Can You Save Seed From Hybrid Plants?

Whitney Segura
What is a Hybrid Plant?

Those that have appreciated the bounty of a backyard garden realize that it all begins with a seed. Your seeds are your foundation and they determine what plants will appear when you water your garden area. Gardeners are so fascinated by seeds that they often delve into seed saving.

While hybrid plants are often better suited for a growing environment such as a greenhouse structure, they aren\'t necessarily optimized for seed saving. Is it even possible to save seeds from hybrid plants, and what do you need to know?

The first thing to realize is that there are many misconceptions about hybrid plants.

Hybrid plants will make seed, and they are viable. You can replant them and grow a similar plant. However, because the parent plant has a genetic line that is not stable, you can\'t determine what you will get. The offspring will vary based upon the genetic profile.

• If you remember taking basic biology in high school or college, the Punnet square should give you a good indication of what to expect from dominant and recessive gene profiles.


• Keep in mind that you may have to isolate certain traits for several generations to create a stable gene pool from a hybrid plant.


• A good idea is to find a gardening blog or forum to become a member of and ask questions to the expert gardeners.

Because the results are so uncertain, you don\'t want to devote too much space to growing out hybrid seed. Also, don\'t rely on your experiments for a good food crop. However, experimenting with hybrid seeds is exciting, and, in fact, many open pollinated strains have been stabilized with a hybrid plant as a parent.

• Be sure that you understand the pollination process of your target plant, to ensure that your experiments don\'t contain unintentional variables that will further complicate the process.

You can save seed from hybrid plants, and it will likely grow. However, the results will be less predictable than saving already stabilized seed types.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/can-you-save-seed-from-hybrid-plants-1903827.html
About the Author
Whitney Segura is the founder and CEO of Best Garden Gifts, a family owned manufacturer and distributor of greenhouse kits, hydroponics equipment, composting supplies, and garden containers, to customers living in the United States.