The F1 generation is usually a mixture of the mother and father. Seeds from the F1 generation, F2 can be sterile or they revert back to the individual parent plants or do something entirely different or in rare cases do look like the parent plant. Each individual seed from the F2 usually produces unique flowers. When you get to F3, anything goes .. you'll get some pretty wild stuff sometimes.

Below are pictures of a cross of two morning glory. The mother was Cameo Elegance and the Father was Blue Picotee. The produced the middle flower. The F1. The F1 was then fertilized to itself and the pictures below that are some of the results. The 4 seeds from that paring produced 4 completely different flowers.

Plant genetics are fun .. you don't have to be a rocket scientist or really understand it all unless you are trying to produce a viable and stable hybrid. You have to do a lot of grow outs and don't mind waiting.

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