Planting pumpkins query

cityfarma · Oct 28, 2007

I want to plant a few different types of pumkin and I want to collect the seeds for next year. I know pumkins cross pollinate so how far apart should the different types be planted to maintain the true types?

Is there a similar problem with watermelons?

Cityfarma

Tororider · Oct 28, 2007

Can't help you out, but will look forward to info, as I hope to plant some pumpkins for the kids for next year.

randy41 · Oct 29, 2007

so you will plant only non-hybrids...right? I'm not sure of the distance required but I would think its a good long ways apart. pumpkins, and watermelons, are frequented by pollinating insects whose range is measured in miles.

jinman · Oct 29, 2007

randy41 said:
so you will plant only non-hybrids...right? I'm not sure of the distance required but I would think its a good long ways apart. pumpkins, and watermelons, are frequented by pollinating insects whose range is measured in miles.

Great answer, Randy41.

I was going to say to only plant one plant.

We've had pumpkins put out runners as long as 25'. That means spacing the plants over 50' apart and training the pollenators to only land on a single variety...not likely.

I guess you could plant a field of only one type of pumpkin and also convince all your neighbors to do the same...or build a greenhouse and do your own pollinating. I think the easy answer is just to plant your seeds and take your chances. Do your own pollination in the field (use a cotton swab or pull the male blossom) and mark the locations you know you pollenated.

Tororider · Oct 29, 2007

Randy41,
Do you have specific non-hybrid varieties that you would suggest?

So you can't plant a mini pumpkin variety and a "normal" size pumpkin variety in the same field? Do gourds have any impact on this equation?

Thanks.

charlz · Oct 29, 2007

I think the 'rule of thumb' is something like 1/4 mile apart. Not likely to happen in a home garden. I have planted:

Jack-o'Lantern (Cucurbita Pepo)
Jack-b-little (Cucurbita Pepo)
Lumina (Cucurbita Maxima)
Baby Boo's (Cucurbita Pepo)

together as well as other squash. If they are from the same family they can cross. So far my pumpkins have come true from seed I have kept. Although next year will be the first year for Baby Boo from seed I am keeping.

I did have some kind of monster pumpkin/spaghetti squash (Cucurbita Pepo) that volunteered and that was interesting. They were orange and about 5 times the size of a spaghetti squash but smelled on the inside like pumpkin, taste was about the same as spaghetti squash.

So basically you take your chances but I like saving seed so thats what I do.

Charles

randy41 · Oct 29, 2007

Tororider said:
Randy41,
Do you have specific non-hybrid varieties that you would suggest?

So you can't plant a mini pumpkin variety and a "normal" size pumpkin variety in the same field? Do gourds have any impact on this equation?

Thanks.

I grow howden which is open pollinated (not hybrid). i also grow baby bear which is a small (mini) pumpkin and is open pollinated. then I grow some hybrids. i grow them all in the same field but I'm not looking to save seed that will be true to its origin. i think you'd be ok with gourds.
i also grow 2 varieties of open pollinated watermelons....sugar baby and crimson sweet. again I'm not looking to save seed so I plant them near each other.
i think theres a lot of info on the www about how to grow in order to save seed. i think it requires the use of barriers around the plant when the plant is flowering.

Tororider · Oct 29, 2007

So if I understand correctly, as long as I buy new seed every year It wouldn't matter what type of pumpkins I plant? Sorry if this is a terribly newbie question.

From what I have heard, pumpkins are pretty easy to grow? And if the seeds are really expensive(I am not looking to plant a lot of them, just a small patch) then buying seed every year shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for the help.

zeuspaul · Oct 29, 2007

That's right. Cross pollination is only an issue if you want to save seed for next year's crop. Buy as many varieties as you want and don't worry about getting strange pumpkins.

Zeuspaul