saving seeds, didn't isolate: how bad did I screw up?

[j.t.delaney]

Hey there,
I'm in the process of fermenting seeds from my 2012 harvest for storage, but something has been gnawing at my conscience for the last month: I made no real effort to isolate my heirloom varieties. Really, you can't imagine the sense of guilt. How likely am I gonna get a hot mess of hybrid nonsense next Spring? Do I need to start with fresh seed stock for 2013? Please tell me I'm overreacting.

Remorsefully yours,

-j.t.delaney

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by j.t.delaney

Hey there,
I'm in the process of fermenting seeds from my 2012 harvest for storage, but something has been gnawing at my conscience for the last month: I made no real effort to isolate my heirloom varieties. Really, you can't imagine the sense of guilt. How likely am I gonna get a hot mess of hybrid nonsense next Spring? Do I need to start with fresh seed stock for 2013? Please tell me I'm overreacting.

Remorsefully yours,

-j.t.delaney

JT, the degree of X pollination can vary from zero to upwards of 50%, which would be very rare. Since tomato blossoms self pollenize it's a good bet that the X pollination will be low, if any.

Where I grow I have about a 5% X pollination rate which means that I can expect 5/100 varieties to be affected.

One good way to dilute out any X pollinated seed is to never save seed from one fruit on a plant, better is many fruits from a plant, better still are many fruits from two plants, etc. I've had a seed stash of a couple thousand seeds for some varieties and distributed maybe close to a thousand before any X pollinated seeds gave rise to , as is oft said, not what it should be.

But there are all sorts of factors that play into what's called NCP, natural cross pollination, ranging fro what pollinators are in the area, how many, what was the weather like in the seson and so much more.

I'm going to link to the best article I now about NCP which was written by Dr. Jeff McCormack who used to own SESE, Southern exposure Seed Exchange b'c I think it will help in describing all the variables involved.

Where I differ a bit with Jeff is that when speaking of growing currant varieties or speaking of geographic isolation in general, I think he's way too consrevative,

But then he needed to be since he was at one time producing most of the seeds sold at SESE.

http://www.southernexposure.com/isol...es-ezp-35.html

Hope that helps.

[pugfrog]

I have to agree with carolyn137, I tend to have no cross pollination ,even with the Blue Banded Bee that we get which loves tomato blossoms!

[Wi-sunflower]

I would say that as long as your plants weren't close enough that they grew into each other in a big tangle, chances are you are OK. The issues I've had are with traded seeds where a home gardener is trying to grow way too many varieties in too small a space. When the plants tangle together there is way too high a chance for some mixing.

Personally I don't isolate or bag blossoms. But we plant in long rows with the plants about 4 feet apart in the row and the rows about 8 feet apart so the tractor can cultivate between the rows. We try to plant at least a dozen plants / variety and leave extra room between varieties. We TRY not to pick fruit from the first and last plant in the variety just in case. We do try to get fruit from as many of the plants that are left.

Even so, we do get a very small amount of wrong seed. At least part of that tho is not crossing but sloppy pickers that aren't always careful about what they pick up and will sometimes get something from the "next" variety in the line. Or a fruit that was discarded by "tossing" instead of just dropping in the middle of the row.

JMO,
Carol

[recruiterg]

I never isolate or bag blossoms. I save seed earlier in the season when bee activity isn't super high. I have not had an issue with crossing and my plants are all grown right next to each other. I wouldn't worry about it.