ideas on how to make isolation bags or on cross polination

I want to save seeds from most plants I will have. I know tomatoes can cross pollinate.

I heard that you can put a bag around the flowers so the seeds will stay true. Could I make a bag do would i have to buy one? Has any one made an isolation bag? any could you share your plans on how to make the bag

Also what other plants do i need to worry about crosspolination frm



Thanks for any help

I make my isolation bags to save my own seeds. I just buy some netting or tulle fabric, cut out a rectangle, turn over the edges to make a hem and sew them together like a bag. I make a drawstring top and its done. Note: don't use sisal or green tomato twine because it swells up from rain and catches in the drawsting seam when you need to remove the bag. I now use nylon tomato twine for its smoothness.



above: Some isolation bags. I happened to have some netting left over from a former Halloween project.

As soon as you see the earliest flowers starting to form, place a bag over the branch and pull the drawstring tight so no insects can enter. The rain and sunshine can get thru just fine.



above: Bag over newly-emerging tiny blossoms. A few times a day, just tap the branches of the flowering branch so that it pollinates itself.



above: As soon as little tomatoes form remove the bag, its no longer needed. Remove the bag and tie a colored yarn or strip of cloth to the branch to mark it so you will remember to harvest only the fruits on that branch for seeds later when its fully ripened. You can use this method for both tomatoes and peppers which are self-pollinating.

peppers can be done this way too b/c they have male and female parts on one flower. Squash however have male flowers and female flowers. You would need to bag both flowers before they open. then after they open pick the male flower petals off and use it to pollinate the female flower. Re bag until fruit is set and flower falls off. I believe cucs are done the same way as squash.

I make bags out of super light insect barrier and keep them on after the fruit sets to keep off the bugs.

Thanks guys.. looks like another project to start

I use organza so the little bugs cant get through the larger hole on the tulle. Although I have never used tulle so I might just be over obsessing.

how close can be your closest plant of a different cultivar - I mean is there a chance of pollination by the wind?

Many crops need lots of distance between another to prevent crossing. There's lists online which you can get. On google enter "Pollination distance" to find them. Some crops can wind pollinate up to a mile away from another variety so it depends on the crop. But if you can isolate them with bags at the first sign of blossoms you will be safe, just be sure they are something like light-weight row cover because the wind can blow the tiniest of bits thru netting.

For tomatoes and peppers, as long as you bag the first blossoms on the plant as they start to show, they won't cross-pollinate.

quiltbea wrote:Many crops need lots of distance between another to prevent crossing. There's lists online which you can get. On google enter "Pollination distance" to find them. Some crops can wind pollinate up to a mile away from another variety so it depends on the crop. But if you can isolate them with bags at the first sign of blossoms you will be safe, just be sure they are something like light-weight row cover because the wind can blow the tiniest of bits thru netting.

For tomatoes and peppers, as long as you bag the first blossoms on the plant as they start to show, they won't cross-pollinate.

er

thanks, So it has to be the very first set of flowers and that will stop the whole plant from cross polinating or just those flowers/fruit?

i am off to search away the internet

You bag the very first set of flowers to be sure none have already crossed and also to choose the earliest and best fruits borne of that particular variety. The earliest fruits have the best chance to reach full ripening early. Its only the ones you bag that won't cross-pollinate. All the others can cross if they are not bagged so you don't use them for saving seeds, only the bagged fruits so be sure to tie a colored yarn or fabric to the branch to mark it for later saving.

Thank you was just reading up on it too. Will have to make some bags

One device / system I've heard of being used to protect from cross pollenation & to harvest the seed is a simple light weight brown or grease proof sandwich type paper bag being put on a cluster of unopened flowers etc. and held in place with a light elastic band to close it up . Fasten it to a cane if you want it to be a bit more secure .

Basically write on the bag with a marker pen what it is etc with dates and let nature run its course giving it a few shakes to help things along .
This idea is also attractive if you have two plants close to each other , pull the unopened flowerheads together from the two plants and bag up etc. in one single bag.

Plantoid, I have never used isolation bags.

I save seeds rather haphazardly, with out any real plan in place, so, I am not even a novice as far as seed saving. It seems to me that "simple light weight brown or grease proof sandwich type paper bag" would restrict light and air movement from the tomato flowers and fruit.

Have you tried this yourself? I really am curious, because one of these days, I will start seriously saving seeds.