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Cross pollination

MammyjammyMammyjammy Posts: 22
in Fruit & veg

I have managed to germinate four "luffa cylindrica", which is a member of the cucumber family, and wonder if I grow them in the greenhouse at the same time as  my cucumbers if they might cross pollinate and I will either end up with cucumbers I can scrub my back with, or loofahs I can slice into a salad!  I don't think the cucumbers will grow successfully outside here in the North East.

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    They may well cross-pollinate Mary, but that won't affect the fruit grown from the plants this year, only plants grown from any seeds you save from this year's fruit.  The same thing happens with other members of this family such as squashes - if several varieties are grown together it's probably not worth saving the seed other than for the fun of growing something which may be unusual but might not taste nice or may have tough flesh etc.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,441

    I don't think they're that closely related but if they are it will be their decendents that are weird mutants. 



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • MammyjammyMammyjammy Posts: 22

    ha ha mutant cucumbers! Thanks for your advice

    I am pleased I will be able to grow these in my greenhouse as I don't think they would do very well outside, unless we have a summer like last year.

     

  • nikki 7nikki 7 Posts: 111

    Hello folks I would love to try and grow a loofah plant.  But where do I get the seeds?  Answers much appreciated.  Thanks

    Nikki

  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    nikki 7 said:

    Hello folks I would love to try and grow a loofah plant.  But where do I get the seeds?  Answers much appreciated.  Thanks

    Nikki

    https://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item_826A_luffa_cylindrica first result I came up with, I have used the company before and have no complaints.


  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    My 2 luffah seeds I sowed earlier have both germinated, they will live in the GH.
    no problem with germinating, I think the size will be the problem that’s why I only sowed 2. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Sue42Sue42 Posts: 6
    I have 2 luffa plants in my greenhouse.  One has made a sideshoot - should i pinch that out?  Also they have reached the roof of the greenhouse and are now being trained horizontally.  Any recommendations as to when to stop the growth, apart from when they reach the door?
  • forkinallotment19forkinallotment19 Posts: 6
    Cucumbers and other cucurbits may cross pollinate (Many Squashes (eg Pumpkins) can also cross pollinate), but wont affect this years fruit only the seed you could save, so if you don't want to save your seeds it wont be an issue
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,128
    edited June 2021
    @ForkinAllotment 😊 just a heads up to check the dates on posts …. you’ve answered the original question, which is very old. 

    The post above yours is a new question from @Sue42 which has been tacked onto the end of this old thread, and asks a different question about the same type of plant. 

    I’ve not grown luffa/loofahs  so I can’t help … hope someone can 😊 



    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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