cross-pollination

[Ma's_Garden]

This year I would like to grow one variety each of cucumbers, squash, and melons so that I can save seeds from them. How far apart must these be grown so that they will not cross-pollinate?

[cochise]

Gosh, Abundantacres I don't know, I need the same info. for my tomatoes.....I'm planting
mortgage lifters this yr.......and i also have big boys...mine are 150ft. apart.....maybe that would work? I'm also planting two diff. varietes of corn....

[cochise]

Try this site AA:http://tomclothier.hort.net/seedsav5.html

[Ma's_Garden]

Thanks, cochise. That site was very helpful.

[lovetogarden]

cucumbers-varieties must be isolated 1/2 mile
When stored under ideal conditions, seeds are viable up to 10 years.

squash-hand pollinate or seperate the varieties by 1/2 mile.
Seeds are viable for up to 6 years when stored well.


melons-again 1/2 mile distance is recomended,
Seeds are vialble for up to 5 years when stored under ideal conditions


I would rotate the varities I plant each year to prevent cross pollination.


This information comes from the book Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth
I own the first edition copy. The second edition is more compete as she added a section on how to save seeds from flowers.

I consider this book the bible on seed saving.

[the_pumpkin_queen]

So no matter what these babies will cross pollenate if kept close together?

[lovetogarden]

diferent plants are pollinated by different methods.-wind, insects, bees....
These recomendations in the book are proven methods to keep your seed pure.
I suppose if you are a seed saver and not concerned about cross pollination it
is not that critical. And if you do not save seeds, you can grow pretty much anything side by side.

[zachsierke]

If you are only growing one variety each of cucumbers, squash, and melons you don't need to worry about cross pollination at all. They are all seperate species and will not cross no matter the distance from each other.

[A.T.Hagan]

One cucumber, one squash, one melon - three different species just as zach says. They won't cross at all.

That is what I do, one of each species so that I don't have to do the taping the flowers before they open and hand pollinating thing.

.....Alan.

[Hollowbrook]

Yes. I've had some weird volunteers - crosses between summer and winter squashes even.

[drobinson]

Another way to prevent cross-pollination is to stagger plantings so that the blooming periods are different. This works with corn - but watch out for the replantings done among the original planting. It will naturally bloom later than the originals and may coincide with another variety planted later. The staggering method will only work if you have a long enough season. Also, if you live in town and neighbors have gardens, some cross pollination is likely.

[the_pumpkin_queen]

Or you can bag your blossoms so it cuts down on the chance of cross pollenation.

[A.T.Hagan]

If he has ONE cucumber, ONE squash, and ONE melon variety they won't cross at all. They are all different species and in different families to boot. They don't cross with each other.

Some species within the same family will sometimes cross with other species in that family, but that is not the case here.

Now, if his neighbors are growing cucumbers, squash, and melons in close proximity to his he might need to resort to hand pollination.

.....Alan.

[GreenZone]

The Ashworth book is really great. I just bought it myself.

FWIW you also need to be concerned about what your neighbors are growing, if there are any gardens within the critical distance.

[john#4]

High everyone, new here today.
I would like to pass a little trick I have used to prevent cross-pollinating.
I used just mounded dirt bed 4 by 20 ft. Take peaces of 1 ½ in black plastic pipe 1 foot long put these into the ground around your bed. Next take 1 in. plastic and make a hoop over the bed and into the 1-½ peaces in the ground.
Cover this with plastic screen, waste down the bottom.
Now the trick.
Take two kinds of whatever, plane at opposite ends of the garden. When you see a blossom (before it opens) cover both beds. In the evening, uncover one bed and leave the other covered. The next evening, cover the one open and close the other one. When you start to see fruit, mark them that will be your next years seed.
This way you can have two of each family with out cross pollination.
I hope this will help,
John#4 in Vt

[GreenZone]

That sounds like a practical system for alternate-day caging. It should work with any outbreeding insect-pollinated crop. Cool!

