Daikon Grown From Collected F1 Seed
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2022 11:22 am
Just out of curiosity and for the fun of it, this past spring I collected seed from an F1 hybrid daikon radish and planted 5' each of both the OP and the F1 seed side by side. Boy, the test sure demonstrates the difference between an F1 and the collected seed! Here's one of each that I pulled ten days ago with the hybrid seed on the right, the OP on the left. Please ignore the turnips at the bottom.
Today I pulled another of each now that they've gotten bigger. The OP radish, now 1 lb 8 oz, has developed deep fluting on the sides and this one has grown a lot more squatty in shape than the previous OP.
I've learned that if I let the OP get this big it will get pithy in the middle. Gotta use them when they're smaller. I've not experienced that with the hybrid of this size. The OP also has a pretty thick skin to peel off which is a waste while the F1 skin is a lot thinner.
If you look closely at the the F1 that I pulled today at 1 lb 10oz you can see slight fluting on the sides as a result of it's lineage.
The original hybrid seed pack was bought in a Korean grocery and the writing is all in Korean so I can't read the name or anything else. The photo on the front is true to what I've grown for three years now so I'll stick to the hybrid for now. Meanwhile I will look for an OP daikon that looks and performs as well as the hybrid so that I can collect my own good seed.
Today I pulled another of each now that they've gotten bigger. The OP radish, now 1 lb 8 oz, has developed deep fluting on the sides and this one has grown a lot more squatty in shape than the previous OP.
I've learned that if I let the OP get this big it will get pithy in the middle. Gotta use them when they're smaller. I've not experienced that with the hybrid of this size. The OP also has a pretty thick skin to peel off which is a waste while the F1 skin is a lot thinner.
If you look closely at the the F1 that I pulled today at 1 lb 10oz you can see slight fluting on the sides as a result of it's lineage.
The original hybrid seed pack was bought in a Korean grocery and the writing is all in Korean so I can't read the name or anything else. The photo on the front is true to what I've grown for three years now so I'll stick to the hybrid for now. Meanwhile I will look for an OP daikon that looks and performs as well as the hybrid so that I can collect my own good seed.