A question about cabbage seeds

[ianw]

Hello.
I er found an old cabbage core in the compost bin that had started to sprout so... I planted it, just to see what happens.

Now my question is this...
Will I be able to get seeds from this plant when(if) it finishes flowering?

[MKG]

You certainly will. But if the original happened to be an F1 hybrid, the cabbages that grow from those seeds won't be quite the same.

[ianw]

I think the original was Tescos :)

[Lady Willow]

Although the seeds may not come true if the original plant was F1, they could still be very good, just different ... definately worth collecting the seeds. Let us know how you get on.

[ianw]

I will thank you.

Exciting isn't it...Getting seeds for nothing. It really puts the 'ish' into selfsufficient.

[Peggy Sue]

Is this a good time to ask the silly question about F1 varieties...?

I have often heard that they 'don't grow true' but does that just mean they don't grow exactly the same or they won't be edible/ not really productive those sort of important things?

Do all the packets declare when its F1 or do you have to know (or guess?!)

looking forward to knowing the answer on this one!

[Ellendra]

They won't grow exactly the same, but they will still be cabbages. Some may taste better, some may taste worse, they may grow slower or faster, have more heat/cold tolerance, less heat/cold tolerance, be slightly different colors, etc, etc. But they will be cabbages.

[Lady Willow]

Yes, if they are F1 it will say so on the packet (as part of the variety name).

Still worth saving the seeds if you have plenty of space, but don't grow only those ... grow some you can be certain of too.

[Brod]

The seeds might end up as an interesting hybred in their own right. All the brassicas (that includes oil seed rape) can interbreed so who knows ?

[Peggy Sue]

I was busy kicking myself for being a bit stupid and planting 2 types beans next to eachother, thought I couldn't seedsave because of that- but maybe I should give it a go anyway- cheers for the info

[Bluemoon]

F1 varieties will produce one quarter the same, three quarters different from the parent plant........unless there were other varieties nearby, then it's completely unpredictable.

[Millymollymandy]

Just where are the blooming seeds on a brassica? I let my purple curly kale go to seed because I wanted seeds (couldn't find any in England!) but the flowers all dropped off and all that were left are those little green husks that you see in the photo above - not containing a brassica like seed at all!