I'm brand new to gardening and recently got seeds for Sun Gold Cherry, Purple Cherokee, and Brandywine tomatoes. The seed packet says to "isolate from other tomatoes by at least 35ft" if I want to save seeds for next season. I'm a bit confused about what this means. Should I really separate them if I want to harvest seeds to plant next year?
3 Answers
You don’t have to separate them, but if you don’t, there’s a chance they’ll cross-pollinate and produce hybrid tomatoes next year. So, if you care about keeping the original types true, it might be a good idea to isolate them enough to avoid that.
Regarding the Sun Golds, those are F1 hybrids, so they won't produce stable seeds. But the Brandywine and Purple Cherokee should be fine if you save their seeds. For better results, consider using blossom bags to prevent cross-pollination. Just bag the flowers before they open, remove the bag to pollinate, and then put it back on until the fruit starts forming. That way, you can be sure you're saving pure seeds!
That sounds like a solid plan! I’d recommend looking up a YouTube video for a visual guide on using the bags—they can explain it a lot better!
Tomatoes generally self-pollinate and only release pollen when triggered by something like a bee. You might get some hybrids, but it shouldn't be a significant issue. Also, a pack of seeds can last a couple of years if you store them properly, so no need to stress too much about it this year!
Yeah, but honestly, hybridization isn't the worst. You might end up with a new tomato that you actually like better than the originals!