Which Seeds Grow Veggies from which I Can Save the Seeds?

Which seeds should I buy if I want to save some seeds from my veggies to plant next year? I understand Heirloom seeds are like this. What about Organic? Organic of an old or non-hybrid variety? I understand hybrids probably don't work...

Thank you.

GrayThumb - as far as I know, one can save seed from any plant that is not a hybrid, and as long as it has not cross-pollinated, it will come true to the parent.

Seeds from hybrid plants will grow, but they will revert to whatever parents/grandparents they had.

You can always experiment with saving and growing seeds from hybrids - you never know what you will get, but it's fun to try.

All of them work except for things like potatoes which don't normally seed. Hybrids of course are crosses which don't come true. Open pollinated varieties will come true providing they are not cross pollinated by another variety. Beans and tomatoes don't cross pollinate as easily as other vegetables. Squashes, melons ,and corn cross pollinate readily and be isolated or bagged if you want to save seeds. Same is true for brassicas' and chenopods. Organic refers to a method used by growers, has nothing to do with whether or not you save seeds.

This message was edited Apr 2, 2011 3:49 PM

Thank you.

I was trying to avoid GMO and the end gene that some seed producers are splicing into their seed so farmers have to buy seeds every year.

The only GMO in vegetables is Syngenta's Bt corn.

If you're serious about seed saving, Susan Ashworth's book "Seed to Seed" is a very good reference. There's more to the art than one would suppose but our ancestors did it out of necessity, so another good read is the Fox Fire books that cover spring and fall vegetable gardening.
Peas, beans, lettuce and tomatoes are self-pollinating, so start with these - OP varieties of course! Google the variety to determine if OP or Hybrid. All other types of OP vegetables corn, okra, carrots, beets, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, peppers, chard, eggplant, squash, cucumbers & melons DO cross pollinate, some wind pollinated vegetables can be pollinated from a source a mile away! These require isolation by time, distance or caging/bagging.
Anyway after you grow out your own seeds from several seasons and years to come, you will create your own "land race" or adapted strain to YOUR location...neat! But don't forget "quality control", you want the veggies to be "true to type" and rouge out any veggie that doesn't measure up. Save seeds from multiple parent veggies, mixed together to ensure genetic mix. Don't grow out all your seed stock at the same time, save some just in case of crop failure and do properly store them in the fridge for longer keeping.
OH...some diseases are seed borne, so read up on these and the method to sanitize your seed before storing.
Happy Gardening,
TJ