Unbridled Sex

[signseeker]

Okay, what about plants reproducing in the garden when they're not supposed to?

(Suckers!)

I want to grow sweet corn and popcorn - do I need to seperate them?
What about my different varieties of tomatoes? Can I still keep the seeds (they're heirlooms) and they'll breed true, even if they're neighbors in the garden?

[cHeroKee]

Can I still keep the seeds (they're heirlooms)?

If they are the open pollinated variety, then they could cross pollinate and give you something different from the original (better or worse).

[Julie]

The corn definitely needs to be separated. I plan on saving the seeds of my tomato plants this year. The ones I know what are, thanks to an accident with the wind and my seedlings. My dad grew different varieties and saved his seeds and they seemed to have done alright.
The grand experiment of gardening. Glad I don't have to survive off from it yet.

[signseeker]

Okay, we'll separate the corns. I'll also separate the pickling cukes from the salad cukes. Maybe I'll try to separate the tomatoes some, too... they won't be entirely separated, though.

I'm going to try to save my tomato seeds this year, too. I need to re-read those threads on seed-saving and check out a book or two at the library...

[prairiemom]

This information comes from my Seed to Seed book (the seed-saver's Bible.):

Corn is wind pollinated, Seed to Seed says they need to be 2 mi from each other. OR you can isolate varieties in time--planting them long enough apart that the tassles mature at different times. OR you can break off the tassels of the variety you don't want to save and brush the silk of those plants (manually pollinate.)

Tomatoes (peppers and eggplants) are self-pollinated and most seed-savers say they do not cross pollinate. Those with protruding anthers are more likely to cross pollinate (beefsteak, currant and those with potato-like leaves are usually the ones to worry about. You don't have to worry about slicing and paste tomatoes.) If you're not sure, you can isolate them with fine netting. Shake or brush the plant to encourage fruit set and decrease the chances of cross-pollination.

Cukes and other vines are pollinated by bees or other insects. You have to close up budding flowers (like with a clothes pin) until it matures and then manually pollinate with a small paint brush and close up the flower again. OR you can isolate it with fine netting until the flowers are mature, then hand pollinate and close up a few of the flowers. Be sure to mark the vine (tie a ribbon or a clothespin) so that when that flower falls off you know which fruit has the seed you want to save.

[signseeker]

Methinks I need that book. :thumbsup: