READER’S QUERY

I WAS given seeds of Gardener’s Delight heritage tomatoes. When grown, the plants seemed to be of several varieties. Why was this?

Mr G. Owen. GARDENER’S Delight are open-pollinated. Professional seedsmen will destroy any which differ from the named variety. Seed stocks not raised by experts may be less strictly controlled, so the next year’s progeny is less uniform. Seeds of F1 (first filial) hybrids are first crosses with selected parent plants. Their seeds will produce fruits and flowers identical to those of their siblings.