I was thinking to ask the same question a few days ago, because I read somewhere (a few years ago) that if you put two plants together or even closely together that are not grown together from the get-go, one will dominate and edge out the other--virtually killing it! It didn't make a lot of sense to me, however, due to how closely most of us plant our hosta of different specimens together--all the time!!!

If I were to put two different tomato plants var. in one earth tainer will they cross pollenate? **** I don't know what an earth tainer is but any two varieties grown close together could X pollinate. HOwever, the results of that X pollination are not seen in the same year that it happens, only if you save seeds from X pollinated fruits and sow them, and if you aren't saving seeds for your own use then it really doesn't matter if X pollination occurs. There's a good article on how to prevent X pollination if you click on the FAQ link at the top of this first page if indeed you do want to save pure seed, Carolyn

Carolyn explained a while back how this could be. A genetic mutation at a particular point IIRC. I've never seen it but do have one plant that is throwing off 2 distincly different shapes. Flat and round, not sure about same stem and probably not same truss. Same color, taste and texture but definately different shapes. BTW, My security system is still finding a trojan at "tomatosite.com". Wish he'd get that fixed. Such a handy site but I can't use it if it isn't clean.

"Can I plant a different variety of corn in those missing areas, or will that screw up the pollinating, or anything else. " Yeah not a good idea. You'll get cross-pollinating unless they just happen to be varieties with totally different DTM. And even in that case they will be so irregularly spaced that they will pollinate themselves poorly. Since it is the resulting seeds you eat on corn all the characteristics of both varieties will be altered negatively, Corn is unique in vegetables as it is the only crop that is affected the first year by cross-pollination. So saving seed from corn isn't usually done. That seed was a hybrid to begin with and has now been "hybridized" yet again by cross pollination. If possible just buy another packet of the same variety you used to plant, assuming you know what it was, and use that to fill in the blanks. Otherwise just take what you get to eat from the first planting but do not save any for re-planting. Hope this makes sense. Dave