#f1seeds

[katiajewelbox]

Is this a pagan ritual scene from a lost 1970's British folk horror film? No, but it is horror of another kind - the "disappointment" of growing F2 seeds from F1 supermarket Butternut Squash (Cucurbita moschata).

What is an "F1 plant" and why should we avoid saving seeds from F1 fruits, veggies, and flowers? F1 is genetics terminology for "filial generation number 1". An F1 generation is created by cross breeding two distinct varieties of plant via sexual reproduction. The two parent plants may be different cultivars of the same plant species, or even two different but closely related species. The aim is to produce a plant with the best characteristics of the two parent plants. These desirable characteristics may include large fruits, many fruits per plant, good flavour, disease resistance, or compact plant size (so more can be grown in an area). These F1 hybrids all have the same combination of genes from both parents and are uniform in appearance.

This consistency and combination of useful traits makes F1 hybrid plants popular in both home gardening and industrial agriculture. The dark side of F1 plants that their seeds will grow into plants very different from the parent plants. That's the case with the supermarket Butternut Squash. The parent plant's fruit is pictured in the screenshot and it is a long, heavy, pear shaped squash. The F2 generation are a motley crew of miniature butternut shaped squash and chunky round squash. Most only had 1-2 fruits per sprawling plant. When in doubt about F1 seeds, stick to buying true heirloom varieties.

(Please note that the long pale coloured squash is a Candy Roaster (Cucurbita maxima), not a Butternut.)