Hybrid Gypsy Pepper Seeds

Why is it I can buy the plant or the seeds, plant them and it will be a true Gypsy Pepper?
But when I save the seeds from the Gypsy Peppers themselves people say they won't be a true Gypsy Pepper because they are hybrids?
I don't get it. Where do the seed company's get their seeds?
How do I grow/collect Gypsy Pepper seeds that will be true?
Clear as mud, I know.
Thank you

It's because the seed is created by cross pollinating one or more pepper varieties. Most often today those varieties have patents held by seed producers. The seed producers control pricing and distribution through the seed companies. The resulting hybrids are also patented so even if you could get seed or plants of the progenitors, you could not legally produce seed or grow those plants.

Some hybrid plants are able to produce fairly true to parent progeny for one or more generations. But until five generations of seed derived from a hybrid are grown true the seed is not considered stable. Most seed saved from hybrid plants loose their desirable qualities because hybrids are genetically unstable. The likelihood of this happening with artificially produced hybrids is higher than natural hybrids because multiple crosses have been made, not just two, to produce that seed.

The production of new varieties is a fascinating behind-the-scenes science. In this country several agricultural universities carry out this work. In other countries, especially in Japan and China, there are enormous public and private concerns as it's really about research and development.

Clear as crystal now?

Once you cross it with your own seed you can make it your own and call it whatever name you want to. [and not worry about patent infringement.]
I suggest growing Gypsy Pepper, then crossing your favorite other pepper variety to it and mark those hand-pollinated flowers. You can name the resulting crosses and then those become yours. And leave the Gypsy Peppers parents to the breeders who hold the patent rights.

Providing your cross produces viable seed and you grow it out for five generations with a consistent replica of the original first year cross.

I grow Boxcar Willie and Sungold tomatoes every year. Both are very prolific. While Boxcar Willie is golf ball size, Sungold is a cherry. More than five years ago I grew out what I thought was a Boxcar Willie from saved seed. It was the size and shape of Boxcar Willie but it was golden yellow and almost as sweet as Sungold. I call it Golden Willie. It's been very stable. They are to the left. The surprising thing is that Sungold is a patented complex hybrid and I've never been able to get a decent tomato beyond one generation from this seed.

The seed producers control pricing and distribution through the seed companies. The resulting hybrids are also patented so even if you could get seed or plants of the progenitors, you could not legally produce seed or grow those plants.

Some hybrid plants are able to produce fairly true to parent progeny for one or more generations.

But until five generations of seed derived from a hybrid are grown true the seed is not considered stable.

Most seed saved from hybrid plants loose their desirable qualities because hybrids are genetically unstable.


This message was edited Sep 5, 2022 12:24 PM

Thank you for the explanations! It helped.
I'm not receiving notifications when someone has replied so I'll need to look in to that.
Thanks again!

Dave's Garden has never notified posters regarding responses. They do notify you by email, after several days, if you have unviewed private mail. You will need to log in and look at the box on your home page titled "Watched Threads" to follow responses to your posts or other topics of interest.

It wasn't clear to me as well until I saw MaypopLaurel answer. Thanks a lot for the explanation. I've just started gardening so don't be angry with me for asking obvious questions, please. I make my best and started reading various magazines and blogs like https://thegardenhows.com/are-jalapenos-a-fruit/. Btw I discovered there the article to my question "are jalapenos a fruit". The short answer is that they’re not technically fruits; however, they do have many of the characteristics you’d find in a typical plant-based food. Long story short, just read the article if you're interested.



This message was edited Oct 4, 2022 11:17 AM

This message was edited Oct 4, 2022 11:18 AM

Doctorporo, I'm not sure whether it was the explanation about hybrids or about notifications that helped but either way you are welcome.

"growing season for peppers here is February and March" - great! I am finally not late for the growing season. I am finally prepared much better for growing my Jalapeno. Btw I also found a great search that helped me learn a great number of tips and rules. I discovered everything on https://succulentsplants.org/how-to-grow-jalapeno-plants-a-detailed-guide/ Jalapeno Care website, which has articles about various plants. I found out that there are a few key points to remember while growing Jalapeno. Firstly, they need a lot of sun and water, and secondly, they need to be planted in well-drained soil. I also learned that I need to make sure to keep up with the weeding, as this will help keep the soil healthy and promote good growth. With all these tips in mind, I'm now more confident than ever that I'll be able to grow a perfect Jalapeno plant.


This message was edited Feb 27, 2023 1:35 PM

Dropping in for the first time in ages, but wanted to add that 'Gypsy' and 'Carmen' are two hybrid peppers that I happily pay $ for. I haven't had much luck (low productivity) with various bell peppers, hybrid or not, and these two non-bells are insanely productive by comparison. I used to grow non-hybrid bull's horn peppers despite getting only 2 peppers per plant, because the flavor was so wonderful. Then I found 'Carmen', a hybrid with all the flavor and at leasst 3x the productivity!

So, are hybrid seeds worth the $$? In some cases -- definitely yes! Sometimes the very newest offerings cost more (as with everything) and you may be better off getting less expensive hybrids that have been around a while.

But you'll almost never find a hybrid tomato in my garden. I just haven't found any that compete with the flavor of the heirloom and OP varieties. If that means lower production, I'll just put in more tomato plants!