Saving seed as a beginner

[jennym]

Find here that tomato seeds seem to save easily and don't seem to cross, or if they do, I don't notice it. Have saved a yellow pear-shaped one and a yellow round one for a few years now (grown outdoors) and they don't seem to have changed at all, maybe it's just luck but worth a try.

[jennym]

[sawfish]

so different species can't cross polinate but different varieties can.

[growmore]

I have found it pays to save some seed from  F1 hybrid toms if they have grown really well for you..
Quite a few  times now I have found a new variety that have grown really well is no longer available the next time the seed catalogues appear.. Anyone know why this is?  It appears to happen now with a quite a few veg seeds.. Not all of them being  new varieties..
With tomatoes As Jenny says, I have also found they appear to stay true or if not the characteristics are as near to the original plant that I have not noticed any difference ...  cheers ..Jim

[philcooper]

Find here that tomato seeds seem to save easily and don't seem to cross, or if they do, I don't notice it. Have saved a yellow pear-shaped one and a yellow round one for a few years now (grown outdoors) and they don't seem to have changed at all, maybe it's just luck but worth a try.

Jenny,

You don't say whether the to toms were F1 or not.

The flowers of modern tomato varieties (all but those with potato-like leaves) do not open until the pollen is mature and should have dropped within the flower onto the female part, causing the pollination. (Tapping the stem helps this happen and helps get a higher number of "set" fruit. So by the time the flower opens and insects could bring in "foreign" pollen the job is done.

The gene mix in non-F1 plants is stable, in that using the plant's own pollen on itself will produce in 99.999% of cases the same gene mix. So, non-F1 toms will 99.99% come true (there is always the possibility of the plant's own pollen not getting onto the female part before the flower opens).

In the case of the F1 the plant's characteristics come from the fact that 2 different varieties have been used for the pollination. Subsequent self pollination (as described above) will potentially produce a different resulting gene mix in each seed within a single tomato. So, as I said, you may be lucky and get the same (or close) gene mix in the F2 but see the work of Mendel (eg here http://www.biology.arizona.edu/mendelian_genetics/mendelian_genetics.html) on how lucky you have to be.

Phil

[Curryandchips]

What a wonderful explanation on the reasons why F1 don't yield 'true' seed, I for one have a much clearer picture now ...

Derek

[jennym]

Well, Phil, have considered your reply - guess I must be one of the lucky ones!  :)

I don't know if the original tomatoes were F1 or not, but they do seem to be true, but then I can only judge on apparent characteristics, not on the actual genetic make up.

In respect of the pollination maybe I'd disagree a little on the conclusion that it may have occurred before insects brought foreign pollen in - on the basis that bumble bees are  used for commercial tomato pollination?

[philcooper]

Well, Phil, have considered your reply - guess I must be one of the lucky ones!  :)

...bumble bees are  used for commercial tomato pollination?

Commericially, "electric bees" have been used by tomato growers. This is a little battery driven vibrator which is held against the stems to induce pollen fall, the best time to do this, as the pollen is freest then, is around noon, so this is the time to gently tap the stems to induce fruit setting.

Bumblee bees are now used (as they are cheaper) but they operate only after the flower has opened. This is ok if you are just interested in eating the fruit. But to save true seed then vibration before the flower opens is the answer.

Phil