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Erlangen, Germany

Mr. Langevin says in his book (II):
"Pollination does not effect the genetics of the plant you are growing, only the seed inside the pumpkin it is growing."
Sounds logical. It would mean that the size / shape of the pumpkin fruit (of this qear) is not influenced by the pollen it was pollinated with. For the pumpkin is genetically a part of the mother plant.

However, in the Pumpkin Nook it says that accidental (open) pollination with Zucchini gourds should be avoided because it produces very long and thin pumpkin fruit.
http://www.pumpkinnook.com/howto/pollen.htm

They cannot both be right, can they?
Can anybody here explain this?

10/27/2004 4:27:14 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Effects seeds only..The offspring of a AG x Zucchini might not be very desirable. I can't get rid of the few I have.

10/27/2004 4:37:48 PM

Springfield, VT

I don't think AG's and zuchinni will cross pollenate since AG are cucurbit Maxima and zucchini are curcurbit pepo. I do know that field pumpkins will cross with zucchini and only the offspring come out long and skinny

10/27/2004 5:09:41 PM

Webster, NY

I like to use the miniature gourds as an example. Grow a few varieties next to each other. Collect the seeds and grow them next year and if you let them all open pollinate, you will have no idea what you will get. I have fun with them and get different gourds every year. Pumpkinnook and Wilbur are right, AG's won't cross with zuchini, but other pumpkins will (at least to the best of my knowledge)

Dave

10/27/2004 10:55:06 PM

Atlanta, Georgia

I do the same thing steelydave and also have weird and fun results with the small gourds.

Turks Turban is supposedly a c.Max and could cross pollinate with the ag's to the best of my knowlege but I have no clue what would result from such a cross.
There are actually many pumpkins in the c. Max family that would be interesting to make ag crosses with I think.

I'll have to try it next year just for fun!

As for my halloween pumpkins I got lucky last year from my own seeds from a Howden Field but next year I'll buy new seeds. It would be terrible to expect a few acres of nice halloween pumpkins to sell and end up with something weird.
Michel

10/29/2004 3:19:12 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

only maxima's will cross with maxima's
so no zucchini's will cross.
Glenn

10/29/2004 8:08:16 AM

Cologne / Germany

I read somewhere on BP.com that Dave Stelts prefers torpedo shaped pumkins like his 801 used to be. So this a clear fact that we have an AG strain basing on zuchini genes here...ROFLMAO

10/29/2004 9:11:48 AM

Erlangen, Germany

Thanks for all the info.
So Pumpkinnook probably meant other pumpkins, not AGs.

11/1/2004 8:56:34 AM