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Question about pollination

Swampy_NZ

Swampy_NZ

I was just wondering about pepper pollination.
Does it only take one grain of pollen to fertilize a pepper flower or can multiple grains from different plants get in on the action.
If its only one pollen grain how on earth do peppers get the chance to cross pollinate with peppers being self pollinators.
It would seem like an awfully big stretch for the first plant to get their pollen onto the second plant before the second plants self fertilizes.
Or am I missing something?
 
Usually, it would only take one grain of pollen, just with any other fertilization process. And as far as cross pollenation going, anything from wind to pollenating insects (bees, butterflies, etc.), even the action of you walking through where you have your peppers, and coming into contact with the flowers can be enough to pollenate. Best thing to do is, if possible, either keep the peppers as far apart as possible, cover the individual flowers with fine mesh bags, or failing that, covering the whole plant with a shade of some sort...
 
millworkman said:
One grain per seed.
Click to expand...
^ exactly.
So given the number of seeds...you realize it's a great orgy.
 
[edit] oh yeah, stamens and pistils tend to mature at different times (but with an overlap of the fertile period in most peppers). guessing from my hand pollinating experience, the flowers on the annums I grow seem to be ready to accept pollen before producing their own.
 
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