[Beetroot Queen]

Ok so I have new plants ready to go in the PT but I went to do a quick weed and realised that toms are already growing from dropped toms last year. Safe to leave or not. Shall I just pull them, they look great and a good size too.

[DD.]

Depends how many plants you want!

They're probably not where you want them. You can pot them up and put them where you want later.

Wouldn't bother if they're from F1's though, unless it' to keep a couple out of curiosity.

[Beetroot Queen]

Not sure what they are, one is in exactly the right location as if we planted it, so that can stay. The others I may pot on

[Beetroot Queen]

Would F1's produce any fruit or not. I cant be sure whether they are F1s or not  Sorry can you tell my brain works in bits. The first thought, then the second. I may well be back again for more advice, sorry peeps blame the sun burn I got today 

[snowdrops]

I can't see why it won't produce fruit but it definitely won't be the same as the plant it came from,it will be the same as one of its parents.

[sunshineband]

I find volunteers in outside beds sometimes --usually from our compost. If they are in a reasonable place I leave them, and get a crop from them

In the polytunnel you have a better chance too 

[Beetroot Queen]

I dont really understand the whole F1 thing so I would still get toms not weird fruit. Sorry I am being dense, dont answer that 

[DD.]

I can't see why it won't produce fruit but it definitely won't be the same as the plant it came from,it will be the same as one of its parents.

Which might be something undesirable.

Or not!

[Beetroot Queen]

I can't see why it won't produce fruit but it definitely won't be the same as the plant it came from,it will be the same as one of its parents.

Which might be something undesirable.

Or not!

But it would be a tomato. I bet every serious tom grower is holding his or her head in their hands. I dont eat them but to me a tom is a tom end of story. Ok shoot me now 

[Yorkie]

An F1 is a hybrid with a mixture of genes (or whatever they're called) from 2 specific parents.  So, let's say its parents are AA and BB varieties; therefore its genes will be one from each parent and thus AB.

For the next year's plants, if you mix two of those F1 plants of AB, when you take one gene from each, you have a range of possible outcomes: AA, AB, BA, BB.  So, you can see that you are not guaranteed that your new plant will have the same characteristics.

It will still be a tomato but not necessarily what you'd aim to grow.

A much-simplified example just to illustrate the theory!

[gobs]

My gh is full of them. 

They might come sour/bitter/sweet/roundish/misshapen etc. Not true to parent simply this means.

[A Reyt Tayty]

Think yourself blessed, volunteers are better than the deserters I'e got on my hands. 

[Beetroot Queen]

Thank you I think I get it. Goodness me I sound like a right numpty LOL  not thick really

[GrannieAnnie]

 Some years ago I bought some floridity seeds that the catalogue neglected to mention they were F1.  So I saved some seeds and sowed them the following year.  The resulting fruits were the same shape as the originals only larger.  Another year they were smaller and a slightly different shape.

I still save some every year, and they still taste good, so give them a go BQ.  you may like them and develop your own strain of tomato! 

[Beetroot Queen]

Okay going to let them be. I wont be eating them but hubby will soon let me know if they are rubbish.