Bees - cross pollination of tomatoes

[iseark]

Thank you. I'm really only going to try to keep a few tomato varieties pure. I mostly wanted to know because I'm growing things I never grew before and didn't know if I would actually get what I plant or something different if it gets cross-pollinated. I guess I don't quite get if cross-pollination changes this year's fruit or next year's seed. I think I'm confusing myself just trying to say it right, lol.

[Jardin du Fort]

I guess I don't quite get if cross-pollination changes this year's fruit or next year's seed.

The cross pollination affects this year's fruit, but not ALL the fruit. Only that fruit that gets cross pollinated. If your tomato plant provides you with say 20 tomatoes, it is possible that a few, maybe 2 to 5 (or more depending on conditions) will be cross pollinated. The seeds of those fruits will hold "true to form" for that particular cross pollination.

To confuse matters more, it is possible for fruits on one plant to have been cross pollinated by different varieties. You may get, out of those 20 tomatoes, A (A-A), two crossed with B (A-B) and two crossed with C (A-C). All of the tomatoes will have at least some of the characteristics of the parent plant A. Depending on how divergent the cross pollinating varieties (B & C) are, the difference may or may not be readily observable.

Color, size, shape, texture, flavor, determinate or not, leaf, etc. etc. can be factors changed by the cross pollination.

Yes, this can become quite confusing. It is no wonder that those desiring to maintain the-true-to form seed from one generation to the next take extreme measures to assure the absence of cross pollination.

On the other hand, this is precisely why there are so many varieties of tomato out there. Every new variety is a cross pollination of tomato A and tomato B. Is it better? Do you like it? Can it be repeated? Is the hybrid self sustaining? And many more questions.....

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[iseark]

Awesome! I think I finally get it!! Thanks so much for taking the time to spell that out for me. I guess it really doesn't matter all that much in my garden but it bothered me that I didn't quite understand it completely. At least now I have a grip on things. I really don't think I'll even bother bagging any now that I think about it. I'll just grow and enjoy them and see what the bees surprise me with. Thanks again. Denise

[gixxerific]

Cross polination does NOT effect this season's fruit. The only veggie I know of that have the fuit effected that season is corn.

You will get the intended fruit this season, the seeds from this seasons fruit next season will show the cross.

[iseark]

Thank you, that's good to know, I appreciate the input!

[LindaD]

Wow what great information! I have little to add to this but a friend has just started her bee colony with one hive and I know she would love all your cool stuff on bees and how they will also help pollinate her garden . I will have to get her on to Helpful gardener forum and send her here.

Fascinating
Linda

[JayPoc]

Sorry if I wasn't clear. The bag stays on until...

3) You need the bag for another plant....

I guess you'd only want to use a given bag on the same type of plant, to be sure you don't do exactly what you bought the bags to prevent in the first place?

[TZ -OH6]

I doubt it matters. The bags are usually on long enough that the pollen would be dead, and the chance of contact with the new flowers' pistils is low. I usually give my bags a couple of minutes in boiling water before reuse just to make sure though.

[JC's Garden]

Love the search feature on this site. I keep finding great info like this little gem. The perfect answer to my question of the day.

[imafan26]

Remember if you want to save seeds, you need to isolate the plant so that it cannot be polinated by another. You either hand polinate or you isolate in distance 600 ft between varieties, or you can isolate in time, like with corn so the maturity times are different.

If you save seed from any hybrid regardless of isolation, and the hybrid is unstable, or an F1, then the seeds may not come true.

[Farmerboy]

Mason Bees collect pollen only, no nectar, so they pollenate 300 times the number of plants Honey Bees pollenate because Honey Bees are looking for nectar. Mason Bees are native to North America and found everywhere. If you want Mason Bees in your garden, take a piece of 4 x 4 wood post. Drill 5/16 holes 1/2 inch apart and mount the Mason Bee house in your garden. They will fill the holes with a Mason Bee egg and Pollen from all the plants in your garden. Put a Mason Bee house in your garden and they and will come.

[imafan26]

Most tomatoes are wind pollinated but honey bees are not the main pollinators of tomatoes. Honey bees do not have the behavior to buzz the flowers but I do see them sometimes check them out but rarely do I see them land. Tomatoes have no nectar and the polllen is hard for a honey bee to reach. Other bees like bumblebees, mud bees, and sweat bees do have buzzing behavior and can pollinate tomatoes and shake the pollen loose with their buzzing. The sweat and mud bees are smaller and fly faster than the honey bees.