Do you trust others' seeds

[Tormahto]

Meaning, if you had two or more sources of a variety, one being your own saved seed, would you use any of the others?

For me, it would be trusting every variety, other than Aunt Ginny's Purple. I haven't gone there, yet. And if I did, it would be one plant from my saved seed, along with plants from other sourced seed.

[bower]

If I have a variety that did nicely for me, I always prefer my own saved seed.
But if I had any issues with growing that variety, I would consider other seed sources as a chance to find a better strain or better adapted. I do think it can make a difference where the seed was grown, at least in some cases. For us, if there's any cold tolerance genes to be activated, I would think growing in similar environment would tend to make that gene expression the default.
That's really the main reason for preferring my own seed.

[Lemonboy]

Well I've had seed cross unplanned before since I don't bag anything except intentional crosses. But it's rare, so I trust what I grow. Also I usually save seed from at least a half dozen different fruits so all the seed shouldn't be crossed even if some were. Since I'm not growing for market and have a reasonably large amount of growing space a few surprises don't bother me as much as they would someone who only has space for a half dozen plants. Those people don't typically start tomatoes from seed though.

That said, I don't usually have any reason to distrust other people's seed either. Most vendors are reputable and tomato seed isn't so outrageously expensive that anyone is going to go to the trouble of setting up listings or a website to sell yellow pear and label it as some of the newer varieties. You might find that on eBay because you're not going to know if you got what was advertised for months. But even on eBay it's pretty easy to seperate the suspicious listings from the reliable sellers.

If I had seed I'd grown and the tomatoes were what I expected I wouldn't look for more seed. Not because I didn't trust new seed but because I didn't need more seed. If someone gave me more, I'd probably grow plants from both sources to see how similar they were if I really liked the variety. If it was something like Roma or a common red cherry I'd probably just share the seed with a neighbor.

All of my seed came from other sources initially. The varieties I grow most frequently were grown for many different reasons originally, but are grown now because I enjoy the tomatoes. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[MissS]

I will say that I trust my own saved seed over those that I get elsewhere but that does not mean that I don't grow the other's seed out from time to time just to check that I'm sure that my own seed is growing true to type. I will also grow some very old seed of mine next to a more current seed of the same variety to see if there are any differences. I have once found crossed seed by doing this and it was Stump of the World.

It is the new seed that has the biggest chances of being crossed and not discovered for a long time. If it is a new variety and comes close to the description then it will pass until you try a fruit from another source and see that they are not the same. That is an "ut oh" moment.

[rxkeith]

define other sources, and what you mean by trust..

vendors, seeds probably will be true to type, and disease free
individuals, there are more variables i would think.
i have had four varieties over two years from the swap that had crossed seeds,
karma purple, and peach, cherokee chocolate, and taiga. those four gave me
plants that were not true to type. it has been rare that any tomato seeds from vendors that i
have ordered from gave me crossed plants. i can't name an incidence.

i have a good degree of confidence in my own seeds.
i use good technique preserving them. few crossing issues in spite of a good bumble bee population.
if a cross does occur, i can either develop it or rogue it out if it is a stinker.

so, i would trust a reputable vendor over my self over an individual unless an individual is isolating or bagging
blossoms which i do not do.


keith

[Yak54]

Meaning, if you had two or more sources of a variety, one being your own saved seed, would you use any of the others?

For me, it would be trusting every variety, other than Aunt Ginny's Purple. I haven't gone there, yet. And if I did, it would be one plant from my saved seed, along with plants from other sourced seed.

Gary.....I'm eager to know what you meant by "other than Aunt Ginny's Purple" ???

Dan

[Danny]

Mostly I trust others' seeds as well as my own. Anyone can have a bee cross, even if bagged. If I get too much of a wrong thing from myself or a vendor and it's a spitter, off the planting train.

[Toomanymatoes]

My expectations are always tempered growing plants from any seed source unless they claim the plant is isolated (and have a good reputation for that).

Other than that, I don't really care. Otherwise I would never participate in any seed swaps or trades. I might not even use a lot of the vendors I purchase from.

Perhaps if I grew a variety I really loved and wanted to preserve, I would isolate the flowers and maintain my own seed stock. Otherwise, the only other time it would likely matter is if I was attempting some cross-breeding. I would prefer the parents be stable and from the lines I expect them to be from.

[Tormahto]

Meaning, if you had two or more sources of a variety, one being your own saved seed, would you use any of the others?

For me, it would be trusting every variety, other than Aunt Ginny's Purple. I haven't gone there, yet. And if I did, it would be one plant from my saved seed, along with plants from other sourced seed.

Gary.....I'm eager to know what you meant by "other than Aunt Ginny's Purple" ???

Dan

The one and only variety that is a MUST HAVE in my garden each year.

Therefore, I must plant my own trusted saved seed. I even plant it among only RL plants. If there is a cross, it most likely would be a RL cross. And, when I start seeds the next year, I keep my eyes out for RL seedlings. I really don't care if any other variety is an off-type, in my garden. so I don't worry about trusting or not trusting other sources.

