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Vegetable Gardening

How to avoid cross-pollination of squash, melons, etc.?

16 years ago

Just wondering about trying to avoid cross-pollination of Crenshaw melons, summer squash, cucumbers, and hopefully a Tahitian squash. I want to save seeds of the OP summer squash, watermelon, and Tahitian squash -- the cucumber and Crenshaw are hybrids, so I won't plan to save those seeds.

Since they all have different DTM, I'm wondering if I need to worry about cross-pollination of the OP varieties.

Any ideas?

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Comments (6)

farmerdilla
16 years ago
Watermelon with only cross with watermelon, so as long as you only grow one cultivar in the locality you should be ok. The squash are more problamatical. Most of the summer squash will cross readily with other, that means yellow crooknecks, zucchini, scallops etc. They also cross readily with other C. pepo winter types like acorn, delicata, halloween type pumkins etc. The Tahitian squash is in the butternut group. I have not experienced any crossing of C.moschata with C. Pepo.
digdirt2
16 years ago
Besides all the good "these won't cross" tips from farmerdilla, just bag and hand-pollinate a couple of the blooms and save those seeds.

Otherwise the choices are BIG distances between or grow only one kind (and that's no fun). But a couple of mesh bags and a few q-tips plus a couple of early mornings jaunts to the garden gets you safe seeds. ;)

Dave
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Comments (3)
What Dave said. Also, zucchini is C. pepo, too. So it can cross with the crookneck and acorn squash. I don't know about birdhouse gourds. Do the seed packets say what it is? The only reference I found online mentioned Lagenaria siceraria. If so that won't cross with any of the others on the list. So I think saving seeds from zuchini, crookneck and acorn is out, unless you want to go to the trouble of isolating the flowers (or at least those flowers you plan to save seeds from) (like Dave said). Assuming I have the birdhouse gourd species correct, you should be able to save seeds from the Hubbard and Butternut and birdhouse gourd with no special precautions to prevent cross-pollination. --McKenzie Here is a link that might be useful: grow birdhouse gourds
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Comments (6)
Hi Antoinette, We seem to be on parallel paths! I moved from California (SF bay area) to Pennsylvania late last year and this is my first year with a really large garden in a totally new climate. I also went completely overboard with Heirlooms, particularly squash, beans and hot peppers. And tomatoes. Oh, lets face it, I went overboard with everything. Really, who needs six different kinds of onions? Apparently, me. Partially, this year is to trial different heirlooms, partially to save seed for next year. I hate to be the barer of bad news, but you (and I) will have a tough time keeping your varieties seperate unless you have a REALLY large plot. I don't, so I'll be doing a lot of blossom bagging/taping. I believe everything you listed will cross (including carrots, onions, etc) to some degree or another. Your best bet is to buy the book "Seed to Seed" by Suzanne Ashworth. It is AWESOME. It will tell you the distances you need to seperate varieties by and other methods if you don't have distance. From your list, corn in particular will be difficult (but not impossible). Squash is relatively easy, just tape the blossom and hand polinate (details in the book). Beans can sometimes be seperated by tall flowers to limit crossing, but your scarlet runner and painted lady will cross very, very easily with each other (but not your other beans) Buy the book! You'll be happy you did. And best of luck with everything. I had to smile - your list looks so much like mine. I think the limited space in California has made be go a little nuts now that I have room :) Bellatrix
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Comments (5)
I am torn between wanting pansyloverandgrower to get the right information and incurring the wrath of countrycarolyn again. But I'll risk it. The comment about the cross pollination of Curcurbits is not accurate. Cucumbers are forms of Cucumis sativus. Melons are Cucumis melo. Pumpkins and squashes are usually Curcurbita pepo, Curcurbita maxima, C mixta or C moschata. They cannot cross with Cucumis. ie squashes and pumpkins cannot cross with melons and cucumbers. There is some complexity as to what extent the different Curcurbita and Cucumis species can cross with each other within the Genus. There is a table in the link. As far as the fruit produced is concerned cross pollination will not affect it as regards appearance or eating quality. What might be affected is the next generation of offspring if you save the seed and sow it. None of your other listed plants will cross with each other as they are all different species. Here is a link that might be useful: Cross pollination in curcurbits
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magnolias4ever
16 years ago
Dave I have a question.... On the packs of melon (cantaloupe) that I purchased from SSE, it says that they will even cross with Armenian cucumbers.... if this happens, will it affect the taste of the cucumbers or of the melons this year?

I will definitely hand-pollinate and bag any blooms that I plan on saving seeds from.

Here is a link that might be useful: Judy's Square Foot Garden Blog
marshallz10
16 years ago
Mag, Armenian cuke is actually a type of melon (Cucumis melo var flexuosus), not a true cucumber (Cucumis sativus). The current crops' flavors wouldn't be affected by cross pollination.

I avoid cross pollination by using tightly fitting floating row covers. For a day or two one variety is exposed to bee activity while nearby relatives are covered with the fabric. After that another variety is exposed and the other potential parents are covered by fabric.

In the cool spring around here I do hand pollinate to get some early fruiting: bundle some male stamens together and swish them inside the corollas against the female styles. Watch out for resting bumble bees early in the morning!
Macmex
16 years ago
Back in 2006 I started an illustrated thread on how to hand pollinate squash. I believe the thread has expired. But I do have a copy in MS Word, of the basic technique, which I'd be happy to e-mail to anyone who would like it. Just drop me an e-mail if interested.

Hand pollination technique for these vine crops is pretty much the same. The main difference is timing. Squash, for instance, is best pollinated between dawn and say, 9:00 AM. I don't remember the exact details now, but cantaloupe and watermelons are generally hand pollinated a little later than squash.

George
Tahlequah, OK (just back from two weeks in Mexico)
Macmex
16 years ago
On account of the photos, the hand out I offered is pretty large in MS Word format. If anyone would prefer to receive it in PDF format, which I suspect would be a MUCH smaller file, just let me know.

George

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