Can canary melons/cucumber cross?

Stvrob · February 6, 2015

Does anyone know if a canary melon (C. melo) can pollinate cucumber? I am planning to set out a seedless cucumber variety called Diva, and just noticed reading that they won't be seedless(and might even be bitter) if they are pollinated with another cuke. My garden layout plan was to have the canary melons adjacent to the cucumbers, and now Im not at all sure that these should be growing near each other.

frdlturner · February 6, 2015

Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) and melons (Cucumis melo), along with squashes and watermelons are members of the curcurbit family prized for their fruits. One common myth associated with cultivating cucumbers and melons near each other is that they will cross-pollinate and yield unpredictable fruit. Although this cannot occur, several factors should be taken into consideration when multiple curcurbits are grown together in a garden.
Cucumbers and melons may bloom around the same time and have many characteristics in common but they are separate species incapable of cross-pollination. Some curcurbits can pollinate each other, but only with other members of the same species. For example, because zucchini and some pumpkins are both of the species Curcurbita pepo, they may cross-pollinate. Even when cross-pollination does occur, the characteristics of the fruit from the current season are not affected. The seeds collected from this fruit, however, produce fruit that reflects its mixed parentage.

Stvrob · February 6, 2015

Thanks Fred. Hard to keep the myths separate from the facts regarding cuke/squash/melons family.

Wi-sunflower · February 7, 2015

Often the myths perpetuate because the fruit sampled from some of the plants seems tasteless for a melon so the people think the Cuc had something to do with it. NO, it's just that maybe the season was bad or the grower didn't fertilize properly or watered too late in the growing season or didn't know when to pick the melon dead ripe.

Lots of reasons, not to mention the fact that often some food writers that don't really have a clue about gardening, perpetuate all kinds of nonsense about how to grow or select produce.

For the last 2 years we have been growing some of our winter squash in various smaller fields away from our main farm to keep things isolated. We grow 1 variety each of 3 species of winter squash and a variety of watermelon. That way those 4 varieties should be good for saving seeds. The seeds from the first year came as true as anything else we grew.

Carol

Patchofdirt · February 9, 2015

not trying to stray too far off topic, but how does a moschata x maxima cross successfully (think Japanese kabocha types)? I hear people say they plant both species side by side without fear, but I also know that a common hybrid, "Tetsukabuto" exists and is very popular.

ilex · August 23, 2015

Note that Armenian cucumbers are really melons, so will cross with melons. I think part of the myth is based on that.

Some squash species can cross. In most cases it's not that easy and you need embryo rescue and things like that.

joseph · August 23, 2015

As humans, we like to put things in categories, and call them separate species. When in reality they may not be as separate as we would like to believe. Certain varieties of maxima squash can cross with certain varieties of moschata squash if certain conditions are met. Moschata crosses with Mixta are also fairly commonplace.

February 6, 2015	#1
Stvrob Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,413	Can canary melons/cucumber cross? Does anyone know if a canary melon (C. melo) can pollinate cucumber? I am planning to set out a seedless cucumber variety called Diva, and just noticed reading that they won't be seedless(and might even be bitter) if they are pollinated with another cuke. My garden layout plan was to have the canary melons adjacent to the cucumbers, and now Im not at all sure that these should be growing near each other. Last edited by Stvrob; February 6, 2015 at 04:43 PM.

February 6, 2015	#2
frdlturner Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Galena, MO Posts: 215	Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) and melons (Cucumis melo), along with squashes and watermelons are members of the curcurbit family prized for their fruits. One common myth associated with cultivating cucumbers and melons near each other is that they will cross-pollinate and yield unpredictable fruit. Although this cannot occur, several factors should be taken into consideration when multiple curcurbits are grown together in a garden. Cucumbers and melons may bloom around the same time and have many characteristics in common but they are separate species incapable of cross-pollination. Some curcurbits can pollinate each other, but only with other members of the same species. For example, because zucchini and some pumpkins are both of the species Curcurbita pepo, they may cross-pollinate. Even when cross-pollination does occur, the characteristics of the fruit from the current season are not affected. The seeds collected from this fruit, however, produce fruit that reflects its mixed parentage.

February 7, 2015	#4
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	Often the myths perpetuate because the fruit sampled from some of the plants seems tasteless for a melon so the people think the Cuc had something to do with it. NO, it's just that maybe the season was bad or the grower didn't fertilize properly or watered too late in the growing season or didn't know when to pick the melon dead ripe. Lots of reasons, not to mention the fact that often some food writers that don't really have a clue about gardening, perpetuate all kinds of nonsense about how to grow or select produce. For the last 2 years we have been growing some of our winter squash in various smaller fields away from our main farm to keep things isolated. We grow 1 variety each of 3 species of winter squash and a variety of watermelon. That way those 4 varieties should be good for saving seeds. The seeds from the first year came as true as anything else we grew. Carol

February 9, 2015	#5
Patchofdirt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: KC Posts: 9	not trying to stray too far off topic, but how does a moschata x maxima cross successfully (think Japanese kabocha types)? I hear people say they plant both species side by side without fear, but I also know that a common hybrid, "Tetsukabuto" exists and is very popular.

August 23, 2015	#6
ilex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Spain Posts: 416	Note that Armenian cucumbers are really melons, so will cross with melons. I think part of the myth is based on that. Some squash species can cross. In most cases it's not that easy and you need embryo rescue and things like that.

August 23, 2015	#7
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	As humans, we like to put things in categories, and call them separate species. When in reality they may not be as separate as we would like to believe. Certain varieties of maxima squash can cross with certain varieties of moschata squash if certain conditions are met. Moschata crosses with Mixta are also fairly commonplace.