breeding Preventing Cross Pollination

[mmcdermott1]

Ok, I have never really done much to prevent this but I have also never grown the amount of peppers I am working on this season and quite honestly have never really been concerned with cross pollination. However, if I truly wanted to prevent this from happening in the garden, does anyone have any realistic way to do this with 400+ plants?
I typically plant by type then put a small amount of distance between them in the garden. With the natural wind and bees, how can you truly prevent it though?
I have read putting cheese cloth type material on plants but that seems really tedious. Any suggestions?

 

[Josh]

I do tulle bags myself but this season I am going to try and glue flower buds before they open. Both are somewhat tedious.

 

[capsidadburn]

If your collecting isolated seeds for trading or continued purity and you plant in the ground then you are limited to bags or a netting contraption. I did the bags last year and probably will to an extent this year but it did grow into a hassle eventually. You could put some of your transplants in pots and move individual plants (the best plant of that variety) indoors one at a time just prior to several new blooms. Once any or several of them pod up mark them with string or pipe cleaner and back out side they go. The tulle bags Josh was referring to are easily found at a hobby or fabric store that has wedding supplies. They are sometimes called "organza" bags. They have different sizes and come with a handy drawstring but can be a bit expensive. Approx a dollar a piece roughly in small store quantities. There are bulk supplies online though much cheaper. I used the 3 x 5 inch size but you could opt to bag a whole branch. 400 plants should keep you busy.

Good luck

Mike

 

[Josh]

...The tulle bags Josh was referring to are easily found at a hobby or fabric store that has wedding supplies. They are sometimes called "organza" bags. They have different sizes and come with a handy drawstring but can be a bit expensive. Approx a dollar a piece roughly in small store quantities. There are bulk supplies online though much cheaper. I used the 3 x 5 inch size but you could opt to bag a whole branch. 400 plants should keep you busy.

Good luck

Mike

I bought a 1' wide by I forget how long roll of tulle for cheap. I cut say 18" lengths. Fold that in half and sew the two sides. They also sell larger pieces if you would like to try and cover the entire plant.

 

[Hot Pooper]

I still dont know why people are SO concerned about cross-breeding. Sure, bees and wind COULD carry pollen. But peppers are self-pollenating. Even if you were THAT concerned with it, pick a pod that looks like the ideal whatever pepper, and take seed from that.
I wont name any names, but there are seed sellers that have plants of different types right next to eachother. But hey, people still buy from them.

 

[capsidadburn]

"if you were THAT concerned with it, pick a pod that looks like the ideal"

HP, It doesn't quite work like that. Seeds in that pod, if unprotected, could easily grow into something else but you would have spent all next season nurturing this ideal plant with high expectations that doesn't grow true. That is the concern. Time and effort spent for something you didn't want.

Josh, I bought the material as well but scrapped the make your own for the ready made. Wife would not let me near her sewing machine anyway.


Open pollinated seeds do not pose a problem for everyone, myself included. If you want to trade for seeds you do not have chances are you will come across someone who does. If you want to breed for purity and quality it can't be done with OP seeds.

Regards Mike

 

[Hot Pooper]

There will be proof one day, from a VERY reputable source that will prove otherwise. I'm not saying it just flat out cant happen. But if you are careful with your growing methods, then you shouldnt have ANY problems.

 

[Skydiver]

I don't think you'd need to protect every single plant if you're going for isolated seed.
Pick one or two plants of each variety you want to protect and use them for seed stock. A handful of peppers from each should provide enough unless you're going commercial, then I have no clue.

 

[Hot Pooper]

I still grow my plants far enough from eachother that I havent had a problem yet. Well, the plants I am keeping seeds for. Other than that, I grow them close together. But hell, all you have to do is something like keep the top-most pepper isolated.