Hybrids F1.

Often on packages with seeds are written "Hybrid F1", "or just" F1, ". You can learn more, what does this mean?
Take into hand packaging with seeds, read, and it seems everything is clear to us, but there is one zakely - hybrid F1, and such seeds are more expensive. What is this - the fruit of genetics? Maybe these are malicious for our body of mutagens? Maybe seeds than irradiate? After all, how did Zinnia and Pelargonium and Pelargoniums died this year?! Strong abundant blossom! And sawed seeds for the next year and - nothing special. Some plants were painted in quite ordinary colors, while others were bloomed by non-novice flowers or did not bloom.
It is harmful or useful - we will try to explain.
So, let's start first. Hybrid seeds are not chemistry and not the misties of omnipresent genetics, it is a painstaking, sometimes occupying the work of breeders. And the strange "overseas" letter F and figure 1 is just the first generation, from the Italian word Filli - children.
The hybrids in general and such hybrids in particular are obtained by artificial pollination (people "work bees") of different varieties of one culture. This is a painstaking and long matter: sometimes you pick up the so-called parental pairs until the result is good while your asters or velvets will give you to the unprecedented color of flowers or a special, more pleasant fragrance or the power of growth, like Vasilka - up to 100 cm Height! As soon as the desired result is achieved, this hybrid is patented, that is, only the breeder who received it can reproduce him, well, and the initial parent pairs are held in secret.
By the way, about pairs. They are not always selected due to elegant and magnificent inflorescences or size of the flower, sometimes suitable for those that can, for example, to resist dangerous diseases, such as a black leg or spotted leaves. Everything works like people - Nose Mamin, Papina Sponge.
Often F1 hybrids are superior to both parents, this phenomenon is even a formidable scientific name - heterosis! And such a property of seeds should also be mentioned on the packaging.
Hybrids are now on the market more than varieties, they are more expensive. But buying them there is reasonable, because in the end they will pay off: plants will be much more decorative and more vitial than grown from varietal seeds
However, hybrid seeds, in contrast to the varieties, it makes no sense, because already in the second generation, that is, when they are sowing the next year, all their signs will crumble, as if they are divided into hundreds of seeds ...
On a note: