Planting seeds from hybrids may bring pleasant surprises!

Petunias

Hybrid Petunia Babies

You probably already know that saving seeds from hybrid plants is frowned upon in the gardening world. Because hybrid plants contain the genetics of two or more different varieties that have been carefully selected to improve color and size (or in the case of veggies, to improve flavor), their seeds typically will not reproduce true to the parent plant.

If you are wondering exactly what that means, take a look at the petunias in the photo above. There are two different plants in the planter. These petunias self-seeded from petunia plants I purchased at the greenhouse last year. The seedlings emerged in the fall and I brought them inside and grew them as houseplants during the winter.

As you can see the petunias blooms are not the same color. Although it doesn't look like it in this picture, the blooms are the same size and the plant growth is the same. 

One plant produces deep rose petunias with a dark throat while the other produces a soft pink petunia with a white throat. The contrast between the two is sharper than it appears in these photos.

The combination of these two makes a stunning display, but I can't take the credit. 

If you are hesitant to save and replant hybrid seeds, that's understandable. You never know what you will get and sometimes the seeds are sterile. However, if you enjoy surprises in your garden, go ahead and try planting seeds from your hybrid plants. You just may end up with stunning flowers you didn't anticipate.

                                         Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!