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Re: Cross Pollination of multiple varieties of tomatoes

>I am about to plant several varieties of tomatoes including:
>
>1.      Lemon Boy
>2.      Park's Whopper
>3.      Better Bush
>4.      Brandywine
>
>Do these varieties need to be isolated from one another to prevent
>cross-pollination?

Yes, it's my understanding that through the action of wind or bees, all
tomatoes will cross with all other tomatoes if the pollen from Variety A
makes it to the stigma of Variety B.  It makes no difference, in Ron
Carson's list above, that items 1-3 are hybrids while 4 is an old
open-pollinated heirloom.

Now this phenomenon makes no difference at all in the fruit that is produced
this season--only in the seeds that fruit contains.  The offspring next year
from these seeds will not be true to either parent.

I am about to grow 15 different tomatoes this season.  (OK, I'm fixated on
the Lycopersicon clan.)  I would like to keep my open-pollinated heirlooms
true to themselves so I can successfully save seed and grow them next year
for free.

Does any tomato expert know how much space typically needs to be kept
between different tomato varieties to discourage cross pollination?  With
bees in play, I think the word "prevent" may be too strong in almost any
case.  But if 20 feet will eliminate most crossing, I'll shoot for that
between the OP's and keep the hybrids near one another but farther away from
*all* the heirlooms.

--Janet

------------------------------------------------------------------
Janet Wintermute             jwintermute@ids2.idsonline.com
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