Saving Pure seed?

[lostinthewoods]

Hello all.

I'm pretty new to the whole heirloom gardening scene. I have several varieties of tomatoes, peppers and squash coming for the garden this season. Now I have a few questions about how to be sure the seed that I save is pure. I've researched on the internet and have found some conflicting information. I hope you all can steer me in the right direction.

Let's start with tomatoes. I hope to have about 14 different varieties of tomatoes this year. Do I have to worry about them crossing in the garden? From what I've read this is not really a concern with tomatoes? If it is a concern, would bagging a few buds with pantyhose until they set fruit work to protect the plant's genetics? I would mark the stem that I had bagged so once the fruit is mature I'd know which seed to keep.

Next on to peppers. I have read that peppers can also cross. Would it be alright to use the same method with the peppers as I was thinking of using for the tomatoes?

Now for the squash. I'm going to grow about 8 different varieties of squash and I know from experience they are VERY prone to crossing. We had spaghetti squash cross with zucchini,,,,, YUK! I have read that squash will only cross if the last name is the same (pepo, maxima, etc). However, I just read that squash may cross across the last name from time to time (pepo to maxima and vice versa,etc). Can anyone tell me which of these is correct? If they will not cross unless the last name is the same, then I can grow 4 types here in our garden and 4 kinds in another garden miles down the road. My next question is, are squash mechanically pollinated (by this I mean they have to be pollinated by some means other than pollen in the air , bees, beetles, hand pollination, etc) or can they simply be pollinated by pollen traveling in the air? I figure to get the best results and the best seed I'll probably be hand pollinating most of them myself and not depending on Mother Nature to do it for me. If I can catch the female flower before it opens and can bag it until it opens. Then once it is opened, hand pollinate it then bag it again until it sets fruit, this approach would give me pure seed in the offspring?

I hope this makes sense to someone. If I could get all this figured out before I go to planting the seeds then I think I'll have a much better chance of collecting pure seed and better tasting veggies at the end of the season.

thanks in advance for all the help!


lost

PS.. I do plan on purchasing Seed to Seed, but I have to wait on the $$$$ to appear first.

[AlchemyAcres]

Let's start with tomatoes. I hope to have about 14 different varieties of tomatoes this year. Do I have to worry about them crossing in the garden? Yes, if you want pure seed. From what I've read this is not really a concern with tomatoes? Depends on how much potential crossing you can live with. If it is a concern, would bagging a few buds with pantyhose until they set fruit work to protect the plant's genetics? Yep, bagging will work. I think pantyhose would be a pain to work with though. I would mark the stem that I had bagged so once the fruit is mature I'd know which seed to keep. Marking is a good idea.

Next on to peppers. I have read that peppers can also cross. Would it be alright to use the same method with the peppers as I was thinking of using for the tomatoes? You can bag the blossoms, but most pepper plants are are fairly small, so it's easier to just 'cage' the whole plant with spun polyester, or similar.

Now for the squash. I'm going to grow about 8 different varieties of squash and I know from experience they are VERY prone to crossing. We had spaghetti squash cross with zucchini,,,,, YUK! I have read that squash will only cross if the last name is the same (pepo, maxima, etc). However, I just read that squash may cross across the last name from time to time (pepo to maxima and vice versa,etc). Can anyone tell me which of these is correct? Moschata and Mixta will potentially cross...the other species will not..hand pollination is the only way to ensure pure seed. If you have neighbors within a quarter mile growing squash, you'll surely need to hand pollinate. If they will not cross unless the last name is the same, then I can grow 4 types here in our garden and 4 kinds in another garden miles down the road. My next question is, are squash mechanically pollinated (by this I mean they have to be pollinated by some means other than pollen in the air , bees, beetles, hand pollination, etc) or can they simply be pollinated by pollen traveling in the air? Squash have separate male and female flowers. I figure to get the best results and the best seed I'll probably be hand pollinating most of them myself and not depending on Mother Nature to do it for me. If I can catch the female flower before it opens and can bag it until it opens. Then once it is opened, hand pollinate it then bag it again until it sets fruit, this approach would give me pure seed in the offspring? Here's a link to info that explains exacting what you need to do... http://www.rain.org/~sals/squash.html



~Martin

[dreams_in_color]

Great post. I learned a lot I did not know. I have a question.

I have always heard not to plant you cantelopes next to your cucumbers because they will cross and the results will not be pleasant. I did not realize it was the same with squash. Any other veggie cross I need to watch out for?

[pergammano]

Fennel contaminates dill!

[lostinthewoods]

Thanks all! This has really helped alot. I was hoping you would see this one martin as I read you were "obsessive" about pure seed. I have read that you can actually cut open the female squash flower just before it opens, hand pollinate it then tie the flower back up with a piece of yarn to keep it closed until it dies off and the squash starts to form. Have you ever tried this before? Doing it this way would be one less step in the process. The only other thing i now wonder is, if you're going to hand pollinate all of the squash anyway, it would be fine to grow them all in the same garden? So long as any flowers that opened before they were pollinated were removed or at least their fruit wasn't saved for seed.

Dreams,

I too once worried about this, although, not about cukes and cantalopes, but rather hot peppers and bell peppers. You don't have anything to worry about unless you plan on saving your seed. As for cukes crossing with cantalopes I don't know, but if you're going to save your seed to plant again, you may end up with some strange results.

just my $.02


Thanks again,
lost

[AlchemyAcres]

Have you ever tried this before?I bag the female blossoms with small glassine bags until they open, then pollinate and cover again. That's easier than tying, especially with smaller blossoms. Doing it this way would be one less step in the process. The only other thing i now wonder is, if you're going to hand pollinate all of the squash anyway, it would be fine to grow them all in the same garden? There's no problem with that If you're hand pollinating.


~Martin

[lostinthewoods]

Thank you for all your help!

lost