Vegetables Cross-Pollinating: Not to Worry! (2024)

FAQs

What vegetables will cross-pollinate with each other? ›

Barrier techniques such as bagging and caging are excellent options for gardeners interested in keeping seeds from their open-pollinated vegetables. Caging is a technique widely practiced by seed-savers everywhere and is an effective way to keep seed pure from insect-pollinated vegetable plants.

Further, if cross-pollination happens you would see the result of the crossing not on the fruit this year but would see it in the seed produced inside the fruit. The seed would contain the genes of both parents. That seed if planted and grown would produce fruit with characteristics of both parents.

The easiest method to avoid cross-pollination is to only grow one variety of each type of plant in your garden: one squash variety, one watermelon, one tomato, etc.

A common misconception is that squash, melons, and cucumbers will cross-pollinate. This is not true; the female flowers of each can be fertilized only by pollen from that same species. Varieties within each species, however, will cross-pollinate.

Zucchini, Yellow Crookneck, Acorn, Spaghetti, Patty Pan, Delicata, Pumpkins and Gourds (except edible snake gourds) all may cross with each other.

You have to prevent pollinators from landing on one or more flower clusters that will eventually make fruit for seed saving. The easiest way to do this is to put a thin fabric covering over the flower clusters. This is called “bagging”. You can make your own bags from purchased fabric like tulle or organza.

Carrot flowers are perfect but do not self-pollinate; they rely on insect visits for seed set. The recommended minimum isolation distance for carrots is 1000m. If this cannot be achieved, grow them in complete isolation and hand-pollinate or introduce pollinators.

Grow only one variety, and be sure to check the distance to peppers in neighboring gardens. Protect the flowers with tape before they open and then hand pollinate with a camel hair brush. Cage each variety under an insect-proof material such as cheesecloth or window screen.

Potatoes can also spread diseases such as late blight, which can also affect zucchinis. Cucumbers and pumpkins should not be planted next to zucchinis as they belong to the same family (Cucurbitaceae) and therefore attract similar pests and diseases.

Do cucumbers cross-pollinate? ›

Cucumber varieties may cross with one another. However, the quality of this year's crop is not affected. (An exception is the cross-pollination of parthenocarpic cucumber varieties with standard varieties. Parthenocarpic varieties develop fruit without pollination.

Butternut and patty pan squash are separate Cucurbita species and will not cross pollinate.

Bagging as Mechanical Isolation

Plants that are insect-pollinated such as broccoli, cucumbers, watermelon, and pumpkins can be protected from cross-pollination by using the bagging technique.

The isolation distance required for effectively preventing cross-pollination depends largely on the mating system of a species and can range from 10 feet for primarily self-pollinating grains, such as oats, to several miles for cross-pollinating crops, such as spinach.

Examples of cross-pollination plant

Apples, plums, pears, raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, strawberries, runner beans, pumpkins, daffodils, tulips, heather, lavender, and most blooming plants are examples of plants that employ insects for cross-pollination.

All off of one plant. The cross of spaghetti squash and zucchini seems to be exceptionally productive. It also seemed to be immune to squash bugs, although that might just be because it was started earlier.

If so, how far apart should they be planted? While they are genetically cousins, tomato plants and pepper plants are not closely related enough to cross breed. You can plant them as close as you want and not get spicy tomatoes or round, red jalapenos.