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Re: garden size, spacing


At 09:24 AM 3/12/97 -0800, you wrote:
>scpd & ced wrote:
>
>Howdee Sue:)
>I have a question:)
>Just 'cause I am neurotic:0
>So-
>cucumbers and melons CANNOT cross pollinate?
>AT ALL?  OR gourds?
>Just want to make sure:)
>Thank  you!
>Selena
>aeryk@shasta.com
>
Cucumbers CANNOT cross polinate with melons [with the exception that Sue
mentioned--i take her word for it];
Cucumbers CANNOT cross polinate with gourds;
Melons CANNOT cross polinate with gourds.

The rule of thumb is that if two plants are of the same species, they can
cross polinate; if they are different species they cannot cross polinate.
Here are some selected species within the gourd family (someone correct me
if i am wrong):

Citrullus lanatus   - watermelon
Cucumis melo        - cantaloupe, crenshaw, honeydew melon
Cucumis sativus     - cucumber
Cucurbita spp.      - various gourds and pumpkins, including
                      species named below.
Cucurbita maxima    - hubbard squash, buttercup squash
Cucurbita moschata  - butternut squash
Cucurbita pepo      - summer squash, zucchini, acorn squash
Lagenaria siceraria - birdhouse gourd
Luffa spp.          - loofah sponge (utterly unrelated to sea
                      sponges, as we've all recently learned)

As Sue alluded to, cross pollination will only affect the next generation,
i.e., the seeds. The fruit and its flavor will be unaffected.

@->-`-,-------------------------------+
|  Cousin Ricky      USDA zone 11     |
|  rcallwo@uvi.edu   formerly zone 6  |
+-------------------------------------+


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