How do you create a hybrid food plant?

[Trellum]

The simplest example, because of the size of the flowers, is courgettes/zucchini.
When you have a male flower of one variety open, and a female flower of the other variety almost ready to open, you take the male flower, strip off the petals to leave the stalk and the pollen infested stamen, then gently open the female of the other variety enough to put the male inside and rub it gently against the stigmata.
Withdraw the male flower, and tie up the female with a soft yarn, like wool, so that it is impenetrable for other pollination.
Let the courgette fully ripen (probably to a marrow) and the plants grown from its seeds will be a hybrid.

Wow, thanks! It sounds simple enough I'd love to see someone doing it before trying it tho, just to see how is done, since I'm a very visual person. But it does sound so simple! It must be wonderful to be successful doing this! How long do you have to wait to see if you were successful with those two?

 

[headfullofbees]

Wow, thanks! It sounds simple enough I'd love to see someone doing it before trying it tho, just to see how is done, since I'm a very visual person. But it does sound so simple! It must be wonderful to be successful doing this! How long do you have to wait to see if you were successful with those two?

If the courgette behind the female grows to full ripeness, and produces seeds, they WILL be a cross.
What kind of cross is anyone's guess

 

[headfullofbees]

Hey guys, I am really interested in hybrid plants. I started growing tomatoes as my first food plant and moved on to cucumbers and squash. I read in a magazine about hybrid food plants and want to know where to buy hybrid seeds. Thank you so much for your suggestions and comments.

Any F1 is a hybrid.
If you see an x between two plant names, that also indicates a hybrid.

 

[Livvy]

If the courgette behind the female grows to full ripeness, and produces seeds, they WILL be a cross.
What kind of cross is anyone's guess

So could you do this with any plant/vegetable or would it have to be a close enough match?

 

[Trellum]

If the courgette behind the female grows to full ripeness, and produces seeds, they WILL be a cross.
What kind of cross is anyone's guess

Awesome! Thanks a lot for the info, I might actually try it! So this is what they do with those apple trees that grow several apple varieties in one?

 

[headfullofbees]

So could you do this with any plant/vegetable or would it have to be a close enough match?

I think they'd have to be different varieties of similar plants.

Awesome! Thanks a lot for the info, I might actually try it! So this is what they do with those apple trees that grow several apple varieties in one?

No, that's grafting.
That doesn't hybridise the apples.

 

[Livvy]

I think they'd have to be different varieties of similar plants.

Figures as much. But how have we managed to cross over different plants in the past? Do you just continue to create hybrids which are closer and closer to a middle link?

 

[headfullofbees]

Figures as much. But how have we managed to cross over different plants in the past? Do you just continue to create hybrids which are closer and closer to a middle link?

I'm sorry, I dont quite follow you.

 

[Trellum]

I think they'd have to be different varieties of similar plants.

No, that's grafting.
That doesn't hybridise the apples.

Oh interesting, then that's what I was interested in I thought it sounded crazy, but I was certain I had hard about grafting. I tried it more than once, but I wasn't successful. Might try again sometime later. Thanks for all the info