A couple of questions.

[purple dolphin]

Hello,
I’m new around here, just introduced myself and now I’m so happy to find a place like this on the internet.

Well on to the question that brought me here.

We planted our garden this year, when we did we put all the plants that vine in the same area. (This is the first time we have had more than cucumbers and butternut squash) any way we planted cantaloupe, pumpkin, watermelon, and cucumbers rather close together, ( I forgot how out of control pumpkin can get)

My boyfriends dad was telling him something about planting them that close can cause them do something like cross pollinate, (wish the boyfriend would pay more attention) can this happen and in turn make all of them uneatable?

I have no idea what other information you all would need to know to answer this so let me know, I can run out and take pictures if I need to. I should do that anyway.

Also one other question, it was cold and rainy here longer than normal and we got the garden in later than we probably should have how will that effect the output of it?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Kya D]

They can cross pollinate. But sometimes it only affects the seeds, they won't come true if you plant them
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/wsquash.cfm


http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/node/981

 

[Crabbergirl]

I have always had my vines in close groups and not really had an issue with crossing, not saying that it will not happen I just have never had that. Actaully right now I have spaghettis squash, cuban squash, pumkins and Asian melons all growing over each other and everything seems fine. The only things I worry about crossing are my pappers from sweet to hot and back. I plant hot peppers about 300 feet from my sweets and behind the house. So far they have not crossed but I have had it happen and turn all my sweets blistering hot , not just hot way hot!

Weather these days is changing and predicting how it will effect out come of a garden is hard. If you know your zone and your first frost date , you can compare that to the days to harvest of the crops you have planted. So if your tomatoes will harvest in 75 days and your frost date is in 60 , you may not get tomatoes and so on.
The thing is last year we had a very cold, wet long winter so I suspect we will have a very rough hurricane season followed by a warm winter, which if the plants survive the unsual rain we are having , will mean a longer growing season for me. Have not followed any other area weather so not sure what you trends are.
You might want to check out http://almanac.com especially if you are unsure of your zone and frost dates. Very helpful in deciding what and when to plant.

 

[purple dolphin]

kya D- Thanks for the links they are very informitive. I kind of thought that might be the case, so I'm not going to stress over it since I dont plan to use the seeds for next year.

crabbergirl- I never thought about that with the peppers, I hope mine do ok since I have them all planted together.
It looks like I'm good until mid October here before the first frost. I'm in zone 5 bty

I'm hoping since winter seemed to hang around here forever, then the spring and now even summer was/is very wet that it will stay warmer into November. It seems that is how it works after very cold or wet winters.

 

[curbhopper]

I believe that cross pollination is a good thing. Someone may not get what they THOUGHT they were getting but crosspolination is how we got honeydews and many more plants. I hope we get more bees around here. But I did see a hummingbird this morning. Curbie

 

[Randy]

I have gotten cross-pollinated squash before but only as a volunteer from the previous year's seeds. I don't save seeds from the stuff I grow.

 

[KallieLashay]

Yes I once made the mistake of planting hot peppers with mild peppers..and I ended up with all VERY HOT peppers..it was terrible. So I just don't plant hot peppers anymore. And if you do I would put them in a pot on the porch or patio.

I have never had a cross pollination yet..but it would be interesting...so I wouldn't worry too much about it. It is still edible..lol..

 

[Crabbergirl]

I hope we get more bees around here. But I did see a hummingbird this morning. Curbie

A neighbor that lives about 1/2 mile down the other end of my road was raising bees. It's great I have noticed an huge increase in bee activity in my garden lately. I don't have any neighbors really close in space to us so I don't see them often. I was talking to someone who said" Did you hear about Marlos bees? They all left" LOL With all my gardens I guess they decided to move down to my place. I thought they would always return to the hive. I planted tons of sunflowers the huge mammoth ones with the huge flowers, in addition to my flower gardens and veggies. Wonder if I stole his bees by accident???

 

[Randy]

It's normal for a hive to swarm, but that is with a new queen. The old queen stays in the hive as far as I know. The work force is smaller for awhile until she builds it back up again though. The swarm will look for a new place to form their hive and often a beekeeper will find them before they do that and provide a hive for them. If you ever see a swarm of bees like that though, see if you can locate a beekepper instead of the pest control people.

 

[curbhopper]

One time when I lived on a farm (truly in the old slave quarters), a swarm decided to be on our chimney. I called the Univeristy of Maryland Apiary (I used to live across the street from the apiary) and he said that one morning, we'd wake up and they'd be gone. It took about a month (they're noisy,too) but sure enough, he was right. My daughter was so afraid of them. She slept with me for 3 weeks b/c they were outside her bedroom window. I think bugs are fascinating.....how can an ant dig tunnels with no hands? ~ Curbie

 

[Randy]

They have mandibles. They are experts at using them too.

 

[curbhopper]

I don't want to have dirt or sand in MY mandibles. Geez....could ruin a manicure AND your mandibles...... LOL ! Curbie

 

[purple dolphin]

If you ever see a swarm of bees like that though, see if you can locate a beekepper instead of the pest control people.

We had a swarm of bees here at the house a couple of years ago, I never thought to call pest control. I was at a friends when my boyfriend called to tell me they were at the house, she said to call the bee guy (for the life of me at the moment I can not remember his name) he came and picked them up.

 

[curbhopper]

I think it's cool that they kind of 'hold hands' and hug......great picture...well, that's the extent of my beekeeping knowledge. "COME toGETHER, right now....over me " Ringo Starr turned 70. ~ Curbie

 

[KallieLashay]

The marigolds make a big difference in my garden..I always see at least one bee when I go out to the garden.

 

[curbhopper]

Marigolds are so simple to grow AND they keep mosquiotes away. I love them. And if you plant the seeds from the ones that have 'sort of died', you have marigolds EVERYWHERE. I love marigolds. I have a plant that I have NO IDEA what it is. It's a vine and when I went out this morning......it has yellow flowers on it......I THINK, the squirrels put seeds in this pot. I think it's a vegetable.....stay tuned - more at 11. ~ Curbie