How easy is it to get a bee cross?

[Salsacharley]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Charley, when you say to increase pollination between plants, I assume different varieties,does that mean you actually want to increase cross pollination? That's the way I read it.

Carolyn

I don't necessarily want cross pollination. I assume that if cross pollination does occur it would be reflected in the immediate fruit when it ripens. I intend to save seeds and use them for trade and future growing. If I can see that cross pollination has obviously occurred I could forego using those seeds for anything but personal use.

I have 18 different varieties growing in a 12 ft x 4 ft bed, with only 2 stems each, but they are getting snugger and snugger as they go vertical. So if cross pollination has occurred either by bees or by the toothbrush I could get some interesting but not necessarily desired results. I am fascinated by the whole process so I'm not adamant either way about cross pollination. I just want to have certainty as to whether or not I have a cross pollination fruit, and certainty that it is limited to that particular fruit.

I also have some Russian Sage plants growing about 50 ft from my tomatoes and those sage plants are constantly swarmed by bees, but I haven't seen a single bee in my tomatoe patch.

Thanks for asking.

Charley