And, this thread is meant to be about traded seed, not commercial, as I basically trust commercial seed.

[Yak54]

Thanks for clearing this up for me ! So mostly I rely on my own saved seed for the half dozen favorites I grow every year. But I usually try to grow 2-3 new varieties every year and for these new ones I either try to find them commercially or check the forums for long time and well known members who may have what I'm looking for. But I've had numerous times when the seeds I get don't grow true to type whether they are from a commercial source or a forum member source. When I harvest seed from my plants I try to get it from the first fruits that are low on the plant and my plants are spaced 4 ft. apart stem to stem and this has worked well for me and seems to have prevented me harvesting seed from a cross pollinated fruit for many years. I can't say this method has been as successful with Peppers though. Bottom line for me is that traded seed is nice but I realize there may be more of a risk of a cross than my own or commercial seed. I don't have too many more years to be growing tomatoes so when I try to grow one that's on my bucket list and the seed for it proves to be not "True to type", then I'm disappointed and feel I've waisted a year in a sense because I can't cross it off my bucket list and will have to try it again the next year. So traded seed is a little risky for me. Oh well that's the way the mop flops.

Dan

[Tormahto]

If one doesn't have a bucket list, one generally isn't disappointed.

[Lemonboy]

If one doesn't have a bucket list, one generally isn't disappointed.

I don't have a bucket list, but I do have almost daily opportunities for disappointment.

[Paulf]

I always inform receivers of my own saved seed that blossoms are not bagged. If seeds came from a private trade the same warning is included. If they came from a vendor no caveat is included. Personally I am leary of trades but do take part. If the first grow out is not true to form those seeds are marked as "on probation". The next time they exhibit the wrong characteristics they tossed.

Thankfully very few get tossed. Over the years there have been a few with not much difference between private and commercial sources. Since I do not bag my own seeds are as suspect as any and that is why I don't like to send out seeds for trade very often unless they have proven to be good.

[Tormahto]

If one doesn't have a bucket list, one generally isn't disappointed.

I don't have a bucket list, but I do have almost daily opportunities for disappointment.

[Yak54]

If one doesn't have a bucket list, one generally isn't disappointed.

Yes I think that's probably true because when I was 50 yrs old and I got a seed packet that had the wrong seeds in it I was only mildly disappointed Maybe only a little surprised.

Dan

[Danny]

My bucket list is what is tossed into the bucket to plant ! Sometimes a boo boo plant turns out to be pretty nifty.

[TheMad_Poet]

Spotted this subject while researching what seeds to trial for the coming season. As usual, after reading everyone's posts, I realize I don't have anything to say that hasn't pretty much been said. I always learn more, and get fresh ideas about the art and science of gardening, than what I impart. And that's a good feeling. Anectdotal instances follow: The 1st heirloom seed I bought from a commercial vendor was wrong seed. The vendor always came up 1st on any search for seeds. It was supposed to be Stupice, and I proudly posted pics at t'ville, where it was pointed out that stupice was PL and my pics were RL. Embarassing for a newbie. I traded this year on a few FB groups. One was for Tiny Tim, to grow indoors this winter as an experiment. I realized soon after germination they were wrong, leaves were not rugose, stems were not proportionately stout. After a couple months the plant was close to 3' tall. My once beloved Pink Berkley Tie Dyes seeds the last couple years b4 I tossed them, started to produce inferior maters. Striping less distinct, smaller tomatoes, blah flavor. Not crossed, just morphed into something a bit different. Have some new seeds from swap, so will try these this year. On a final note, have decided that Aunt Ginnies Purple is a must for this year, and I hope the seeds I got in the swap are Gary's. I grew it years ago, and was disappointed. BUT, did I have the real deal then. My suspicions are that I did not. A lot of my seeds in those days came from the same vendor that I got the stupice from. Moral of the story is.... Ya just never know, even about yer own stuff. Look on the bright side is all you can do.

[AZGardener]

I participate in swaps for fun so I don't worry too much about receiving a cross. If I'm buying from a vendor I do expect it to be true to type. I will bag blooms if they're for someone who needs them for a seed trade. It really depends on the situation on what my expectations are.

[Tormahto]

I have (had) one other seed that I only trusted myself to save, Super Marconi pole bean.

The last of my saved seed is no more. I gave most of it away, then planted the few remaining seeds the past 2 years, and had back-to-back crop failures. So, now I must rely upon traders and commercial sources. I hope that there is really only one Super Marconi, and no imposters.

[BettyC-5]

I have (had) one other seed that I only trusted myself to save, Super Marconi pole bean.

The last of my saved seed is no more. I gave most of it away, then planted the few remaining seeds the past 2 years, and had back-to-back crop failures. So, now I must rely upon traders and commercial sources. I hope that there is really only one Super Marconi, and no imposters.

I have 5 Super Marconi seeds you sent with 2020 date. I grew a couple in 2021. Do you want them? I don't mind sending them. Or should I plant them?