N00b Question #1

huntsman · Jun 30, 2009

I've read about open pollination in several threads -

Can someone explain this term, and address its significance to chillis, please?

Slinter · Jun 30, 2009

huntsman said:
I've read about open pollination in several threads -

Can someone explain this term, and address its significance to chillis, please?

If you grow multiple types of chilis out doors, they can cross pollinate and it can create hybrids. I grow indoors at my house and outdoors at my friends house. Indoors I keep pure seed because I pollinate by hand. Its just more of a guarantee that you wont get seeds that are hybrids.

huntsman · Jun 30, 2009

Ah! So if something is 'open pollinated', it's always a hybrid? (Or could be a hybrid?)

If this is the case, Slinter, what is the significance of the seed seller adding the words 'open pollinated' to their product? Would this indicate that the product might not be a pure strain?

Thanks!

MrArboc · Jun 30, 2009

huntsman said:
Ah! So if something is 'open pollinated', it's always a hybrid? (Or could be a hybrid?)

If this is the case, Slinter, what is the significance of the seed seller adding the words 'open pollinated' to their product? Would this indicate that the product might not be a pure strain?

Thanks!

Yeas - it might be a hybrid/cross and not a pure strain.

huntsman · Jun 30, 2009

Thank you - just to confirm then: open pollination is when you let nature take its course, then I guess it's called 'closed pollination' if there's human involvement?

BTW - How far apart should you plant different species to avoid this issue? (Obviously the answer is variable, depending on wind, animals pollinating inadvertently, etc, but just a guideline?)

Southern-Pepper · Jun 30, 2009

huntsman said:
I've read about open pollination in several threads -

Can someone explain this term, and address its significance to chillis, please?

Hey Huntsman I am a Noob as well. Think of it like this; Pretend you’re pepper garden is actually people growing instead of peppers. They are all looking for mates via evolutionary genes/alleles coding. So let’s say a male Caucasians genes are transferred via bees etc… instead of sperm, to a female Asian. Hence, a hybrid is born via pollination. Plant all Asian “plants” with 100% pure Asian decent genes and you can only produce Asian plants. However a frisky next door neighbor growing plants can pollinate your gene pool and alter the genetic structure of your plant or plants. That’s the best quick explanation I can think of, hope it helps.

POTAWIE · Jun 30, 2009

Open pollinated is a confusing term which often is used to mean a non-hybrid plant but I'm not sure if this is really the correct usage since it also seems to mean plants that are pollinated in the open by wind, insects, birds etc.

One definition http://www.primalseeds.org/hybrid.htm

2nd definition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_pollination

Pepperfreak · Jun 30, 2009

Also, unless you are going to be saving the seeds, you don't need to worry about cross-pollination because it will not effect the fruit of the current plant. However, if you are planning on saving the seeds and planting them next year, you do need to worry about cross-pollination, only if you want pure seeds.
Sorry, I don't know how far apart they would need to be to keep them from cross-pollinating.

huntsman · Jun 30, 2009

Southern-Pepper said:
Hey Huntsman I am a Noob as well. Think of it like this; Pretend you’re pepper garden is actually people growing instead of peppers. They are all looking for mates via evolutionary genes/alleles coding. So let’s say a male Caucasians genes are transferred via bees etc… instead of sperm, to a female Asian. Hence, a hybrid is born via pollination. Plant all Asian “plants” with 100% pure Asian decent genes and you can only produce Asian plants. However a frisky next door neighbor growing plants can pollinate your gene pool and alter the genetic structure of your plant or plants. That’s the best quick explanation I can think of, hope it helps.

Heh heh! It certainly paints a graphic picture - thanks! :lol:

POTAWIE said:
Open pollinated is a confusing term which often is used to mean a non-hybrid plant but I'm not sure if this is really the correct usage since it also seems to mean plants that are pollinated in the open by wind, insects, birds etc.

One definition http://www.primalseeds.org/hybrid.htm

2nd definition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_pollination

It's clear from those links that whether the plant is pollinated by nature or by a finger/paint brush, it's still open pollination, so really, unless it's genetically modified all plants are pollinated in this way. Agreed?

Nice links, btw!

Pepperfreak said:
Also, unless you are going to be saving the seeds, you don't need to worry about cross-pollination because it will not effect the fruit of the current plant. However, if you are planning on saving the seeds and planting them next year, you do need to worry about cross-pollination, only if you want pure seeds.
Sorry, I don't know how far apart they would need to be to keep them from cross-pollinating.

Well, from those links it would seem that pollination could take place over a really large distance, so I guess if you plant more than one species at home, you're taking a chance. Interesting... :cool:

Thanks, guys!

POTAWIE · Jun 30, 2009

You really only need to pollinate by hand if you are developing hybrids, and if they aren't hybrids then you are growing open-pollinated and plants should be isolated in one way or another to collect pure unhybridized open-pollinated seeds

imaguitargod · Jun 30, 2009

huntsman said:
BTW - How far apart should you plant different species to avoid this issue? (Obviously the answer is variable, depending on wind, animals pollinating inadvertently, etc, but just a guideline?)

Generally what I hear is they should be a mile apart. Pollen gets around quite easly.