F1 or open pollinated?

[Odsox]

Years ago before F1 seeds were commonly available I always had problems with my sprout plants. I only needed about 6 plants and every year some of those plants had problems, stunted growth, open "blown" sprouts with maybe 2 growing into useful productive plants.
Then Peer Gynt F1 appeared in seed catalogues with one of it's benefits touted was that all plants would be identical, and so they were. At last I could rely on the 6 plants I grew would ALL be useful productive plants, plus the extra cost of the seeds wasn't really a problem as the amount of seeds in the packet lasted at least 3 years

Over the last few years I've been using fewer F1 seeds as I now save a lot more seed from open pollinated, but some things I can't save. For instance I don't have enough space for biennial vegetables like parsnips, or grow brassicas in isolation so the don't cross. But last year I decided to return to growing non F1 sprouts and parsnips, and guess what? Out of the 6 sprout plants I grew I had ONE useful plant and my parsnips all have canker.

So much for me trying to be an eco-warrior, It's back to F1 sprouts and parsnips this year ... so there.

[Flo]

Canker is, I've been told, the result of the carrot fly that attacks - well carrot fly. So it may not been the seeds but the creatures.

[Odsox]

Good theory Flo, except I am growing Guernsey parsnips next to Countess F1 parsnips and the Countess are canker free (and a better texture and flavour)

[Flo]

Ah well I shall ask them as told me the theory.

[Odsox]

I always thought that carrot fly was attracted to carrots by smell, and parsnips smell nothing like carrots. But that could be an old wive's tale as well ... not that I'm suggesting that you're an old wife, Flo.

On the other hand there was a very large vine weevil grub buried in the middle of that Guernsey parsnip, and I'm pretty sure parsnips are not vines.

[Flo]

I'm old but gave up being a wife a long time ago

Have just looked at the RHS which says that parsnip canker can be caused by various things but also says to protect from carrot fly.

[ina]

Well, carrot and parsnip are the same family, so they might have some aspects of the smell in common... Something that's not obvious to humans, maybe, but to carrot flies?