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Cucumber seeds!,

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JanG:
Marketmore is indeed a very good variety. And it’s very easy to save seeds from it and never have to buy a single seed again.
I’ve also saved seeds from La Diva which I believe is an F1 variety but with smoother skin. I’m no longer sure whether the cucumbers I grow have more Marketmore or more La Diva in them but they are excellent every year and by selection now have the smooth skin of La Diva.

I’d be interested to know what improvements the more expensive cucumbers at 75p per seed are supposed to offer. I agree with Beersmith that a comparison would be illuminating.

Paulh:
I grow "Burpless Tasty Green" which was clearly named before the marketing team got involved. It's a F1, ten seeds for £2.99, which I can use over two seasons. It worked better for me than "Marketmore" had, so I've stuck with it. The disadvantage of it being a F1 is that all the plants fruit at the same time, so I then I have as many cucumbers as courgettes to give away.

Deb P:
F1 Cucumbers packets are notorious for being stingy numbers of seeds….I buy Real Seeds and Franchi who are much more generous with their seed numbers!

Beersmith:
I'm really enjoying this discussion.

I find the variation in peoples' judgement about price versus value really fascinating.  Almost everything we purchase comes with quality ranges from cheap and cheerful,  standard quality and price and expensive but premium quality.

I think I was incorrect to suggest Marketmore was best value for money among cucumbers.  Good - yes, but there are, no doubt, better varieties and if you judge they are worth paying more for only a few seeds you are not wrong.  You simply have a different assessment of best value for money.

The end result is market differentiation. And long may it continue.  The incentive to research new crosses and varieties would disappear if we all stuck resolutely to the old standard varieties. 

I am very appreciative of the improvements that have occurred especially for tomato and celeriac seeds.  For the former flavour in particular is very important for many consumers and some modern varieties have delivered and for the latter, size and yield is markedly better for modern F1 types than the older standard types.  Good grief. Go back long enough and I can remember when Moneymaker was popular.

Even better, as a group consumers are rarely fooled, especially in the long term. New varieties claiming staggering improvement in quality, disease resistance , yield and flavour will not become established and popular if they do not deliver on those claims.

JanG:
You have more faith in the marketing process, Beersmith, than I do. I have the impression that in many cases the staggering improvements offered attract purchasers in the short term simply by skilful and seductive marketing. When that variety disappoints, the next alluring variety is offered with similar promises.
I agree that the F1 variety, Sungold, is widely loved and has stood the test of time but many of the best tomato improvements have come from small scale breeders such as Brad Gates and Tom Wagner in US and Gourmet Genetics in England, and they certainly don’t charge a lot for their seeds and certainly seem not to be motivated by market forces.
Celeriac I can’t speak for but I must admit that I enjoy growing F1 varieties of cauliflower and brussel sprouts, though even there I’ve had some good results with older, open pollinated varieties.

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