Criteria for selecting plants to save seed from

General Gardening
#1

This post isn’t specific to okra (Heavy Hitter) but it is the plant I’m looking at today. I have saved okra seed Clemson, Cowhorn) before but not with the intention of improving desired characteristics to pass on to the next planting. The most obvious item I have noticed as of now is that three of the about twelve (HH) plants are producing about three blooms per day while the others have 1-2 daily. My thinking is that the more blooms the more pods of okra that will be produced. These three seem to be growing more side branches thus more blooms. All the twelve plants appear to be healthy and I have a long harvest season in front of me for more observation. As of now I’m probably going to save seed from the three plants that have more blooms assuming these plants continue doing well throughout the growing season. Any thoughts or comments are welcome.

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#2

We pretty much have been doing that since the beginning of the agricultural revolution around 10,000 ago; this plant is better than that plant so lets use those seeds. Over time the qualities that you are aiming for become more pronounced.

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#3

Probably not much of a revelation here, but there IS quite a bit more to it. @Auburn, you might check out this book. I highly recommend it. https://www.amazon.com/Breed-Your-Own-Vegetable-Varieties/dp/1890132721

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#4

I got some cucumber seeds from a friend, some of them are bitter as can be. pulling them out of the greenhouse early. terrible taste, apparently toxic also. All these squash curcubitaceae (sp? lol) cucumber, zucchini, pumpkins can cross pollinate and result in saved seeds having a toxic substance that is bitter.

Sucks to have wasted effort etc in maybe 10 plants but sucks even worse to be that guy who shared poisonous seeds with good intentions.

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#5

This is my first year to consider saving squash seed but I quickly decided against it when I saw all the variations in my fruit. The bees go from blooms on summer squash, spaghetti squash, and tromboncino. If I save any seed from squash it will be from known pollination.

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#6

I don’t think okra is bad to pollinate from other varieties but I will only have Heavy Hitter during this time.

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#7

if you stick to only one each of the 3 species of squash- moschata, maxima, and pepo- you wont have any oddball crosses.

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#8

Thanks