Question on lay out

[Jared77]

My father in law wants me to plant pumpkins next year. He's been on my case about it every opportunity he can.

Couple of questions

1) Can I plant pumpkins in the same area as watermellons or will they hybridize? Haven't ever done pumpkins so next year will be interesting.

2) Can I use something like sweet corn to put up a divider between 2 kinds of pumpkins? Say giants on one side and jack-o-lanterns on the other to help reduce the likelyhood of hybridizing?? I'd prefer to have seperate beds for each, and the big bed for everything else but thats another discussion for another time. He wants both for the grand kids. I told him to grow his own but he's the one with the attachments that save me hours of work in the spring so I don't want to complain too loudly

I really don't want sweet corn but if I have to Ill use it. Everybody here says its like a giant neon sign like some 50's road side diner saying EAT HERE!!!! for deer and coons.

Thanks folks

 

[hoodat]

First question is no. Pumkins and watermellons can't cross. They are too widely seperated genetically. If you have two varieties of pumpkins it will be very difficult to keep them from crossing. Even if they are physically seperated the bees and other pollinators will carry the pollen from one to another. Seperating the beds with corn won't help. Your neighbors are right. Corn is a welcome sign for a lot of hungry critters.

 

[journey11]

Pumpkins and watermelon won't cross because they are different species. Unless you are wanting to save seed, I wouldn't worry about two varieties of pumpkins crossing. But if you did want to save seed, you could hand-pollinate and bag a few blooms yourself to keep them pure. Pumpkins and corn are often grown together because the pumpkin vines help create a living mulch for the corn and it is a space-efficient use of the field to grow more in the space (they don't drain the same resources in the soil). So if you don't want the corn, you don't have to plant any.

 

[bid]

1)Watermelons and pumpkins don't cross.

2)One problem with planting corn is it won't stop the bees (pollinators) and the deer may end up trampling or eating the pumpkins.

 

[journey11]

Oh yeah, I didn't even think about that. I've had them come along and just take one little bite out of a watermelon or squash and then move on to the next thing.

 

[Jared77]

Thanks I didn't think pumpkins and watermellons could cross but wanted to be sure before I planned this out. Trying to do it on paper first and then apply it in the spring.

Im worried that pollination from each type of pumpkin would give me bunch of hybrid pumpkins that were all roughly the same size instead of two distinct sizes.

Is it better to just plant 1 type then? Jack-o-lanterns or Giants?

 

[Ariel301]

Thanks I didn't think pumpkins and watermellons could cross but wanted to be sure before I planned this out. Trying to do it on paper first and then apply it in the spring.

Im worried that pollination from each type of pumpkin would give me bunch of hybrid pumpkins that were all roughly the same size instead of two distinct sizes.

Is it better to just plant 1 type then? Jack-o-lanterns or Giants?

The hybridization won't affect the fruit immediately. If you plant two kinds of pumpkins this year, and they do cross-pollinate, the pumpkins themselves will still be the two types-- but if you save their seeds, then those seeds will be affected, and next year's pumpkins grown from that seed could be hybridized. If you are not saving seed to grow, there is no issue.

 

[Jared77]

Wow good to know.