I have a jalapeno from walmart, if I plant the seeds will they grow and produce? Wondering too about eggplants, or other produce. I thought there was an old thread about some of this, but I can't find it.

Are you talking about a jalapeno fruit you purchased? You have no idea if it is a hybrid or not so planting the seeds will produce something different from what you planted. It might produce but you have no idea of what the fruit will be. Is there some reason you are against buying known seeds, which are cheap? Store vegetables seeds, of any kind, are not recommended to grow out.

Grocery store hybrids have between two and seventeen parents. If you want to stabilize any of those products it would be a monumental task. You may like what you get but most likely getting the same thing as you bought would be very chancy. Like Keith said, buy some good seeds. Unless you just want to play around and see what you get.

Second probably. Seeds have to be mature to sprout which means the fruit has to be ripe. Jalapeno is normally harvested in the immature green stage. A ripe Jalapeno is red. I don't recommend Planting grocery store saved seeds but lots of folks do. If you are just looking for a generic type and are not concerned with variety then its ok as long as the seeds are viable. On the other hand you can pick up a package of seeds from the cheap seed rack at less time and cost.

Okay thank you guys, I just wondered! I will buy some seeds then, maybe from Baker Creek. I read something awhile back about people growing ginger they bought at the store, what do you all think about that? I assume it is similar to a potato w an 'eye' that you cut off and plant?

A store-bought ginger "eye" will grow nicely, and will be identical to the plant that produced the original root. I do it regularly. It isn't a seed. It's more of a cutting.

The one time I tried to root mint from the grocery store it wouldn't form roots. As you all know mint is a real thug and roots quickly and easily. So that was weird. Was it treated with something?

Some vegetables are of the varieties that will produce something. My pepper seedlings were not growing. I have not thrown them out and have even started over with a new batch and a grow light for faster results. So far, everything is inconclusive. The plants have progressed and there is a lot of new leaf growth.

As posted up above, seeds from hybrids won't be true. Most marketed vegetables are hybrids. If they aren't true, sure, they can grow, but you really don't know what you're growing, and you might be growing something you'd really rather not have. If you're serious about varieties, don't bother collecting seeds from produce. Waste of time. If you want a surprise, go ahead and try it.

I've never tried on purpose, but regularly I have had melon and pumpkin seeds thrown in the compost heap sprout on their own. I just water them out of curiosity to see what will come out.
Aesthetically they are generally true to form, meaning they could pass for the genuine article but they generally have about the same taste as wet cardboard. That's what you get when you try planting F# hybrid seeds.

GloriaGardening said:I am interested in whether anyone has tried this and knows firsthand. I made some mistakes getting started so I'm still not sure. Some vegetables are treated. My pepper seedlings that I planted aren't growing. I have not thrown them out but am starting over and buying a grow light for faster germination.

I've collected seed from yellow bell peppers and grew yellow bell peppers... I couldn't tell a difference.

When I planted seeds from a musk melon, I got like 4 or 5 different varieties of musk melon... fine by me...

When I grew strawberries from store strawberries... I had similar results as ElPolloDiablo... beautiful tasteless strawberries! I dug them back out of the garden...

I often have volunteer tomatoes, melon and squash from store bought tossed in the garden.
.It would be an adventure; variety is the spice of life.