The Show > Pumpkin 'tastic

Cross pollinating

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Dandytown:
Thanks Galina for responding in a more legible fashion than I  :)

Robert_Brenchley:
An F1 is produced by crossing two varieties. So, for instance, they plant two corn varieties together - neither variety is, of course, available to buy. One gets all the plants beheaded, so there are no male flowers, and all the seeds are pollinated by the other. Or they might breed a male sterile variety which produces no pollen. So all the seeds are a cross. Both varieties are severely inbred, but the offspring is vigorous, and as the plants are almost genetically identical, they all behave in exactly the same way, which suits the farmer. If you save seed, it won't come exactly true, so the seed companies propagate the myht that you 'can't' save seed from F1's, and gain a captive market.

In fact, you can save seed, and develop your own, very similar, variety.

Spireite:
So I think I have a short list of pumpkin/squashes to grow this year, 3 of which I think are cuc.pepo and one which I think is cuc.maxima...Am I right in thinking that the 3 pepos will potentially be promiscuous and the maxima is safe from cross pollinating?

galina:

--- Quote from: Spireite on January 05, 2013, 22:52:09 ---So I think I have a short list of pumpkin/squashes to grow this year, 3 of which I think are cuc.pepo and one which I think is cuc.maxima...Am I right in thinking that the 3 pepos will potentially be promiscuous and the maxima is safe from cross pollinating?

--- End quote ---

In principle yes.  However, it also depends on what your neighbours around you grow.  Bees can travel from one maxima to another a quarter mile away if you are unlucky. 

But if the bee transfers pollen from one of your pepos to the maxima it won't do any pollinating.  Only maxima pollen will achieve that.

If you just want fruit to eat, don't worry you will get the three different varieties you have sown seed for, if you want to save seeds, it is best to isolate and handpollinate because of the long distances bees can travel and pollinate.

Spireite:
Well I'm mainly growing for the fruit, but I thought I'd take a chance with last year's jack o  lantern seeds I have which is a pepo, which I only intend to grow big enough to carve and not eat..and I don't think that my neighbours grow squashes, but there's no way to be sure of that....so it's a wait and see....surely it will be more of an issue with the squashes I intend to eat, and if I save their seeds for next year  Magical mystery tour  :happy7:

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