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canadianlori

Open Pollinated or Not?

CanadianLori
10 years ago

Where is the difference defined?

I have peppers in my greenhouse and some outside. Okay, I get it that the outside ones were indiscriminately pollinated by fickle winged buddies.
But the ones in the greenhouse. I had originally hand pollinated making sure to wash hands in between varieties. Yeah, no brush or q-tip just tickled them.
But I got busy and frankly couldn't reach many of them as my plants got bigger.
I had positioned plants from the same seed pack beside each other from get-go . So when I couldn't reach them I just let a small fan run to jiggle them. It has worked because they are producing pods. Is the short-armed-girl using a fan method considered open pollination?
I want to label my seeds correctly and not mislead anyone.
Opinions would be most most appreciated.
Lori

Comments (4)

  • Armageddon
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    they would be considered OP unless your green house is 100% insect free but it is not a big issue if you was looking to make 100% sure the seeds are true to the mother plant you can isolate plants at friends & family's that is not growing peppers or you can Bag the blooms there are many other tricks but they all take lots of extra $ and time

    This post was edited by Armageddon on Mon, Sep 23, 13 at 1:09

  • smokemaster_2007
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Not open pollinated,not isolated.
    O.P. means just that bees etc were left to do their thing.
    BUT not in mixed company.

    Couldn't resist. lol

    Usually open pollinated means for the most part,the self pollinated plants were not hand pollinated but were the required distance from other varieties.

    At the same time since peppers are self pollinating,it usually takes a bee or whatever that is carrying other pollan to make a hybrid.(get past the buds own pollen).

    I can't remember getting a cross from my indoor plants with no fan or help in setting pods.

    When you see seed Co, offering OP seeds they mean they grew a crop of only that variety far enough away from other plants that might cross.

    The plants weren't physically isolated or hand pollinated,but were kept whatever distance away from possibly pollen donors elsewhere.

    I grow a LOT of my seed stock indoors in 4 1/2 inch pots until I get a pod or 2.
    Then they go outside.

    SASBE are from mostly non isolated stuff,my personal stash is isolated +/- inside.

    Not trying to be an a$$ ,just explaining the way I think things work in general.

    In your greenhouse I'd bet most all pods are not crosses unless your fan blew a couple buds together so they actually rubbed each other.

    Also,I think temps have more to do with setting pods than blowing pollan around.

    The way a pod is set up by nature makes the pollen fall in the right places.
    I used a fan at one time and found very little difference in pod set.
    I did find with starts it made for some stronger trunks and stems.

    To me the few times I used a fan and paint brush to get pods from indoor plants,it sucked.
    Fan blew all the pollen around so brushing buds was actually spreading pollen that was on the buds/leaves/wherever but not where it could pollinate the bud.
    I polluted natures way of doing the brush thing I think.

    Once I left my plants alone I got no crosses when using seed I knew was pure-or was supposed to be pure.

    Best thing I've found was let nature do it's thing.
    Fans I think aren't good for pollination(in my opinion).
    But are good to get strong starts.
    Depending on the pepper variety etc.they are designed so the pollen drops where needed.-gravity.

    Ya I saw tons of pollen fall when I tapped my branches but I think nature might hold onto the pollen until the right time before it gets released and drops.
    As a side note,some buds face up(Frutescens and a few others).
    So my theory isn't bullet proof. LOL

    Just to be safe,maybe just use the pods for seeds that are farthest away from plants that may cross.
    I really see a fan as a possible wrench in your machine,depending if you are just lightly shaking up your plants with it or giving them hurricane force winds spreading pollen everywhere in the greenhouse.
    Hard to say.

    It's kinda like the guys who spray pepper juice for bug control.
    If a bug feeds on pods,you wasted your time and every time you touch your plants the stuff gets on you...Burn baby burn,I hope you didn't touch a sensitive part of your body after checking out the garden...

    IIf you are selling seeds,test grow a few.
    If they are Annums you have time to see purity.
    OR sell them at a reduced price saying they are OP(not isolated but greenhouse grown and should be pure...)

    If trade seeds,I wouldn't worry about it,usually most trade seeds are not isolated.
    Almost ALL the super hot seeds for trade these days are crosses from pods people purchased at a high price.
    Most are unstable etc.
    A lot are all kinds of other things not even crosses of supers.

    I'd just tell whoever you are giving the seeds to,the exact same thing you posted above.
    Let the customer or trader decide.
    People like honesty and will most likely trade or buy from you(if you are selling seeds).
    Too many rip offs these days with the super hot mania going on lately.
    People will also let you know if the seeds grew true,not in a pissed off way.
    They will like your honesty and don't mind a cross or 2 and probably will get at least a majority of true looking plants from your seeds.
    Several people over the years trade with me mostly because I tell them what they are getting-isolated or possible crosses.

  • don555
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If you are just trying to save a few seeds for yourself to grow the same type next year, then save the seeds from some of the lower pods that you know you hand-pollinated and that way you know they'll be pure. If you are trying to save ALL the seeds in order to sell or trade, then you are *probably* okay, but there is a risk that some of them, especially the ones fan-pollinated are not pure. Actually, that's probably true for the lower pods too because you would get insects in the greenhouse that could have cross-pollinated any pod, but the lower ones stand a better chance... an excellent chance... of being pure.

  • CanadianLori
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you for the advice. The fan was only run on low and just enough to keep the air moving - hopefully I didn't do much harm.
    I'm only planning on giving or trading seeds - I already have one little business and want to keep this as a hobby and for the fun of it only.
    I have learned so much this year through this forum and hands on.
    I know that I will never pack so many plants into such a small area - I honestly thought they would only grow about 2 feet tall - imagine my surprise when they grew triple that!
    Learning curve - I think those are my middle names :)
    Lori

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