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squash/pumpkin pollination

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

You wrote:
Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html
Hi Lisa,
You wrote:
>     OTOH, open pollinated seeds will produce true to form from year to
year
>if they are kept from cross pollinating with another in their species (like
>pumpkins and squash, for example, which will cross and produce inedible
>"squashkins").

I'm concerned now about this possibility.  I have pumpkins in one bed and
zucchini in another bed approx. 4 feet apart.  How do you keep cross
pollination from happening?
I hope this isn't a dumb question :)
Jackie
--
Jackie Daugherty

Jackie-
Squash and pumpkins are considered insect pollinated.  According to The New
Seed Savers Handbook,,
"To keep strains of cross-pollinating vegetables pure, you will need to
isolate flowering seed crops from any other flowering plants of the same
species.  You can do this by planting different varieties at the different
times.
"If you can't control planting time or distance due to a short growing
season or lack of space, you can cage seed-bearing plants.  When using wire
or cheesecloth cages to keep out cross-pollinating insects, it's important
to put the cage over the plants well before the blossoms are ready to open,
and not remove it until you see that the plant has produced seeds.  For
caged insect-pollinated plants you might need to put some flies in the cage
to ensure pollination."
So.  See if your pumpkins and zucchini are flowering at the same time, and
if they are, you will want to protect one of the plants (seeing as pumpkins
tend to sprawl, I would attack the zucchini.)  If, however, you aren't
interested in saving seeds, don't worry about it, because any crosses will
only occur the following year, after you have saved your seeds from a
cross-pollinated variety and planted them.
Hope this helps!  And by the way, it's not a dumb question -- I had to look
it up to get the correct information!

Patti


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