seed question (grow, violet, vegetables, plant)

[Rach1966]

I'm in Haiti right now, had watermelon and I suggested that we save the seeds to plant here to grow more watermelons
then was told, that if the plant was a "hybrid" plant that the seeds will not reproduce
I was told that someone gave lots of seeds to the local people here, but they refused them because they were "hybrid" seeds
just curious, never heard this

[paperhouse]

Some hybrid seeds will be sterile. Some will just revert back to one of the original parents or be something completely different. Let the seeds dry out for a week or so. Put them on a paper towel in a cool, out of sun area inside the house. Once they're dry, you can test the germination by putting them in between moist paper towels in a ziplock bag or some other kind of plastic. Put them in a warm spot, like on top of the computer, fridge, or somewhere else that the temperature is likely to remain above room temperature. If you don't have sprouting seeds within 2 weeks, they're likely duds and won't be viable.

[Gerania]

"Only the first generation of seed resulting from the cross of the parent plants, the F1 hybrid generation, will produce the exact combination of desired traits."

Is Saving Garden Seeds a Saving? (http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/factsheets2/landsnurs/aug88pr3.html - broken link)

You can use them if they sprout, but then you couldn't save any seed from that fruit. I assume these people are seed savers. If they plant what you give them, they'll have nothing for the next crop.

Hybrid Varieties and Saving Seed

[Rach1966]

thanks so much for the information, I grew up on a farm and we always have a big garden but I didn't know this
and yes, they save the seeds to every thing
guess that is why they didn't want the seeds that we gave them

[Inthesierras]

We use alot of heirloom seeds that can be used year after year if you save the seeds.

Seed Savers Exchange