[flyguy]

Hi everyone,
I really enjoyed by Crown Prince squash I grew last year. The trouble was, only 1 of the 5 seeds that I bought grew into plants that actually produced the lovely grey blue squash I wanted. The others turned into standard orange pumpkin variety. Seeds were F1 hybrids from Kings Seeds. Can anyone recommend a seed supplier in the UK that can be relied on, it's a long time to wait between sowing and growing to find out you aren't producing what you thought you were.....
Thanks in advance

[Plot 1 Problems]

https://www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk/courgette-and-squash/squash-and-pumpkin/squash-crown-prince

Always had excellent seeds from them, though they are pricey.

Also have been happy with justseed, cheaper but not tried this variety to know that it's a 100% cert

https://justseed.com/products/squcro001

[Didiaskew]

Premier seeds direct sell them I get all my seed from them and never had any problems with quality and all seeds are between 69p and 99p per packet. Just checked their site crown prince are 99p for 20 seeds

[sunshineband]

Premier seeds direct sell them I get all my seed from them and never had any problems with quality and all seeds are between 69p and 99p per packet. Just checked their site crown prince are 99p for 20 seeds

I have used them too and have not had any issues.. sensible price as well.

[mumofstig]

TBH I think all of the seed suppliers make occasional mistakes and I couldn't recommend any of them as foolproof. I have, in the past, had squash seed from Premier seeds direct, that weren't the variety I ordered - all perfectly edible, but that isn't really the point is it?

All you can do is complain when it becomes obvious what has happened, if you can be bothered, usually it means you get a voucher towards next year's seeds.

[flyguy]

Thanks for the responses, it sounds like at some success with premier seeds, although not sure mumofstig's experience was specific to crown prince. I know no 100% guarantees just trying to give my self a better chance of the right result.

I wonder if cross pollination could have been a factor with my experience, does that seem likely with F1 hybrids? Although it isn't clear if premier seeds are F1 or not

Thanks again

[Plot 1 Problems]

It wouldn't be cross-polination as an issue here as all F1 seeds will be true. The most likely scenario is that other seeds were mixed in with the F1 seeds during packing. I could bore you to death with a Punnet square explanation of F1 seeds and dominant and recessive alleles, but I shall refrain

[JayG]

Squashes cross-pollinate so readily that I'm surprised unintended hybrids don't occur more often (or perhaps they do but not everyone notices. )

Doesn't matter whether the seeds are F1 or open pollinated, it only takes one mistake, possibly a few generations before, to get some unintended results.

As an aside, I grew Crown Prince last year (seeds from Premier Seeds Direct) and the only problem was the sheer size of the fruits (not many, but each about a stone in weight - one only has so many friends and neighbours!) Giving Uchiki Kuri a try this year - hopefully a bit more manageable size-wise.