Cucubits and cross pollination - help

[Kitanda]

I'm a novice veg grower - this is only my 2nd year and I have a question about cucubits.

Last year I bought all female cucumbers so the question didn't come up. But this year I have male/female cucumbers, and also male/female courgettes growing. I'm sure I read somewhere that I should cut off the male cucumber flowers as female pollinated fruit becomes bitter. Should I do the same for the courgettes?

I also read this morning that I should hand pollinate female courgette flowers with the male. But I was wondering if it's possible that an insect landing on the male courgette flower could then pollinate a female cucumber flower?

Is this a daft question or a valid point? Any help would be appreciated as I'm a little confused.

Tracey

[Billy]

It's a daft question.

Cucurbits inn the garden produce both male and female flowers on the same plant, and they all rely on a pollinator, most often the honey bee. If there are no bees, and you see small immature fruit browning, you may want to take the petals off of one of the male flowers (the ones with the long stems), and pollinate the female flowers (short stem), and pollinate it in the traditional manner (it will be obvious).

[Kitanda]

Thanks but it didn't answer my question about cross pollination between courgette and cucumber?

[David Hare-Scott]

I doubt this, I have not heard of any cucumber that was dioecious.

But this year I have male/female cucumbers, and also male/female

This is not right.

Only if you have no bees to do the job.

But I was wondering if it's possible that an

That is how it normally works.

David

[David Hare-Scott]

It isn't a problem.

David

[Billy]

Have you met Frank? I think you'd like Frank. He is a courgette X cucumber, cross pollinating kinda guy. Every time I see one of Frank's posts, I always think that he should go pollinate himself.

But to the nut of your question, ah, there he is again, but Frank aside, cucurbits only cross pollinate between the same species, not genera. Courgettes are Cucurbita pepo, and cucumbers are Cucumis sativus. Different species, different genera. You have less chance of a pollination between the two, than ol' "ferret face" looking intelligent. Yes, I am a naught boy, and I deserve a good spanking. I wonder if "sweety" is still up?

[Pat Kiewicz]

Are you sure that the cucumber variety you are growing this year will set fruit without pollination?

Courgettes generally don't grow fruit without pollination. The flower drops, the incipent fruit eventually withers/rots/drops off. It's a major problem for some gardeners, which is why you run across instructions for hand-pollinating them.

No. Entirely different genera.

It's *possible* but unlikely to get natural crosses between plants in the same genus.

Honestly, a bit daft, toward the end.

[Billy]

BECAUSE, IT WON'T HAPPEN.

Cross-pollination occurs freely between all varieties within a species. As a general rule, cross-pollination will not occur between different species. The squashes are the exception; where pepo crosses with minta and moschato; and moschato will cross with maxima. Plantings should be isolated from each other to prevent cross-pollination via insects or the wind.

[David Hare-Scott]

Did you think that I was making vague content-free noises of REASSURANCE, or were you WORRIED that nobody would get THE TRUE MESSAGE (TM)?

Take two tablespoons of white oil and have a lie down, it will stop the shouting.

David

[Billy]

You sure are turning into a cranky ol' sot. What's got your knicker in a knot? I knew quite clearly what you meant, but it seemed that Kitanda wasn't getting the drift. When she comes back all full of self-indignation, you can have her. OK?