What are F1 seeds?In gardening stores we can more and more often find packages withseeds marked with the F1 symbolThis mainly applies to vegetables but more and more more often also seeds of ornamental plants. They are considerably more expensive than seeds of common varieties of the same species.So what does the F1 symbol on the seed packaging meanand is it worth paying more for such seeds?
Cultivation of heterotic varieties, the seeds of which are marked with the F1 symbol, allows for a more even, more abundant and better quality yield
What are F1 seeds?
F1 seeds- when seeds are marked with the F1 symbol, they are seeds of hybrid varieties, the so-called heterosis. Heterosia is the vigor of hybrids or the lushness of hybrids. It is about the increased vitality and lushness of the first generation of hybrids resulting from crosses of genetically different forms.
Does it sound complicated? To put it simply,F1 hybrids have more positive features and fewer negative features than their parents.This phenomenon is used on a large scale in the cultivation of plants. TheF1seeds of heterotic varieties of cucumbers, tomatoes and corn were the first to become popular.Plants obtained from these seeds gave higher yieldsor larger fruit sizes, bloomed and yielded earlier, and were also less susceptible to attacks by diseases and pests.
How are F1 seeds made?
The production of F1seeds is very complicated and requires testing to see which crosses will produce a variety with better traits (e.g.the line of early varieties is crossed with the late variety, but much more fertile). Then selected pairs of lines are crossed to obtain the most vigorous offspring. This often requires the manual removal of the stamens from the mother plants and the application of pollen collected from the male lines to them. The process is therefore tedious and laborious. ThereforeF1 seeds are much more expensive
Good to know!
I would like to emphasize here thatF1 seed varieties arise through the natural crossing of traditionalvarieties, it has nothing to do with genetic modifications made in laboratories or the so-called GMO. Growing plants from F1 seeds is completely safe and the obtained crops are 100% natural.
Is it worth buying F1 seeds?
To sum up,seeds marked F1 are worth the price because they allow you to get a very even, more abundant and better quality cropSuch plants usually bloom more abundantly, better withstand frosts, drought or unfavorable conditions soil.They can also beless susceptible to diseases and pests, which makes it easier for us to grow plants in the allotment garden using natural methods , avoiding the use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides.
However, it must be remembered that in future generations, the positive features of F1 hybrids are not so dominant. Therefore, the seeds collected from the obtained plants will not yield such a uniform and successful yield next year, and in practice seeds from such plants are not harvested.To guarantee good-quality cultivation, you should buy new F1 seeds every yearAfter good-quality vegetable seeds, hermatically packed, which guarantees their freshness, please visit our guide's store :-)
