F1 seeds

Are there any F1 seeds that you always grow and couldn't manage without? 

I don't buy F1 seeds from choice - but sometimes they appear as a freebie on a magazine or in a job lot of seeds. There seem to be a lot of Cucumbers/Courgettes/Tomatoes that are F1. I've given away all my F1 tomato seeds but need to weed through the rest. 

My aim is to only grow plants from seeds that have been saved by me, from a seed swap or bought from ethical companies like Real Seeds or Franchi and to ignore the "big boys".

I used to only buy F1 cucumbers. Because I’d never had any luck or didn’t like any of the none F1s I’d previously tried. Until you introduce me to Beth Alpha. Now I’m trying to avoid all F1s and I’ve been trying to avoid the big boys for ages. Avoiding giving them money that is, I’m quite happy to grow any of there seeds if I acquire them for free   . Also trying to save as many of my own seeds as possible. Still a lot to learn in that department.

I don't think there are any F1 seeds I couldn't do without. There are a couple I'd miss.

I think F1 sweetcorn. I did grow some, from the organic catalogue, that were open pollinated and they tasted fine, not quite so sweet. I saved seeds once from them and they were good too. But the next time with saved seeds they were awful. They must have crossed with the farmers maize that he always grows in the field next to my plot so I don't save from them any more. I could try sowing very early to beat his flowering but would be a lot of hastle. Real seeds have one I wouldn't mind trying, bit dear though if you can't save the seeds like me.

Also sweetheart cabbage are as they sound, sweet and tasty and I got those from T&M in a seed sale at the local GC. Bought 2 packets which should last me about 8 years at current rate.

I have a few butternut F1 but Waltham are perfectly good and I think I'll stick with them in future.

I have always been against F1 seeds mainly because of not being able to save seeds but also because of cost.

 Unfortunately after some bad results with open pollinated varieties I am now turning to a limited amount of F1's I have just had some shop bought  Calabrese (sold as Brocolli) with my lunch and the flavour and texture were commented on by myself and OH. On looking at the packaging it was grown in Spain and the variety was Parthenon.
I looked up the seeds and they are an F1. I am not saying I will be able to grow Calabrese like it, but I am tempted to give it a go.

I always have F1 cucumbers after my white cucumber/bitter nightmare. I really don't want to do that again.
Anything else I always use OP.

F1s I don't mind using sometimes because we don't have the space to save seed from biennials like roots and certain brassicas anyway. Some things are also more effort to save seed from, like courgettes and cucumbers. Sometimes F1s are just better for what I want - faster growing, earlier to crop, bigger yield, better disease resistance, slower to bolt. That said, I don't buy many F1 seeds unless they're on offer because for most crops, open pollinated varieties are good enough. Peppers and tomatoes are relatively easy to save seed from and seed is expensive (moreso than other crops, I find) so I usually only grow open pollinated varieties there.

I try to avoid F1s but do splash out on Sungold tomatoes every year, but that's about it.
Last year a friend gave me a collection of F1 aubergines but I wasn't impressed enough to want to buy any seeds. I'm moving more and more towards trying to grow traditonal local or regional OP varieties.

Apologies for the tangential-ism but the F1 Parthenon Calabrese/broccoli seeds I mentioned earlier were stuck into the sellers basket in case I decided to buy them. Because of this, I have just had a reduced price offer from the seller.

Just goes to show that its always worth sticking stuff in the sellers basket if you are unsure whether or not to buy?

I have a bunch of F1s from when I struggled to find seeds in stock last spring, but I'm trying to phase them out. I don't buy from the big companies any more, as I have enough in my collection to be able to exercise patience. Well, some patience, anyway!

I love the idea of growing heritage varieties and saving seed, but I don't have anywhere near enough space to save brassica seed (Real Seeds suggest a minimum of 20 plants, which would require a quarter of my entire growing space!) plus I'd be worried about contamination from oilseed rape which the farmer across the road grows in the field nearest us on rotation.

Also, it was really helpful to be able to grow a compact squash in a container last summer - that was Amoro F1, the squash I posted in the recipe thread. Looked really good too, with huge yellow flowers and pretty orange fruit - it could easily have doubled as an ornamental! I still have a few seeds left (4, to be exact), but in 2022 I think I'll try something OP just for a change.

TBH until I joined G&G I never gave F1 seeds much thought, if I liked it and it was cheap I grew it. I'd be lost without sweetcorn swift which is F1, but if forced I could probably find an alternative, but I still have several pkts of seed so it won't be for some time. I like Shirley, sungold and Akron tomatoes, but I'm sure there's others out there I could choose. The tomato list this year has far fewer F1s than in previous years.