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"Wild" Pumpkin Vine Question
OK lets say this is the only pumpkin or squash around in the area for
pollination purposes and the vine has male and female blooms which the bees pollinate. Wouldn't it go back to whatever it's "parent" was? I know that gourds are like that (other than they are pollinated by moths at night). If you are growing one type of gourd you cannot grow another type within several miles of each other due to cross-pollination and end up with whatever weirdo. Elaine "lwhaley" wrote in message oups.com... Elaine wrote: Hi everybody! Here's a question... I've got a "wild" pumpkin vine that was growing in my foxglove bed. Seems after talking with my neighbor, he had given out pumpkins seeds to the birds and squirrels and one found it's way across the street to my flower bed. I suppose he got this from the bird seed section of the store but I will ask to make sure. I moved it to a decomposing log pile and leaf area . Anyway my brother "the farmer of the family" said it would never have orange pumpkins, just green ones. Anybody know if this is true? BTY It likes it's new home and is running all over the place. As others have said, the pumpkin family are notorious outcrossers. this means that pumkins that are not grown with seed production in mind will likley be pollinated by other pumpkins of a different variety. For the pumpkin to grow true from seed it has to be grown in isolation. This can be accomplished by physical isolation. Seed producers have an established distance their seed crop must be from other varieties. Other methods can also be used such as caging and hand pollinations to produce smaller quanities of seed. What this all means is that your brother is probably right. Your vine will produce something but you don't know what. I will likely be green like your bro said and may not be good for anything other than an autumn display. In any case, you can keep the vine around as an experiment if you are curious. If you want or expect actual pumpkins then you would destroy it. Lawrence |
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