Might be an old tomato question, but....

[Carol Dee]

We have started 3 (or 4) Heritage Tomato varieties. Do we need to plant these in seperate locations? Will they be o.k. in the same bed? Do they cross pollinate?

 

[journey11]

Tomatoes are self-pollinating. It's very rare for them to cross. They'll be fine beside each other.

 

[Smart Red]

Tomatoes are self-pollinating. It's very rare for them to cross. They'll be fine beside each other.

However, to insure that no helpful bee does the deed when I'm not looking, I generally choose some flower buds to cover until the petals drop off. Then I am sure the seeds from those fruits will be as pure as their heirloom parents. I often do plant my tomato varieties close to each other.

 

[897tgigvib]

Carol, Tomatoes cross pollinate something like on average 5% of the time when the plants are close together.

That's a very vague average, but something like that is expected.

But here's the thing. Tomatoes, when they do cross pollinate, make hybrid tomatoes, and sometimes that's pretty cool! Natural hybrids can be a very good thing.

So what I'm saying is, unless you're trying for strict purity, don't worry about it.

Somewhere in a recent thread is Digit's saga of having an accidentally crossed up Kellogg's Breakfast tomato, which is turning out to actually be a pretty cool cross.

Open pollinated is what it is called when you let your plants do their own pollinating, and let things like distance be the only separating.



accidental crosses are often kind of cool! Sometimes they can result in new varieties.

 

[digitS']

What do you use to cover the flowers, Linn. If'n I'm going to be the bee ~ and do some crossing this year ~ the flowers will be pulled apart and vulnerable to "helpful bee" activity. Would just dishtowel fabric work?

Apparently, some heritage types are more prone to crossing than others - exposed flower parts. I've had my grandmother's tomato mixed right in to the tomato patch for well over 20 years. I've got saved seed from her plants going back several years. I didn't even know helpful bees could cause tomatoes any trouble when I started saving seed from those plants. I've never noticed any change to them, at all.

Of course, the fruit won't appear different the first year from any crossing. I may get myself in trouble with this at some point but, as I said, I've got extra seed from those plants that was saved like, 5 years ago, 4 years ago, etc. I just rotate them out as I run out of room in the tomato seed box & use some of the freshest seed each year.

Steve

 

[897tgigvib]

That's a smart way to do it Digit. Besides, the helpful Bee will not cross all the seeds, just some in one tomato.

I've heard of using old nylon stocking material cut into proper rectangles and lightly tied around the flower clusters. Also heard of using small brown bags. Seed Saver's Exchange makes tall wooden frames with some kind of fine semi transparent cloth material for the whole plant or several plants. There was a photo in their catalog several years ago of this.

 

[digitS']

Figure my ol' Bull Durham bags might spread tobacco mosaic?

Yeah, I haven't been wearing nylons for a long time - waxing & a good tanning spa, ya' know! No . . . shoot, DW doesn't wear nylons, she's almost never in a dress.

I want to be all set with some vague idea of what I'm doing when I'm out there with the "helpful bees." You wouldn't believe the level of anxiety that I'm facing with this idea of messing with those tiny flowers! Think I'd better be listening to some Genesis thru all that . . . I'm going to cut up one of the dishclothes just to get ready. Lots of towels and hot water!! Yeah!

Steve
who did use a little prince albert but mostly went for pall mall & camels

 

[897tgigvib]

I like the genesis album, trick of the tail.

Finally starting to understand the lyrics.

 

[Smart Red]

What do you use to cover the flowers, Linn. If'n I'm going to be the bee ~ and do some crossing this year ~ the flowers will be pulled apart and vulnerable to "helpful bee" activity. Would just dishtowel fabric work?

I actually have some fine mesh bags - organza? (the kind used for wedding treats) - that I use. Basically, tomato flowers are usually self-pollinated even before the flowers open, but there is always a chance insect that might interfere with what's supposed to happen so I use the tie bags just to be sure I am trading the pure heirloom strain.

Nylons with runs work well as would gauze or cheese cloth, I imagine.

 

[digitS']

Oh wait!

I've got lots of old gauze bandages. Thanks Linn!

After a dozen years of sitting in a drawer - you gotta wonder what could have invaded their paper wrappings.

Steve