Pumpkin Cross Pollenation

[chickenjane]

I'm growing several types of culinary pumpkin. I know that if they cross pollenate they won't come true from seed next year.

What's bothering me is If they cross pollenate does the fruit come treu to type or not?

I like to hand pollenate if I can to ensure fruit set, but being silly plants they will often make male flowers all week, then have 3 females only. So to get the fruit to set I haveto use a male from another variety.

[pigletwillie]

I grow several varieties in the same area. The ones I want to keep seed from are fertilised by hand and marked with a marker pen. The others are left to get on with it. I have had on occasion a squash taste a bit bitter due to cross pollination but very infrequently and in reality it has not been an issue. I let the majority of them get on with it and they all come up as they should.

The problem arises with cross polinated seed, you just dont know what characteristics you will get from any plants grown from it, hence me hand pollinating to ensure that some fruits seed is to type.

[shirlthegirl43]

How far apart should I keep my courgettes and carnival squash to ensure they stay true so I can save the seeds? They are all starting to flower now so I guess this is the right time to separate them.

[chickenjane]

I read somewhere 8m!

[Hazel at the Hill]

I read somewhere 8m!

That's next-door-but-one for me!

[shirlthegirl43]

Thanks for that, will move them this evening

[Peter]

How far apart should I keep my courgettes and carnival squash to ensure they stay true so I can save the seeds? They are all starting to flower now so I guess this is the right time to separate them.

Bee's fly for miles.