Plant spacings?????

[shadowwalker37148]

Where can I find out how far apart to space my heirloom veggies fron my wife's Hybirds. I haven't converted her from them yet. shadowwalker37148

[lovetogarden]

Are you saving seeds? If you let us know what you are growing, perhaps we can let you know what the required distance is.

[shadowwalker37148]

Tomato's, corn,squash, peppers,watermelon,cantalope, to start.

[A.T.Hagan]

If you and her are planting varieties within the same species then the necessary spacing may be on the order of hundreds of feet to over a mile depending on how the given species pollinates.

If you're wanting to save seed from a number of different species and your wife is growing varieties within those same species I'd really recommend you get a copy of Suzanne Ashworth's book Seed To Seed which will explain the whole matter in depth. The tomatoes and peppers would be the easiest, the corn, squash, and melons more difficult because of the way the plants reproduce.

.....Alan.

[walleye]

So what is the required spacing to keep tomato plants isolated for seed saving? I understand it is not that far for tomato plants, but how far is "not far"?

[lovetogarden]

Spacing is debatable.
Most new varieties of tomatoes are pollenated before the flower even opens up.

Modern tomato varieties have retracted stles, this makes cross pollination less likely. Protruding styles can be found with currant tomatoes, potato-leaved varieties and fruit formed from double blosssoms on beefsteak types.

Most modern varieties will not cross with one another because of the retracted styles.

I own two seed saving books, and neither gives an isolation distance as what is needed since how much tomatoes do cross is debatable.

One book suggests caging the plants.

[Jodi]

Hmmmm, maybe you could contact someone at Baker Creek or Seed Savers Exchange and ask. But in my garden I have had plants next to each other that haven't cross pollenated; however, others a row or so away have crossed. Minimum if it were me. . .plant on the other side of a building/major obstruction that isn't down wind from the hybrids. Cause even if you aren't keeping seeds, crossing will effect the taste!

A true heirloom conversion will come! You can taste the difference! ! ! Just a little more time.

[GreenZone]

[QUOTE=Jodi]Hmmmm, maybe you could contact someone at Baker Creek or Seed Savers Exchange and ask.

Here at Baker Creek Seed we refer quite a bit to the book "Seed To Seed." In my experience some of the distances in there are perfectionistic; that is, they if followed absolutely guarantee purity. So we follow them where possible and urge our seed-growers to do likewise. But we also rely on experience, which may vary from region to region or even from garden to garden.

As to tomatoes and retractable styles, the book I mentioned explains how to look at the flowers with a magnifier just to be certain. And supposedly only the ones with the longer styles are likely to cross. Also, it's worth noting that the very widely grown Brandywine tomatoes are in fact potato leaved.

[zebraman]

I use Cages of Hog Wire (Concrete) and Row cover on all plants including Reg.leafs because I don't have the proper acreage to isolate with space.I prefer Red Brandywine w/Reg leaf to the Potato leaf.The Only PL that I am growing this year is Stump of the World,Which is 100 ft from the rest.%0 would be ok but 100 is where they are.The Current types should be at least 100 feet away.Cages are the easiest way off keeping pure.

[rjzatyko@yahoo.com]

hi, if you use the cages to stop the cross pollation,how would you pollanate the plants,would you do it by hand with a brush? i am no plant person,but i think that there is male & female flowers on the plant that have to do their thing. richard from ky.

[redneckplanter]

hnnnmmmnnn

[Eccentric Follies]

hi, if you use the cages to stop the cross pollation,how would you pollanate the plants,would you do it by hand with a brush? i am no plant person,but i think that there is male & female flowers on the plant that have to do their thing. richard from ky.

Some vegetables are self-pollinating. Tomatoes being one. Which is why their crossing with other tomatoes and how far apart to keep them, is up for debate. i think to get a for sure cross, folks would hand-pollinate. Carolyn and others, correct me here if i'm wrong, please.

Myself, i take into consideration the wind direction and how the plants are situated to each other. And only save seed from one variety a year.