Crown Prince and Red Kuri

[delboy]

Having grown these two varieties this year I was thinking about using the seeds from one of each type for growing next year, but having checked on the internet some seed suppliers are saying they are F1 types while others are not.

Does anyone know?     .... Jeannine?

[delboy]

[galina]

Having grown these two varieties this year I was thinking about using the seeds from one of each type for growing next year, but having checked on the internet some seed suppliers are saying they are F1 types while others are not.

Does anyone know?     .... Jeannine?

Red Kuri. aka Uchiki Kuri, is definitely open pollinated, Crown Prince almost certainly.  I think it used to be a hybrid at one stage when they originally bred it and that has stuck.

The problem is that, unless you have isolated and handpollinated your flowers, you are very likely to end up with an F1 hybrid of your very own, because both varieties are cucurbita maxima and they cross freely.

I am sure any cross would still be worthwhile, if you want to experiment, but you can't rely on getting both varieties again if you left pollination to the bees.

[Alex133]

I wonder if plants from your own saved seeds would be better suited to your conditions than general packet ones even if they're a mixture of varieties?

[realfood]

I think that Crown Prince is an F1.

[Jeannine]

The trouble with Crown Prince is they have been mucking about with it for years. and it has several names.

One of the Australian blues, my favourites by the way. there are open pollinated versions around but the one you are likely to see in seed catalogues is a  hybrid.

Be careful of sellers who don`t claim hybrid or open pollinated for their seeds, it is a cop out, there are companies who will not state hybrid and folks assume it is not, but it is misleading. Always buy from someone who states hybrid or OP.  for everything. If open pollinated most small companies that grow their own are proud to state that but I know one that sells hybrid seeds and  does not state it.

You could play with your seeds but as Galina said they won`t come true as they are both Maxima anyway.

I have never seen any evidence that planting the same squash variety for years are better suited to your local conditions which is true of garlic and a few other veggies but  it could be true , I have just not personally heard of it. Certainly planting the same squash variety year after year will give you a true squash that may take on characteristics to just that area, at least if you don`t plant anything else.. but  take generations to show in a stable way and there a many factors going against it happening.

XX Jeannine