The single-serving melons I've been breeding are doing very well in my short-season garden. The carrots I've been breeding are more productive and healthy than those from the seed I purchased to start with. The tomatoes I've been breeding have better flavor (to our specific tastes) than varieties we can find in markets, as well as increased production over many commercial varieties in my gardens.

I think anyone who is growing crops (at some moderate to high level) should be saving seeds, mainly so that their motivations/interests will be involved in the evolution of those crops. If we rely [exclusively] on market breeders, we get tasteless and hard tomatoes (or tasteless strawberries, or unscented roses, etc.) because it is only the market breeders' motivations that are guiding the evolution of the crops.

I acknowledge that seed saving isn't for everyone. If someone is only growing a plant or two a year, breeding and selection will likely be outside their capacity.

Just saying,
Ellen in Conn.

Hi Rachel,
I know sometimes I get on my soapbox, and I'l; be the first one to admit that I forget that there are people out there who need to save seeds, as yes, seeds and gardening can be expensive, but look – first, relax a little, I didn't mean to sound arrogant, yet I know sometimes I do……but your comment is exactly the sort of position I take great concern over – it even frightens me, because you are the perfect example of someone who should really be more serious about the food you raise. Rachel, you say that you know the ' it's a travisty' that you are raising apple seedlings with the goal that you will someday feed your family with those trees, yet you admit that you know that they will produce highly inferior fruit? I'm confused. Remember, I was raised in a home where we had little money, and my parents raised most of our own food, canning most everything from meat to corn 6 different ways, often hundreds of quarts. It is what my grandparents did too, and if there is one thing I learned from this heritage, is to not save seeds of most vegetables, we saved only those heirloom tomatoes which produced better fruit,, or had good flavor, and everything else, used fresh seed of disease resistant varieties. Look, if you are saving heirloom seed, or better yet, seed which is open pollinated, then you are all set. But I will add that if you are serious about feeding your family from your garden year round, then paying a few extra cents for a high producing hybrid that is more disease resistant, seems to make more sense. How are you preserving your harvest? I use the principal of Luther Burbank, and perhaps my grandfather, both born in the 1800's – a time when farmers knew that some varieties of squash or beans produced more than others – my best advice is for you to keep a record of what your are growing, and what you are harvesting. If you are successfully feeding your family from your garden already, then we don't need to have this discussion. If you would like some ideas, even sources for inexpensive or free fruit trees or plants, maybe I can help you source them – divisions from your county agricultural station, cutting to graft from local orchards, plant societies in your area, etc. Feel free to write me personally, as I think your post has inspired me to see if I can share more info for people on tight budgets with a family.

Hi Rachelle, It sounds like you know what you are doing. Keep at it, I am so fascinated about the F1 pepper….I wonder if any other reader has discovered that with theirs? I should have added that I do prefer seed and varieties that have been grown or bred in northern climates, such as those from Johnny's Selected Seeds, at least for me, I have noticed better performance with some of the shorter season selections. Thanks for commenting!