I don't think the company has much bearing on whether seeds will come true. That's a function of the type of plant you are growing. If you list the seeds you have bought we can perhaps tell you which one you can save seed from and get good results.

Thank you! That would be great.
What I have:
1. Zucchini squash. no specific name.
2. Early Jersey cabbage
3. Dannon's carrots? I think. It's hand written on the package and the lettering is a bit smudged.
4.Blue lake bush green bean
5.Willow leaf pole bean
6.Homestead tomatoes.
There's also a straight neck squash and cabbage collards that aren't named. Thank you again for any help you can give!

Hi,
You need to make sure the varieties are OP(Open Pollinated.) Some OP varieties are heirloom, but not all are. To be an heirloom, it has to be an older variety.

1. Zucchini squash. no specific name. - probably Black Beauty. It is widely available and inexpensive. It is an OP heirloom.
You can not grow the yellow straight neck squash at the same time though and collect seeds. They will cross pollinate with each other so their offspring will be mixed up. You have to gorw one or the other to save seed. (You can grow both and save seed, but you need to hand pollinate and bag blossoms.)

2. Early Jersey cabbage - It is an old OP variety, but Cabbage needs to be over wintered to produce seed.

3. Dannon's carrots? I think. It's hand written on the package and the lettering is a bit smudged. I don't know about the variety, but carrots also will not produce seed in their first year. They must overwinter to make seed.

4.Blue lake bush green bean and 5.Willow leaf pole bean - all beans are OP and seeds can be saved from them. They do not need much distance between them so many varieties can be grown at the same time and seed can be saved.

6.Homestead tomatoes. - I believe this is an OP variety and seeds can be saved.

Collards - need to overwinter to get seed.

If you need more in depth info on saving seeds of each kind of vegetable, please search the forum. There are many threads on them.
hope this helps,
Remy

Thanks for the advice Remy, especially the bit about the zucchini and squash cross pollinating. That would have never occurred to me.

Perhaps the carrot is "Danver's" as in the "Danver's Half Long" carrot variety.

I recommend getting a seed saving handbook and learn the pollination methods of plants. Start by saving seed from varieties that produce seed in one season (annuals) and need minimal steps to avoid cross pollination (beans, lettuce, radish, spinach, etc.). Advance to annuals that require extra efforts to avoid crossing such as bagging blossoms or net-caging plants (peppers, etc.). Then advance to annuals that require bagging or caging and require extra efforts to harvest viable seed such as fermenting the seed (tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.). Then advance to biennial vegetables that require two years to produce seed (carrots, parsnips, beets, etc.).

Remember, open pollinated plants that cross pollinate will still produce viable seed and produce edible fruit. It is just that they have a good chance of morphing into something different from the original strains after seasons of saving seed from unprotected plants. You might accidentally create something that grows or tastes better than the originals! If you want to keep the varieties you have distinct, then the above efforts need to be made.

The methods mentioned above all sound harder than they actually are. Also, it does not take much extra effort to save enough seed from a variety for several seasons of planting (as long as one stores the seed properly), so you can rotate your seed saving grow-outs. For example saving seed from carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach this season and beets, peppers, radishes, beans next season, etc.

That is pretty much what I do. I save seed every year from a few different vegetable varieties based on 3-5 year rotation schedules, but for example I save seed from a few tomato strains every year instead of doing all the tomatoes every 3-4 years. This all takes planning, but that is part of the fun for me.

Heirlooms are great, but the main thing is to see the words "open pollinated" somewhere on the seed pack or do research before hand so you are informed. You never know when you might be at a store and see that they have seeds on sale or clearance - a great way to accumulate a collection as you now know you can save open pollinated seed varieties for future seasons - hybrids have no guarantee of viability after the date on the package.

IMO you are on the right track learning how to save seed. One never knows when one might need to rely on this ability. Empower yourself.

-Tom

Thank you Tom, I appreciate the input. I think it is Danver's! I also like the idea of rotating the seed you collect rather than trying to do it all every year. I will definately put that into practice.

I'm a little confused by this statement..."great way to accumulate a collection as you now know you can save open pollinated seed varieties for future seasons - hybrids have no guarantee of viability after the date on the package." So I guess open pollinated seed are viable for up to 5 years? But hybrids may not be? Sorry so confused. :/ But I'd really like to know for sure if I'm understanding that right.

And yes, I think gardening and seed collecting are great skills to learn. You never know when they may be useful.

Bee - Becoming Empowered

Bee said, "I'm a little confused by this statement...'great way to accumulate a collection as you now know you can save open pollinated seed varieties for future seasons - hybrids have no guarantee of viability after the date on the package.' So I guess open pollinated seed are viable for up to 5 years? But hybrids may not be? Sorry so confused. :/ But I'd really like to know for sure if I'm understanding that right."

My response: Hybrid seeds are strains manipulated by humans and as such are inherently weak. Open pollinated varieties are created by nature and are only tinkered with by humans, so are inherently strong. Anyone can purchase a pack of OP seeds and keep them for the future. There is no reason they should not grow 3-5 years later if they were originally harvested properly and if they have been stored properly. So if a person comes across a seed rack on clearance after the planting season, one can possibly get a whole bunch of OP seeds for next to nothing, and save the seeds for next season or whatever. Never pass up a good opportunity. I do this all the time to augment my seed bank inventory. I never purchase clearanced hybrid seeds but for now I do not see why a person could not do that if she/he wanted to (but IMO use them the very next season).

Hybrid seeds generally do not keep as long as seeds from open pollinated varieties. The mega seed corporations are also working very hard to introduce a "clock" gene that will make the seed die after a period of time, thus making gardeners have no choice but to purchase the seed every year (from them). This is their holy grail. I will never fall into the trap of buying their seeds if their frankensteinian experiments are successful, and then end up having to depend on these evil companies for my seed. I do not trust any variety of hybrid seeds beyond three years, but they may stay viable longer - a risk I am not willing to take. These issues are why I limit use of hybrid seeds, and have a family seed bank of OP varieties. I save enough seed to feed my extended family and friends if need be - generally I maintain a 3 year supply - enough seed for gardens to feed 12 families of 4 people for three years.

Many open pollinated varieties will stay viable longer than five years, some even ten years. But it is not how long they stay viable, it is how many will stay viable. I stick with five years because I do not want to plant a row of something expecting a crop and have only 3-5 plants come up.

A relevant story: I found some misplaced seed from a OP tomato variety that I had not planted for 16 years. I could not find seed for that variety anywhere at that time. I had 14 seeds, planted them and ONE came up. I planted it, saved the seed, and now I have 100's of that seed in my inventory. Try that with a hybrid variety and I will bet you a lotto ticket that not one seed will germinate.

My point is it is a wise strategy to expect seed to last only 3-5 years (depending on type), and you will not be disappointed. In a crunch you still have an opportunity beyond those 3-5 years to still try to grow out a variety and be successful, but do not rely on it.

-Tom