High everyone, new here today.
I would like to pass a little trick I have used to prevent cross-pollinating.
I used just mounded dirt bed 4 by 20 ft. Take peaces of 1 ½ in black plastic pipe 1 foot long put these into the ground around your bed. Next take 1 in. plastic and make a hoop over the bed and into the 1-½ peaces in the ground.
Cover this with plastic screen, waste down the bottom.
Now the trick.
Take two kinds of whatever, plane at opposite ends of the garden. When you see a blossom (before it opens) cover both beds. In the evening, uncover one bed and leave the other covered. The next evening, cover the one open and close the other one. When you start to see fruit, mark them that will be your next years seed.
This way you can have two of each family with out cross pollination.
I hope this will help,
John#4 in Vt

[Horsea]

Hi! I just joined up and this is my first post. Maybe I shouldn't be on a topic where everybody wants to prevent cross-pollination, but I want info on what my squash might look like next year if I save the seeds from this year's sure-to-happen cross pollination. I'm referring to large squashes: Guatemalan Blue, Buttercup & Green Hubbard. Will the result simply be good but unpredictable squash, or will they necessarily be inferior & sickly, or will there just be a reduced number of good quality squashes? I always buy fresh seed every year, but want to try and save my own this time. I am obviously not hung up on purity & predicability.

Any answers to my above questions would be very much appreciated. :confused:

[john#4]

Green Zone,

This will also work will with wind pollinated, Do the same as above but on top of screen spred a close net Rayme (sp). This will keep out about 95% of pollen. Here again plant as far as possible and plant something tall in front.
When you plant your seed next year remember to rogue out anything that don’t look right.
John in Vt

[john#4]

Horsea,

If you are using hybrid see there is no telling what you will get. Hybrid will revert back to the original parents and can be completely useable. This can happen next year or the year after. But it will happen. It is not worth the effort. You will end up lousing. If you save seed you have to be hung up on purity.
Use only open pollinated seed.
A great book ‘Seed to Seed’ Try to read this book. It can help you a lot more then I can here.
An other reason to save your own seed, I just planted marigold seed for my friend. $1.69 per pack, they had 6 seeds each.
These seed companies use a lot of gas from planting to harvest. Believe me the cost will only go up and the amount go down.
I hope nobody minds me jumping in here.
John in Vt

[Horsea]

Thanks for your information, John #4. I don't plant hybrid squashes as a rule, only old fashioned open-pollinated varieties from reputable companies. (Hint, hint) I wanted to know what I might expect as an experiment, if I permit crossing to occur, then plant the seeds next year. This is for fun. Might I not get some terrific new squash, just by accident? I know that plant breeders have a way of speeding up the whole seed-to-seed cycle. I don't, of course. I just want to have some fun, and I don't understand plant genetics at all, so that is why I'm looking for someone to tell me what I might expect next year... I am not dependent on that squash to keep us alive. Thanks v. much for your book recommendation!I do hope it's a kind of Plant Genetics for Dummies.

[john#4]

Horsea,

Sorry I misunderstood your reason. No one can give you an answer to what you will get.
The field of botany is extremely complex. Botanist themselves will tell you they don’t what they will get when they cross pollinate. This is one reason it takes years to develop a new strain.
It is the same thing with humans, you cannot tell by looking at the parents what the offspring will be like.
The book ‘Seed to Seed’ doesn’t go into Botany. But it is a world of information and will worth the read. Your library should have it.
Will have fun and good luck,
John in Vt

[Jodi]

Ok, if you really feel you must allow cross pollination or want to breed your own try the book "Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties" by Carol Deppe. Available from www.rareseeds.com

Other tips are also in the book on seed saving on 800+ veggies and wild relatives.
check it out!

Creating your own strain is fun, but don't leave behind those family heirlooms! We don't want to loose those treasures! What an inheritance we have!

[zebraman]

Crosses between winter and Summer Squashes only happen if their both the same species. ie C.Pepo.You can grow one of each species in the same space without cross pollination.All 4 Species have different numbers of Chromosomes.