From

Location

Message

Date Posted

No Place Special

Does the pollinator affect the size, shape or color of the pumpkin it pollinates? I have asked this question in the past, and the general concensus was "NO, it only affects the seeds the pumpkin will produce." A few years ago, I grew some peppers, Jalapeno and habenero, noticably different in many ways. They were planted next to each other. Occasionaly a pepper was grown that was obviously a cross between the two, or one that more closely resembled a habenero on a jalapeno plant or vise versa. Remembering this forced me to reconsider this issue. Any more thoughts or opinions on this subject would be welcomed. Thanks,
Mike

1/15/2002 8:28:58 PM

Webster, NY

My thought is, the pepper seeds that you had were crosses themselves. The polinator will not affect genitics for the current year. Next years seeds will see the effect.

1/16/2002 7:38:25 AM

No Place Special

nope, the seeds were straight from the pack. plants from the same pack did not do this, only the two different ones RIGHT NEXT to each other did. Mike

1/16/2002 4:39:33 PM

walton n.y.

i also have experenced a simular cross in peppers i had the hots about 50 ft away from the sweets and had sweets that had heat in them and very mild hot peppers and i believe it to be true that incomplete pollination causes some aborts in fruit

1/16/2002 8:13:40 PM

Down Stream

The pollen from the male plant has no effect on the pumpkin it fertilized other than the seeds. The pumpkin that is growing on your plant is a product of the previous years crossing not of the the male you used to fertilized it with this year. You will not see the results of your pollinating until it is grown next season. Which may look like its grandpa that you have never saw.

1/16/2002 9:12:55 PM

Western Pa.

A pepper is not a cucurbit. Planting hot and sweet peppers too close together, or "cherry" tomatoes too close to Big Zacs, will produce sweet hot peppers, or hot sweet peppers and "medium" size tomatoes. Also any hybrid corn (which is germinated by wind),(let's say silver queen and butter/sugar), if planted too close to another variety, will produce a "mix" of varieties. Whereas we try our hardest to produce a "pure" pollination of pumpkins by hand and isolating male and female flowers beforehand, we never really know, unless we're covering blossoms and "controlling" the pollination, what or which bees or insects have pollinated our pepper and tomato flowers, and what "stray" pollen they may have carried with them.Just my 2 cents.
kilr

1/16/2002 9:58:30 PM

Down Stream

When the flower of a tomato plant opens, that flower is a combination flower. Meaning that single flower has both the female and the male flower rite there in one package. Which means the odds are most likely about all your tomato plants are self pollinated unless the bees have other ideas. How did I get on tomatoes.

1/16/2002 10:40:20 PM

Deer Park WA

Cool Guy! Momma is trying to grow giant tomatoes this year and I don't know diddly about pollinating them other tha dont water the blossems!

1/17/2002 1:13:55 AM

Webster, NY

Neat stuff Kilr. I didn't realize that about peppers or tomatoes. Thanks

1/17/2002 7:33:48 AM

canal winchester ohio

Some of you young'uns should listen well to Kilr, the man's been growing awhile & knows his stuff.
I for one, stores away & keeps all the advice he gives me......Paul

1/17/2002 8:22:16 AM

Western Pa.

Sorry gang, I meant above to say that corn was pollinated,not germinated by the wind. (Had a few beers in me!)
kilr

1/17/2002 9:01:21 AM

canal winchester ohio

Kilr,
Talking about corn pollination reminds me about my first job. I worked for Dekalb & all day we put brown bags on the corn tassle & smaller bags on the shoots. After a few days we would go back & take the tassle off , shake out all the pollen & cross it or self it depending on what the plan was.....Paul

1/17/2002 10:53:31 AM

North Ga

I know what you mean Paul. Back in the late 60's and early 70's, I detassled my share of corn. What a hot and boring job! I think I made about 3 dollars an hr. I had silver queen and yellow corn planted too close together this year and ended up with white and yellow kernels on the same cob.

1/17/2002 1:51:36 PM

Utah

pappy -

white and yellow kernals on the same cob is very
popular in some regions and cost more than either
the white or yellow by themselfs.
some call it salt and pepper corn.

1/17/2002 3:59:32 PM

No Place Special

Thanks for the info! So why is it that it is different with pumpkins than these others. I guess it is still kind of confusing to me. At least I have my answer, even if I don't completely understand it. Thanks Kilr, I'll take your (and everyone elses) word for it.
Mike

1/17/2002 4:59:49 PM