Hybrid is as Hybrid does

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by pj4reliv

Sorry I am new here and also a new gardener, so I am totally unconcious when it comes to seeds, plants, when to plant and when to pick. But, if hybrids come from other seed (older seeds) aren't all seeds hybrid? Where else do you get seeds?

The simplified answer is this:
Hybrids in this context are a specific result of a specific breeding program. You take two separate true breeding lines and cross them. The F1 generation will be consistent, but following generations will not. They will be all mixed up. An OP cultivar on the other hand will breed true for many generations.

If you save your own seed this is a very important thing. Because save a seed from a hybrid and no telling what you will grow next year. Might generally end up with inferior plants. But save an OP cultivar seeds and you should expect fairly consistent results. All the plants should produce the tomato you expect.

PS Welcome to Tville!

[Antares]

Originally Posted by Redbaron

Might generally end up with inferior plants.

Not really. As long as both parent lines were selected for properly, and don't contain certain traits that are deleterious in the homozygote. I save seed from hybrids all the time, tis fun.

To the original question. "cultivars" are a man made was of classifying things by traits. "Hybrid" is also a man made classification to help understand that particular strains origin (two generally uniform strains were crossed to produce it). Wild plants have all kinds of mixtures of genes, that's why there is a constant war between the lumpers and the splitters in species classification. So in a sense, yes, everything is a "Hybrid" but that's not really the way that word is intended to be used.

[RJGlew]

Originally Posted by Antares

Not really. As long as both parent lines were selected for properly, and don't contain certain traits that are deleterious in the homozygote. I save seed from hybrids all the time, tis fun.

Theory says you'll lose the hybrid vigour associated with the F1 in your F2s/F3s etc. I have a small garden so I need every volume advantage I can get. :-)

[Antares]

Originally Posted by RJGlew

Theory says you'll lose the hybrid vigour associated with the F1 in your F2s/F3s etc. I have a small garden so I need every volume advantage I can get. :-)

Yes in outbreeders like corn, absolutely. In inbreeders like tomatoes, I haven't seen a big drop in vigor from the Hybrid to the F2 and beyond, my big pink F3s last year were actually more productive than the F1 (but the fruit shape is different than the original, lol). Still, much easier to buy the Hybrids you know do well in your place if uniformity and production is your goal, True. I have plenty of production, experimentation is what I enjoy most. "select the best, cull the rest"