genetics ...

i presume you bought a named variety know for those characteristics .. a certain mom and dad ...

but you saved seeds from a known mom ... and who knows who dad was ... [think bird feeder seed plants]

but even if self pollinated.. you moved away from the genetic pool.. that created the monsters ..

if a farmer wants a certain crop ... he rebuys the seed every year.. he does not save the old .. second generation seed ...

thats about as simple as i can make it ...

ken

"but you saved seeds from a known mom ... and who knows who dad was ... "

So you're saying all flowers that produce seeds are females, and so al the seeds I saved are from the female line and will resemble the line of females? So they become pollinated how? I'm confused on how I chose seeds with the characteristic of only one parent, who apparently wasn't that tall. Wouldn't I have a 50/50 shot of picking seeds that are like the mom or dad? I guess you're at the least saying that one of the parents wasn't that tall, but I really thought that specialty plants had stronger "bloodlines" than that. Like I thought that at least the last few generations of flowers should have been giants to guarantee giants in a package when they're sold.

I just don't get how a trait can leave a flower when you know it's the direct decedent of a flower with that trait. thanks!

That was a helpful, thanks!! :)

Agree. It's a general rule that the seeds of hybrid/cultivar plants can't be relied on to produce the same offspring. When you find a kind you like, buying new seeds is worthwhile if exact duplication is desired.

glad i got you there.. even with all the typos .. lol ..

its hard to define genetics ... in a simple manner.. especially the way i type.. lol ...

ken