What are F1 tomato seeds?

Miltonian · February 6, 2022

It seems like a simple question: What are F1 tomato seeds?
And it seems like the answer should be: F1 tomato seeds are the result of a first generation cross between two stabilized varietals, for instance, Cherokee Purple and Carbon.
That's why I think I must be a terrible tomato grower, because I'm just having all kinds of trouble with the idea.
Can any grower help me figure this out? Here's the problem: So I get a packet of F1 seeds for "Cherokee Carbon" from, say, High Mowing Seeds or some other great place that is selling them and I take them home to plant in my garden.
But before I get them in the soil I start thinking about my crude knowledge of genetics which is that it takes from 7 to 9 generations to "prove out" a freshly crossed tomato. That is, you keep growing the seed from each generation and then from those plants you select the tomatoes that are just like the ones you are looking for and save their seeds, an so on. Do this and somewhere after the 7th generation all the seed that you produce will deliver the desired tomato: the Cherokee Carbon. So according to this procedure, the all good seed would start coming somewhere between generations F7 and F9.
Terrific!
Where I am having a problem is figuring out how the seed company can sell me a whole packet of F1 seed and expect me to get the desired tomato? If it is indeed a first generation seed from a cross, then it should be VERY inconsistent in what it produces in terms of types of tomatoes.
I'm sorry, but I just can't figure out how they could ship out F1 seed and not expect to be inundated with complaints from angry gardeners and farmers. What am I missing?
On the other hand, it seems to be a huge industry with thousands of people engaged in it one way or another.
Thanks so much for any help you can offer.

February 6, 2022	#1
Miltonian Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Pleasant Grove, CA 95668 Posts: 2	What are F1 tomato seeds? It seems like a simple question: What are F1 tomato seeds? And it seems like the answer should be: F1 tomato seeds are the result of a first generation cross between two stabilized varietals, for instance, Cherokee Purple and Carbon. That's why I think I must be a terrible tomato grower, because I'm just having all kinds of trouble with the idea. Can any grower help me figure this out? Here's the problem: So I get a packet of F1 seeds for "Cherokee Carbon" from, say, High Mowing Seeds or some other great place that is selling them and I take them home to plant in my garden. But before I get them in the soil I start thinking about my crude knowledge of genetics which is that it takes from 7 to 9 generations to "prove out" a freshly crossed tomato. That is, you keep growing the seed from each generation and then from those plants you select the tomatoes that are just like the ones you are looking for and save their seeds, an so on. Do this and somewhere after the 7th generation all the seed that you produce will deliver the desired tomato: the Cherokee Carbon. So according to this procedure, the all good seed would start coming somewhere between generations F7 and F9. Terrific! Where I am having a problem is figuring out how the seed company can sell me a whole packet of F1 seed and expect me to get the desired tomato? If it is indeed a first generation seed from a cross, then it should be VERY inconsistent in what it produces in terms of types of tomatoes. I'm sorry, but I just can't figure out how they could ship out F1 seed and not expect to be inundated with complaints from angry gardeners and farmers. What am I missing? On the other hand, it seems to be a huge industry with thousands of people engaged in it one way or another. Thanks so much for any help you can offer.