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Nashville, TN

OK found one of my original information sources:

http://gears.tucson.ars.gov/book/chap6/pumpkin.html

States:

C.maxima, C.mixta, C. moschata & C.pepo

- all cultivars within the Cucurbita species will readily intercross/interbreed.....

This chapter also Cites about 20 different scientific sources - when you find these sources and read them - they all state the same findings on intercrossing within the Cucurbita species.

still looking through my printouts for that article about the original creation of the atlantic giants.

- guess we'll find out in 2-3 weeks if GP will pollenate Spagetti squash.. since it only take Spagetti squash that long to mature...

7/1/2005 8:28:40 AM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

Cucurbita is the genus, I believe.
maxima, mixta, moschata, and pepo would be the species.
So maybe the source you cited is stating that all pepos will interbreed will all other pepos, etc.

For A.G.s, you could cross them with a Buttercup or Hubbard squash, since they are in the maxima species.

Doug

7/1/2005 11:26:30 AM

Syracuse, NY

HEY, I AM LEARNING TOO!:

Phylum or Division
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

A species is a group of individuals that do not successfully interbreed with individuals of other groups. A genus is a group of closely related species.


In scientific names, the first word is the genus name, and the second word denotes the species. Thus, in the example, Eleocharis baldwinii, Eleocharis is the genus name, and Eleocharis baldwinii is the species name.

7/1/2005 5:45:51 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Okay, I give up...???what is a baldwinii????? Peace Wayne

7/1/2005 10:16:50 PM

Nashville, TN

Thankyou Doug14.... I used the excess GP males and pollinated some Spagetti Squash and Nut Squash females last week...

ALL of them were successful and are developing squash... I'll see if the hybrid seeds will germinate..

Guess I'll have to move the winter squash patch next year to maintain the 'purity' of that seedstock...

7/3/2005 9:35:46 AM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

scienceteacher,
There are ways to protect the male and female flowers on squash and pumpkins, to maintain seed purity, without isolating by distance. I'm trying it for the first time this year, and will have to brush up on the techniques used soon, because pollination time is creeping up.
I hope your A.G. experiments turn out well.

Doug

7/3/2005 4:50:09 PM

Nashville, TN

Thanks Doug14... the problem is that I have such a LARGE patch of different squash's (and it will get even larger next year - since my step kids also like squash!) That it is very impractical to go and hand pollinate all the squash females. And I'm only tying the GP males shut that I intend to use for pollin... I don't want to tie/remove ALL of the males since the beekeeper next store gives me free honey - and squash/pumkin polllen makes such nice-tasting honey...

I do tie ALL female GP's shut and only pollinate from Tied males now... Want to make sure they are all 'pure'

7/4/2005 8:32:25 AM

Long Island,New York

First off, if the spaghetti squash wasn't control pollinated there's no argument for or against cross pollinations taking cause it could be selfed, sibbed, or crossed (with anything including wild cucurbits). Secondly....
moshata will cross with maxima.
maxima will cross with pepo (rarely)
pepo will cross with moshata
pepo will cross with maxima (rarely)
moshata will cross with pepo
argyrosperma and pepo will cross (but only when argyrosperma is the female)
I can find literature to conflict this account as often as I can find literature to confirm it....glenn

7/4/2005 10:27:43 AM

Nashville, TN

Thankyou LIpumpkin... Usually I resort to buying 'pure seedstock' for the winter squashes.. But my new husband wants to cut costs and start saving seed from our vegetables (like we'll do with the GPs..) to use again the next year...

Guess I'll just have to hand pollinate a few of each variety and hope those particular females will successfully produce good squash... Just have to be careful and not keep an 'open-pollinated' squash for seeds...

7/4/2005 4:52:42 PM