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F1 or heirloom tomato seeds: which packet to buy

Updated: 16 October 2026

You are looking at Just Seed Sungold F1 beside Moneymaker, Ailsa Craig and Black Krim, and the question is whether you will save seed. F1 or heirloom tomato seeds is one decision. An F1 will not come true from the fruit you pick. A title that says heirloom is not an organic certificate, and it is not a statement about plant breeders' rights. The [tomato seeds comparison](/hub/herb-seeds/tomato-seeds) lists the prices. Count and brand clashes belong on the [buying guide](/hub/herb-seeds/tomato-seeds/sub/tomato-seeds-buying-guide). This page uses Gardeners' World, the RHS tomato guide, Schedule 3 and the GOV.UK page on plant breeders' rights, with amazon.co.uk listings read on 15 October 2026.

You are looking at Just Seed Sungold F1 beside Moneymaker, Ailsa Craig and Black Krim, and the question is whether you will save seed. F1 or heirloom tomato seeds is one decision.

Our top picks

Just Seed Just Seed Sungold F1 tomato seeds

Best overall

Just Seed Just Seed Sungold F1 tomato seeds
9.5/10about £3.65
View offer
Meldon Seeds Meldon Ailsa Craig tomato seeds

Alternative

Meldon Seeds Meldon Ailsa Craig tomato seeds
9.3/10about £2.99
View offer
Just Seed JustSeed Moneymaker tomato seeds

Best value

Just Seed JustSeed Moneymaker tomato seeds
9.3/10about £2.75
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What F1 changes
  2. 2.Sungold F1 in this set
  3. 3.What the heritage titles actually say
  4. 4.Saving seed, and what we will not claim
  5. 5.When to choose Sungold, and when to choose a heritage title

What F1 changes

F1 means a first-generation hybrid, the cross sold for that crop. Gardeners' World states that you can save tomato seed, and that F1 varieties will not come true from home-collected seed. Next year's plants can differ in size, season and fruit. In this set, that limit applies to one title only, Just Seed Sungold F1. It is a gardening limit, not a yield claim and not a safety label.

Sungold F1 in this set

Only Just Seed Sungold F1 says F1: 10 seeds at £3.65, 4.5 stars from 111 reviews. The notes include near-complete germination and one buyer who said the fruit was not the Sungold they knew. The height attribute says 65 cm and the bloom attribute says winter. Organic on the material line, and Defra 7291 in the bullets, were not checked on a register. Who else that packet suits is on which packet fits you.
Just Seed Just Seed Sungold F1 tomato seeds

Testsieger

Just Seed Just Seed Sungold F1 tomato seeds
9.5/10about £3.65
View offer

What the heritage titles actually say

Heirloom here is the seller's word, not a legal class, and it does not mean organic or British. Meldon's Ailsa Craig says a greenback heirloom introduced in 1925, indeterminate, 30 seeds at £2.99, sown at 0.5 cm and 18–21°C. Meldon's Moneymaker says the variety is over 100 years old, 18 seeds at £2.95, with the same sowing line. JustSeed's Moneymaker, 100 seeds at £2.75, does not repeat that sentence and does not say F1. It claims organic registration AP23164, which was not verified. Black Krim puts heirloom on the title, 20 seeds at £2.49, and says certified French organic grower. That organic line is unverified, and the habit is missing. The four-variety kit also uses heritage language, then mixes four names and, on one line, swaps Black Zebra for Black Cherry. A mix is not a single open-pollinated choice.

Saving seed, and what we will not claim

Gardeners' World's point is horticultural: save non-F1 seed if you want, and do not expect an F1 to come true. If the variety might be protected, check GOV.UK plant breeders' rights rather than a title that says heirloom. Cross-pollination is a rule of thumb, not a measurement from these listings. Tomato flowers often pollinate themselves, and they can still take a neighbour's pollen. Seed saved from an open-pollinated plant grown beside three other varieties may not match the parent, even though the packet never said F1. Isolate the fruit you save, or accept the mix.

When to choose Sungold, and when to choose a heritage title

Choose Sungold F1 when the fruit is the point and you will buy seed again. Choose Meldon Ailsa Craig or Meldon Moneymaker when you want a heritage story and printed sowing instructions, accepting that coming true still depends on isolation and on whatever rights apply. Skip a title that only says heirloom when the rest of the page is blank. Black Krim is the example: the word is there, the habit is not, and the organic claim is unchecked. JustSeed's Moneymaker is the middle case. It is not sold as an F1, and it also omits the habit and the heritage sentence Meldon prints. Buy it for the 100-seed count. Do not buy it as the packet that teaches you the variety.

Common questions

Will Sungold come true if I save the seed?
No. It is sold as Sungold F1, and Gardeners' World states that F1 varieties will not come true from home-collected seed. If you want that orange cherry again, buy seed again. The 65 cm attribute on the listing does not change the hybrid.
Are F1 tomato seeds genetically modified?
Not by definition. F1 is a cross. Schedule 3 requires a genetically modified variety to be stated on the label, and none of these listings says GM. An F1 packet can be unlabelled as GM and still be the wrong packet if you hoped to save seed that comes true.
Which packets in this set are sold as heirloom?
Meldon calls Ailsa Craig a greenback heirloom introduced in 1925, and calls Moneymaker a variety over 100 years old. Black Krim has heirloom on the title. The kit uses heritage language for four names at once. JustSeed's Moneymaker does not say heirloom and does not say F1. The word is the seller's description, not a legal grade.
Does heirloom mean organic and British?
No. Organic on these listings is a separate claim, and no certificate was checked. Black Krim's French organic-grower line and JustSeed's AP23164 are unverified. Meldon's Ailsa Craig is not labelled organic at all, though the seller gives an introduction date of 1925. Heritage, origin and organic status are three different sentences.
Can I legally save tomato seed at home?
This page will not answer that as a yes or a no. GOV.UK says breeders' rights can restrict reproduction of a protected variety, and the guidance we read does not quote a home-garden exemption or name tomato. Gardeners' World explains the gardening result: non-F1 seed can be saved, and F1 seed will not come true.
Is the RHS award the same thing as this Just Seed packet?
No. The Award of Garden Merit is attached to the variety name 'Sungold', described as a cordon cherry. It is not a test of the Just Seed listing, which does not say cordon and prints a height of 65 cm. You can want the variety the RHS describes and still find this packet's habit line missing.

Related pages

How to sow tomato seeds

Saving open-pollinated tomato seed

Tomato seeds

Best tomato seeds UK: the packet that fits the job

Tomato seeds UK: six checks before you buy a packet

Greenhouse or outdoor tomatoes: where they will stand

Sources

Public UK sources named for this comparison. Listings read on 15 October 2026.

  1. RHS, How to grow tomatoes (retrieved October 2026)
  2. RHS, Tomato blight (retrieved October 2026)
  3. Gardeners' World, How to grow tomatoes (23 May 2025) (retrieved October 2026)
  4. Seed Marketing Regulations 2011, Schedule 3 (retrieved October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK, Plant breeders' rights (retrieved October 2026)
  6. amazon.co.uk listings for the eleven packets, read 15 October 2026 (retrieved 15 October 2026)