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Post by littleminnie on Feb 2, 2012 22:00:27 GMT -5
If I grow out my peppers and eggplant under hoops until harvest begins and thus shut out insects, will the seeds saved be true to type? at least the earlier ones. What are the chances of them cross pollinating from wind under the row cover? I don't want spicy sweet peppers in 2013.
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Post by raymondo on Feb 3, 2012 0:28:11 GMT -5
The chance exists but I'd have thought it slim. Can you keep one variety together under cover, excluding others? This would guarantee purity, as long as they weren't already crossed up.
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Post by oxbowfarm on Feb 3, 2012 7:36:17 GMT -5
I think there is pretty much zero chance of wind crossing. They are not wind pollinated plants. Much more likely for a bug or two to sneak in and do the deed, perfect exclusion of insects is pretty hard, especially with rowcover. But I'd think the rate of crossing would be very very low, less than 1%.
Don't you farm near a bunch of conventional farms? Probably not a ton of wild pollinators if they spray a lot. How pure do you need your seed to be? You could always bag a few flowers. Old ripped up row cover makes a really nice "bag", just cut a little piece and staple or twist tie it over the flower.
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Post by 12540dumont on Feb 3, 2012 15:28:08 GMT -5
Minnie, you might try my method,
Mild Peppers, eggplant, hot peppers
planted so that the mild peppers are on the upwind side...so that the bees blow to the hot. This way the bees stop at the mild peppers, move to the eggplant and then on to the hot peppers. I only get bumblers in these. It's not fool proof and there's always more in the eggplant than in the peppers.
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Post by toad on Feb 5, 2012 15:50:21 GMT -5
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Post by littleminnie on Feb 5, 2012 20:18:34 GMT -5
Ok. I have many, many bees! Way too many to save tomatoes or whatever without some isolation. Also bazillions of butterflies. I will definitely separate the hot and sweet peps.  |
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