Cross-pollination (how to avoid it?)

[yarnpiggy]

I tried a search for cross-pollination that resulted in no hits, so apologies in advance if this newbie is starting a thread unnecessarily. Or asking a dumb question.

I'd like to try saving seeds, but I'm wondering, given my limited garden area (my apartment's balcony and a 16 x 16 ft. community garden plot), how advisable this is, assuming I grow more than one variety of tomato (or any other veg, for that matter). How do you prevent cross-pollination?

[Worth1]

Really no need to worry about it they are self pollinating dont require insects and the likelihood of a cross pollination is not likely.
If you are concerned you can bag the blossoms until they set fruit.
The stuff you use to make the rice throwing bags at weddings works fine I just cant remember the name of it.
Tulle cloth that is it.


Worth.

[Wi-sunflower]

Just don't have several varieties planted so close that they become a jungle and grow into each other. THAT'S when you could have issues of cross pollination.

Carol

[AlittleSalt]

yarnpiggy, ask away. There are no such things as dumb gardening questions.

[carolyn137]

There are several ways of preventing Cross pollination,and here's one link and you might recgonize some of the user names who helped write it

http://faq.gardenweb.com/discussions...ss-pollinating

And here's another excellent one from SESE written by Jeff McCormack about NCP (natural cross pollination) and the value of this one to many is that Jeff discusses all the variables that go into Xpollination and how they vary by geographic location,weather,etc.

He's very conservative on isolation distances but that's b'c he was commercial and needed to have as pure seeds as he could

http://faq.gardenweb.com/discussions...ss-pollinating

When I was still growing my own plants there were too many to bag, and growing by isolation was not possible,since I was growing several hundreds of plants and varieties each summer

My crossing % was about 5 %which means that only about 5/100 varieties might be crossed.

And as far back as I can remember of all the seed I sent out for seed offers here and there and listing in the SSE YEarbooks,there were less than 10 varieties (I am in upstate NY) that were crossed,so yes,self pollination happens most of the time, BUT please read the MCCormack article to see what factors play into that.

Also noting I didn't pay attention to using the correct words above,viz,it should be self pollenization,as opposed to cross pollination when pollen from another variety is involved.Learned that from a commercial bee keeper many years ago who used to rent out hives for both greenhouse and outside activity.

Carolyn

[yarnpiggy]

Hi Carolyn,

Your two links go to the same article, but I think I found the McCormack one you referred to?

https://www.southernexposure.com/iso...es-ezp-35.html

Thanks to you, Worth, Carol, and ALittleSalt.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by yarnpiggy

Hi Carolyn,

Your two links go to the same article, but I think I found the McCormack one you referred to?

https://www.southernexposure.com/iso...es-ezp-35.html

Thanks to you, Worth, Carol, and ALittleSalt.

Yes,that's the right one and thanks for posting it.

Every now and then I can do the cut and paste but the C and P is still stuck on the previous C and P if you catch what I'm trying to say.

Carolyn

[BackyardFarm]

You can get the tulle wedding/shower favor bags at walmart, the dollar tree, joann fabrics, and other craft/sewing stores. They're cheapest to purchase at the first two.

[TC_Manhattan]

Originally Posted by BackyardFarm

You can get the tulle wedding/shower favor bags at walmart, the dollar tree, joann fabrics, and other craft/sewing stores. They're cheapest to purchase at the first two.

Thanks for this.. I was wondering where I could easily find them. Cool!

[BackyardFarm]

You're welcome! I shopped around last year and bought some for seed saving because I've been planting lots of pollinator flowers in my yard...it would be just my luck this would make my tomatoes ALL cross.