BYC gardening thread!!

[1cock2hens]

I wonder if I could cover some flowers and hand pollinate or something.........

oh yes you can, I was just reading about that. http://faq.gardenweb.com/discussions/2766772/how-do-i-prevent-tomatoes-from-cross-pollinating
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-hand-pollinate-tomatoes-for-larger-producti/

 

[lazy gardener]

I've just realised this is going to be a problem for me. I have a cherry tomato that I grew from a single seed that germinated from some came with a magazine about ten years ago. It's supposed to be cold tolerant so wanted to save seeds but I have heaps of other tomatoes growing with it so its dawned on me a little late that that isn't going to work. I wonder if I could cover some flowers and hand pollinate or something.........

All is not necessarily lost in this situation. Tomatoes are often pollinated from the same plant, by the breeze shaking the branches, or simply by brushing by them, the pollen falls down into the blossoms. There can be some cross pollination as well. But it's not as likely as it is with cucurbits (members of the squash family). If you observe a squash blossom, you will often see lots of insects working the blossoms. One morning, I counted 5 bees and 3 beetles in a single blossom at the same time! Not so much with tomatoes. In fact, you don't often see any insects working the blossoms! The bigger ? in regard to your cherry tomato is this: Are the seeds that you planted open pollinated or are they hybrid? If you have the original envelope, you may be able to find out. Usually, but not always, the packet will be labeled "hybrid' or F-1, and bear no such label in the plant description if it's open pollinated. And even if a hybrid, you might do well by having the seeds breed fairly true anyways. Always worth a shot. There is a technique to successfully saving seeds, with each type requiring specific handling and processing. But, you can find out how to save your seeds by doing a google search. I just processed some Amish Granny's Paste tomato seeds, hoping they will breed true.

 

[jerryse]

I've just realised this is going to be a problem for me. I have a cherry tomato that I grew from a single seed that germinated from some came with a magazine about ten years ago. It's supposed to be cold tolerant so wanted to save seeds but I have heaps of other tomatoes growing with it so its dawned on me a little late that that isn't going to work. I wonder if I could cover some flowers and hand pollinate or something.........

More info for you . Crossing is rare in most tomatoes . Some varieties are prone to crossing . On these the pistil ( female part ) sticks out past the pollen part . Most say inside the pollen part . I have only observed 2 natural crosses in about 45 years . One popped up this year .
The larger pink cherry is the cross . Probably a cross of Brandywine and compari cluster type cherry from store fruit . I assume compari was the female parent 2 years ago . Pink skin is recessive to red so pink popped up in the F2 volunteer

 

[appps]

Thanks for all the info on the tomatoes! I'm not sure whether it's a hybrid or not as the packet doesn't say but some googling leads me to suspect not. I may end up having to hand pollinate these anyway eventually so I might wait till then and just save seed after that point. The info is handy for that too (I lost my whole crop to fruit fly last year so thinking I may need to put exclusion netting up. )

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks for all the info on the tomatoes! I'm not sure whether it's a hybrid or not as the packet doesn't say but some googling leads me to suspect not. I may end up having to hand pollinate these anyway eventually so I might wait till then and just save seed after that point. The info is handy for that too (I lost my whole crop to fruit fly last year so thinking I may need to put exclusion netting up. )

I can guarantee you will not have to hand pollinate. If the temp is not too high, they will pollinate just fine. If you are still concerned, just grab a few branches and give them a gentle shake. If you are trying to create a hybrid, that's when hand pollinating comes in with tomatoes.

 

[appps]

That will make life easier! Does the same go for capsicums do you know? (Sweet peppers?). I didn't get to eat a single one of those last year either due to the fruit fly (worst year I've ever had for fruit fly) and while the chickens loved my maggoty tomatoes so at least they weren't a total waste they didn't touch the capsicums.

 

[dan26552]

Does anyone know how much corn seed it would take to plant 3 or 4 100' x 3' beds?

 

[lazy gardener]

Any good seed catalog will give you planting rates. Check out Johnny's Selected Seeds, and Fedco Seeds.

 

[dan26552]

Ok. I was looking at Johnny's, they seem to have the best prices, between 7 and 12 dollars for 1000 seeds.

 

[lazy gardener]

Before spending money there, check out Fedco. While I really like Johnny's catalog for it's information, I find Fedco and their anti GMO policies, and their pricing, as well as their open pollinated selections to be much more appropriate to my needs.