Cross Pollination

[DennisArrow]

Simple question:

When planted close together in the garden do cucumbers and squash cross pollinate?

Squash and cantalope?

Cucumbers and cantalope?

Thanks.......Dennis

 

[MMagis]

No .

 

[bp fick]

And, while you didn't ask, squash A will with squash B, and both will with pumpkins.

Pickles with cukes, tomatoes with every other tomato variety, etc.

None of this is important unless you are a seed keeper.

 

[Duffster]

And, while you didn't ask, squash A will with squash B, and both will with pumpkins.

Pickles with cukes, tomatoes with every other tomato variety, etc.

None of this is important unless you are a seed keeper.

Pickles with cukes?

 

[bp fick]

Pickles with cukes?

Sure, they are really the same family, with hundreds of derivations, that's why they cross, but a cuke has been developed to be long, tubular and slicers. Local naming of these differing sub varieties vary greatly regionally.

The "pickle" was developed for, well, pickles. Small gerkin type, dills, sweet pickles, with "bread and butter", being the rounder, medium sized. These specific breeding programs have developed these specialties. They will, of course, easily cross and the result will be an very undetermined off spring.

OK, way too much information. Sorry.

 

[Duffster]

Sure, they are really the same family, with hundreds of derivations, that's why they cross, but a cuke has been developed to be long, tubular and slicers. Local naming of these differing sub varieties vary greatly regionally.

The "pickle" was developed for, well, pickles. Small gerkin type, dills, sweet pickles, with "bread and butter", being the rounder, medium sized. These specific breeding programs have developed these specialties. They will, of course, easily cross and the result will be an very undetermined off spring.

OK, way too much information. Sorry.

I see,

Where i come from they are cukes until pickled then they are pickles. :licking:

 

[DennisArrow]

BP.......NO not too MUCH...........PERFECT and thanks Bud...........Typically I plant only one kind of cucumber and yellow squash; but this year am gonna add cantelope and just figuring my spots.........So I guess it is to much to plant yellow summer squash pretty close to butternut or zucinni????????

Are you saying that the seeds will be different but the fruit will be the same as it is supposed to be???????

Have planted tomatos in one patch with cherries right next to yellow and regular stuff like "big boy" and no problem with the fruit.........so if I was to save the seeds though I would/could have problems??????...........thanks......Dennis

 

[jeffinsgf]

They are all cucurbits, but they will only cross with members of the same family. The squashes are where it really gets confusing. Most squashes and pumkins will cross with most any other, but the fruit is not affected, only the seed, meaning if you plant the seed the next year you won't get what you expect. :confused2:

Same with watermelon. If you plant two kinds of watermelon and they cross-pollinate, this year's melons will look like what you expect, but if you save the seed, it won't come true.

 

[bp fick]

They are all cucurbits, but they will only cross with members of the same family. The squashes are where it really gets confusing. Most squashes and pumkins will cross with most any other, but the fruit is not affected, only the seed, meaning if you plant the seed the next year you won't get what you expect. :confused2:

Same with watermelon. If you plant two kinds of watermelon and they cross-pollinate, this year's melons will look like what you expect, but if you save the seed, it won't come (back) true.

Precisely.

 

[DennisArrow]

Thanks Jeff and BP...........Very clear explanation. OK, so my fruit in this years crop will NOT be ruined or weird; BUT, and it's a big BUT (pardon the pun) the seeds from these fruits will not bear true. With times like they are I really would like to be able to save seeds for next year. Currently I am doing this with my green beans for 2 years now with good results. I have a "type" that begins bearing in late July and goes until frost so am very happy with those.

I WOULD like to be able to count on the seeds from my corn, squash, and cukes.......Just in case seed availability would become unavailable for societal reasons........SO........The corn is not a problem I think as I only plant Ambrosia, is this one of those Hybrids that the seeds are sterile?..............The squash and cukes though if there is a cross polination problem could be a problem........Or is there?............How far apart should they be in order to get some seeds???????

Thanks GUYS.........Dennis

 

[bp fick]

I realize there are those who speak of seed banks, seed storage, etc for political reasons. I will leave that totally alone.

THIS is what I would do, were I concerned about seeds. Go Buy Some!! They will keep. They have successfully germinated seeds from the ancient pyramids and such.

The problems associated with seed cross pollination, loss of vigor in the second generation, etc are too big O' pain. I might save a few seeds here or there, but as a standard practice, I want pure, vigorous seeds. If I get a deal on a variety I like, I often buy 3 years worth and store them in my seed filing cabinet.

 

[Duffster]

I realize there are those who speak of seed banks, seed storage, etc for political reasons. I will leave that totally alone.

THIS is what I would do, were I concerned about seeds. Go Buy Some!! They will keep. They have successfully germinated seeds from the ancient pyramids and such.

The problems associated with seed cross pollination, loss of vigor in the second generation, etc are too big O' pain. I might save a few seeds here or there, but as a standard practice, I want pure, vigorous seeds. If I get a deal on a variety I like, I often buy 3 years worth and store them in my seed filing cabinet.

Seeds keep even better in the freezer.

 

[jeffinsgf]

Plant one kind of squash and one kind of cucumber and you don't have to worry at all. If you dig a little deeper, you'll find that some squashes are safe from others, and even among those that will cross, you can hand pollinate and tie off the blossoms to create a few fruit from which you can harvest pure seed (hey, nobody said it was going to be easy). If you're intent on harvesting your own seed, I highly recommend the book "Seed to Seed". Available wherever lunatic fringe gardeners hang out.

Ambrosia is an F1 hybrid corn. In no way will you get viable seed from it. Take a look at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds for a few selections of open pollinated (not hybrid) corn from which seed could be saved. I'm looking into "Country Gentleman". They have "Seed to Seed" in their online catalog, too.

Oh, and to directly answer your question, the isolation distance for all cucurbits from others of the same family (squashes from squashes, melons from melons, cucumbers from cucumbers, etc.) is one half mile.

All of this said, I have some advice, which is going to be worth exactly what you're paying for it. Learn to raise food first, then learn about harvesting seed. If you spend all your time trying to learn how to get the second crop, you're very likely to never harvest the first crop. I've been gardening all my life, and only recently have saved a few seeds. I've got some second and third generation tomatoes and beans going in this year, but I've got them backed up with purchased seed, too.

 

[bp fick]

Oh, and to directly answer your question, the isolation distance for all cucurbits from others of the same family (squashes from squashes, melons from melons, cucumbers from cucumbers, etc.) is one half mile.

All of this said, I have some advice, which is going to be worth exactly what you're paying for it. Learn to raise food first, then learn about harvesting seed. If you spend all your time trying to learn how to get the second crop, you're very likely to never harvest the first crop. I've been gardening all my life, and only recently have saved a few seeds. I've got some second and third generation tomatoes and beans going in this year, but I've got them backed up with purchased seed, too.

From one life long gardener (who produces both for personal use and to sell to market) to another, Very well said.

 

[LRTX1]

You can also stager your plantings so the two varieties are not in bloom at the same time.

 

[jeffinsgf]

You can also stager your plantings so the two varieties are not in bloom at the same time.

Right, IF you're growing season is long enough (pointed out the guy in the midwest instead of Florida :laughing: ).

 

[LRTX1]

Right, IF you're growing season is long enough (pointed out the guy in the midwest instead of Florida :laughing: ).

Well, the OP is from Jawja. I was also thinking of squash, as in a summer type, which normally has a very short growing season, 50 days +/-

Sorry if I misled anyone from the artic states to thinking they could plant year long.....lol