Can I plant different varieties of the same plant close to each other?

[Big Bunny]

... and will the seeds produced still be of the parent plant (assuming cross polination occurs).

So for example, if I have several varities of tomato in my garden, and I want to save some of the seeds for next year, will the plants produced by those seeds be true to the plant they came from, or will they be all mixed up due to cross polination?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. I'm new to this stuff and high school biology was a long time ago.

 

[YumYum]

If they cross pollinate, the seeds will produce a hybrid plant. They have pollination bags which prevent insect pollination for tomatoes but I've never used them or even know if they are fool proof.

 

[Sheal]

To prevent cross pollination the plants have to be isolated.

A few years ago myself and a number of members on another forum trialled a rare heritage tomato from seed. Isolation was the only way to be sure that future plants would be identical to the parent plant when grown from seed. It was successful and @zigs here is still growing them.

 

[zigs]

Not a dumb question at all @Big Bunny

And not as straight forward to answer either. Sheal and Yum Yum are quite right, cross pollination can occur, however, tomatoes have what is known as a perfect flower. It has all the parts needed to pollenate itself so although hybridisation can occur it's not so likely with tomatoes as it would be with other plants that have open flowers.

Like Sheal said, we've been growing Manx Marvel tomatoes for over 10 years now I think and I;ve not taken any precautions to keep the plants separate. They still grow true to the original plant even after this long.

Nearly lost them last year as being an outside tomato, the whole lot came down with late blight just as they were ripening. I lobbed them all on the bonfire and didn't think to save any seed

I found a small packet of them from the year before that I've just germinated now

 

[Tetters]

Well I thought it was actually quite a clever question. The thought of cross pollination hadn't even entered my little brain. I just keep thinking when I see the name @Big Bunny, the kids at school in Malta used to call me Bugs Bunny

 

[Sheal]

I think I still have seeds @zigs if you need any although they're a few years old now. I can't grow tomatoes here without a greenhouse, the climate isn't good enough.

 

[zigs]

I think I still have seeds @zigs if you need any although they're a few years old now. I can't grow tomatoes here without a greenhouse, the climate isn't good enough.

Ta Sheal, I'll let you know if this lot fail but they're coming up ok so far

Aww, maybe you should move to the Isle of Man, they grow ok there

 

[Sheal]

@zigs you mean the land of these....

....and these.

 

[Mr_Yan]

Here your example was tomatoes.

It also depends on the crop. In the case of beans the bean flower is also a perfect flower and, from what I have read, generally pollinates itself before the flower actually opens. I've kept seeds from different beans grown in rows next to each other and had no evident hybridization.

But something like a squash or melon requires flower to flower pollination and will readily hybridize.

 

[Big Bunny]

I think I still have seeds @zigs if you need any although they're a few years old now. I can't grow tomatoes here without a greenhouse, the climate isn't good enough.

Really? I can grow them here in Sweden! You can't grow them in Scotland?

Well I thought it was actually quite a clever question. The thought of cross pollination hadn't even entered my little brain. I just keep thinking when I see the name @Big Bunny, the kids at school in Malta used to call me Bugs Bunny

Ha. It was actually my nickname in my rugby team (I'm actually Australian - don't hold that against me please - living in Sweden in case "rugby in Sweden" was a surprise).

Not a dumb question at all @Big Bunny

And not as straight forward to answer either. Sheal and Yum Yum are quite right, cross pollination can occur, however, tomatoes have what is known as a perfect flower. It has all the parts needed to pollenate itself so although hybridisation can occur it's not so likely with tomatoes as it would be with other plants that have open flowers.

Like Sheal said, we've been growing Manx Marvel tomatoes for over 10 years now I think and I;ve not taken any precautions to keep the plants separate. They still grow true to the original plant even after this long.

Nearly lost them last year as being an outside tomato, the whole lot came down with late blight just as they were ripening. I lobbed them all on the bonfire and didn't think to save any seed

I found a small packet of them from the year before that I've just germinated now

Thanks for the detailed reply there. And also thanks for all the other replies everyone! I read them all. Very interesting.

Next question ... to try and up my chances of preventing cross polination, even if it's unlikely with the "perfect flower" thing, should I make any effort to plant them apart? Can I plant them directly next to each other? or will it not matter? I mean ... it doesn't take long for a polinator to fly across the yard afterall.

 

[zigs]

Easiest thing to do would be to put a bag over the flower head you want to take seed from. If they're outside then something waterproof like a jelly bag or paper bag inside. That way you can plant them where you want and just keep a few for seed

 

[Tetters]

Why does it matter if they cross polinate anyway @Big Bunny So can you make a rabbit face too? Hurts your cheeks dunnit Two of my kids live in Queensland, and the other one with a big family lives in Tassie.

 

[Big Bunny]

Easiest thing to do would be to put a bag over the flower head you want to take seed from. If they're outside then something waterproof like a jelly bag or paper bag inside. That way you can plant them where you want and just keep a few for seed

Great idea! Thanks.

Why does it matter if they cross polinate anyway @Big Bunny So can you make a rabbit face too? Hurts your cheeks dunnit Two of my kids live in Queensland, and the other one with a big family lives in Tassie.

I guess it doesn't really. I'd just like the seeds to be true to their parent form - or at least some of them anyway. Might also be fun to cross them around a bit.

Hope your family are happy down under!

 

[Sheal]

I think I still have seeds @zigs if you need any although they're a few years old now. I can't grow tomatoes here without a greenhouse, the climate isn't good enough.

Really? I can grow them here in Sweden! You can't grow them in Scotland?

Yes, they can be grown in Scotland @Big Bunny but not in my current garden in the Highlands. 300ft above sea level, on high open ground in a rural aspect with wind that whips across the neighbouring open fields. I gave up the challenge.

 

[Tetters]

Great idea! Thanks.


I guess it doesn't really. I'd just like the seeds to be true to their parent form - or at least some of them anyway. Might also be fun to cross them around a bit.

Hope your family are happy down under!

Yep, they are all ''proper'' Aussis. Two of them were born there in NSW I was a £10 pommie!