Hi--I'm really still a newbie about seed collecting.
Last autumn I diligently saved seed from a couple of hybridized zinnias and gaillardias that I had grown from purchased seed, and then I read that hybrid varieties will not grow out like their parent plants. (I guess that they were hybrid varieties because they had 'Pat. Pend." in their description.)
So should I discard the seed?
TIA

You could try a few to see. Zinnias are so quick to bloom so your experiment wouldn't take very long to see if you like them or not. Might have a little area that needs a few more plants too.

Emily, They are fun to try for your own use. I collected seeds from an F1 petunia, Avalanch Cherry, and the flowers just showed a bit of white on the flower instead of a solid color.

Thanks, both of you, for your prompt response. I have a lot to learn, and maybe this is a chance to see some interesting new plants!!

If there is a color or flower shape you would like to have you might try crossing a few from this years plantings and see what happens. A new plant you planned youself can be very rewarding and often times beautiful.

I have had the same result as Chris with petunias .. some have white spots.. some a different shade.. always fun to see what is going to come out of it

Patent pending does not always mean it is a hybrid when it comes to seeds. Many seeds sold for plants that come true from seed are sold patent pending or PVP. These varieties are being protected from resale. IE I buy a plant and collect seed, I can't sell those seeds and/or plants from the saved seed, because the patent holder would get no royalty. So only authorized sellers who are giving money to the breeder can sell. When a hybrid seed is sold from the breeder, no patent is needed because if you grow seed from the hybrid, the breeder need not worry. Your babies will not be like the parent(though sometimes they can be similar.)
I hope that all made sense,
Remy

Thank you, Remy, for clarifying something I never understood! So I CAN collect seeds from Pat. Pend. plants and plant them, expecting the plant progeny to be true to their parents (UNLESS they say "hybrid" somewhere in the description). I just can't legally sell the seeds/plants.

Rebloomnut, I know this is a huge question, but how do I cross this year's plantings?

rebloomnut wrote:
"If there is a color or flower shape you would like to have you might try crossing a few from this years plantings and see what happens. A new plant you planned youself can be very rewarding and often times beautiful."

Emily, that's how I got my double green-eyed rudbeckias. I had a lot of green eyed ruds one year. Some were Prarie Sun and some were Irish Eyes. My neighbor had double black eyed ruds that year. Apparently a bee carried pollen with that double gene to my yard, and since then my saved seeds have produced doubles with green eyes. I've never seen any like them.

OTOH, some hybrids are sterile- they produce sterile seeds or no seeds at all. I have a few plants like that.

Karen

Karen,

I love that plant! Did you say you have seeds for it? If so, would you be interested in a trade of some sort? Rudbeckias do very well here.

I'm collecting seed for the first time this year.

Those flowers are beautiful, love that shade of yellow.

I've had some success saving seeds from zinnias--Wowie Zowie has come back very close to the parent for 2 years now. The ones that aren't quite true are still vibrant and pretty. Who doesn't like a pretty surprise in their garden? Nothing to lose by trying and seeing what you'll get.

With the easily-cross-polinating plants like Zinnias, I plant randomly-pollinated seeds closer than i usually would, then pull out any I don't like much as soon as they show their blooms.

When they get crowded, I pull out or cut down more plants, leaving only those I like best. Then, when they mix up ther genes, at least I have selected for what I want most, and next year's mixtures will at least tend towards what I like.

In my case, that's blue or purple Petunias, and orange or deep purple Zinnias. But one bright yellow F2 or F3 Zinnia came out looking like a daisy, and I had to save that one. Next year maybe I'll find out if he polluted the purple Zinnias or lightened the orange ones.

But then Zen_Man told me about some commerically available varieties that were already like what I wanted to breed towards, so I bought a bunch of those and my poor F3 / F4 mongrel seeds are sitting in baggies all alone.

Perhaps just as well, because this year the slugs preferred Zinnias above all else.

Corey

just hate that.. they stripped some of my million bells too

Ive heard roses don't come true but some like to grow them from seeds I haven't grown any hybrids from seed that I know of yet but I know I would like to breed some seeds myself which will result in untrue plants

Karen, those ridibeckias are AWESOME! Congratulations on your babies!

Thanks. Actually started some this year from seeds I harvested last year. Most are totally different, with dark eyes. Back to the drawing board, I guess.

Karen

But it's always fun to try and see what you get, isn't it? Kind of like a plant lottery

Would that be cross-pollinated into a "plottery"?

I think "plottery" is a wonderful term!!! Can we use that, or is it patented