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Subject: Market Farming
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- From: "Bill Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT inil.com>
- To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.metalab.unc.edu>
- Subject: Re: Can tomatoes cross pollinate?
- Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2002 08:14:58 -0500
Marlin
Tomatoes (as are peppers) are, in general,
self-pollinating plants. But there is enough pollen drift in nature ( both wind
and insects can do this) that some cross-pollination can occur. If you are
saving seed, you should select a few flower clusters from each plant, cover
them carefully prior to their opening, and then assist pollination when they
open by gently shaking the plant. Use a labeling tag (paper tags with a string
attached) to label the cluster. Once it's clear that fruit have set, remove the
cover and select two fruit on the cluster, remove the others, leaving the
labelling tag on the cluster. Once they've fully ripened, harvest the fruit,
remove the seed, wash them thoroughly and dry them on a screen, being careful to
maintain their identity. Once they are thoroughly dry, put into small coin
envelopes and label the envelope with crop/variety names and year of production.
Keep them in a cool, dry place until the next season.
As for what to use as a cover, consider the
hair nets made out of spun-bonded polyester (Reemay). They breath, let light in
and can be drawn around the whole tomato cluster. Someone in the resaurant trade
should be able to help you find them locally.
Also, make sure the plants are healthy,
especially free of bacterial diseases. They can be carried into the next
generation on seed and are difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate from seed.
This is a problem the commercial seed industry struggles with so home seed
savers need to be aware of it.
Bill Shoemaker
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops Univ of Illinois - St Charles Hort Research Center
|
-
Can tomatoes cross pollinate?,
Marlin Burkholder, 04/19/2002
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
- Re: Can tomatoes cross pollinate?, Mmneedham, 04/19/2002
- Re: Can tomatoes cross pollinate?, Bill Shoemaker, 04/19/2002
- Re: Can tomatoes cross pollinate?, Alliums, 04/19/2002
- Re: Can tomatoes cross pollinate?, Lucy Goodman, 04/19/2002
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