Pea saving question!

[veggiechicken]

I have some Leo dried peas, growing in pots and flowering.
Also some Oskar peas, not yet planted out, but from which I'd like to save seeds.
Is there a risk of cross-pollination, please?

[Hazel at the Hill]

Nope - they will be true to themselves.

[veggiechicken]

Thanks Hazel - that's a good way to live!

[Florence Fennel]

Well I never, I didn't know that, thank you.

[zazen999]

They self pollinate - before the flower even opens they are already pollinated so absolutely no need for worrying. In fact if you want to cross your peas, you have to open the flowerbud up and remove the pollen, and take it to another opened up flowerbud in order to ensure it pollinates and sets seed.

[veggiechicken]

Crafty little so and so's. Isn't nature wonderful! Thanks Zaz. I'm going to sow lots more now!

[rpt]

But is it natural or a result of their breeding? Self-pollination must prevent gene diversity so I imagine wild plants don't self-pollinate. Or am I completely wrong?

[Alison]

As said, all varieties of peas don't cross and are actually very difficult to be made to do so - they were used quite a lot in the Mendel's early experiments in relation to genetics as you could be confident in what was happening.

[Mato]

I thought this was the answer, I'm glad to see my suspicions confirmed! I haven't seen a cross in garden yet, so I guess I must be doing something right.

[chris]

Crafty little so and so's. Isn't nature wonderful! Thanks Zaz. I'm going to sow lots more now!

I often think this. As a whole, reproduction is just amazing. (I don't mean the practicing part either!!)

Tomato seed -> numerous fruits with seed, etc etc.. acorns and all that. Just boggles the mind!