So I have never gathered seeds. I have a basic knowledge of how hybrids are made, and what happens if you plant the seeds from them, but I am wondering if there is ever any reason to gather the seeds, or if I should just avoid it.

Some people save seeds from a hybrid F1 that they liked, and try to grow it out to find a stable OP similar or as good as the original.

Unless you are personally interested in doing a dehybridization grow out, there's no reason to gather seeds that I know of.

Other than a dehybridization project, I can only think of one reason to save seeds from F1 plants...

figuring out if it really is an F1 plant. Some plants are labeled F1 even though they are OP. Guess it prevents people from saving seeds ... most F1 probably are F1 though.

I recently saved seeds from Big Zac, which may or may not be a hybrid. The seeds are already packed and ready to go for the future MMMM swap.

Big Zac tomatoes ripen in a way that has longitudinal lines of less pink and more pink areas. Stripes like a zebra, but deep pink/ light pink. Atypical as compared to the other pink tomatoes I have grown.

I guess if anyone grows out these they might see what the tomatoes will do. I probably won’t grow out the saved seeds, but may grow the original seeds.

Thanks! These answers are along the lines of my understanding.

So if I grow seeds from a hybrid, and get a plant close to the original hybrid, and save seeds from the F2, does the probability of getting close to the original hybrid get better each generation?

I've saved seeds from several hybrids, only because they were all being dropped from the market. A Super Thai, and a Thai Dragon pepper, and the Hair and the Neon eggplant. None ended up the same, so they were definitely hybrids, and the only one I tried to stabilize, wasn't close to the original, even after 3 years. This year I am going to try the Superchili, only because it has been the earliest pepper every year since the 80s, and one of the best, but it has gotten increasingly expensive the last few years, and for increasingly fewer seeds! So you know what they can do with them!

Stitchingmom wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 1:20 pm Thanks! These answers are along the lines of my understanding.

So if I grow seeds from a hybrid, and get a plant close to the original hybrid, and save seeds from the F2, does the probability of getting close to the original hybrid get better each generation?

It's exceedingly unlikely to exactly match the original heterozygous hybrid, but you might get a close approximation. It's just like with ever other breeding project. Select the one with the closest match, rinse and repeat.

They used to sell hybrid plants locally that they don't anymore.
So it's a matter of having to buy seeds online,which the last experience was a nightmare (credit card info was stolen) or use saved seeds.
It took about 7 or 8 years for my 4th of july hybrid to revert back to one of the original parents.
Luckily one of the originals was PL and the hybrid was RL so it was easy to keep track.

Stitchingmom wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 1:20 pm Thanks! These answers are along the lines of my understanding.

So if I grow seeds from a hybrid, and get a plant close to the original hybrid, and save seeds from the F2, does the probability of getting close to the original hybrid get better each generation?

Take your best shot in F2 and F3. Grow lots of F2 for a best chance, grow out your best choice to F3, and if you don't find anything that you love and want to grow every year, don't expect those seeds to lead you closer to the target as you get into F4 and beyond. It will just become more and more like itself, whatever that is....

Thanks guys!