Growing 3 types of sweet pepper, will they cross pollenate ?

[AJ WEBB]

As above, if they do does it matter ?

[veggiechicken]

It only matters if you want to save seeds for next year.

[Alison]

Not if you want to eat them but yes if you want to save seeds for growing next year. Not sure which was your question.

[starloc]

If you were to save seeds they will have cross pollinated with other plants within a few miles, so always a mix of types in the seeds unless you protect the flowers, in most areas someone else will be growing other varieties

The peppers this year will be identical though no matter if cross polinated or not,

I was in b+q on Saturday and they have 6 packs of pepper plants for £6 , 2 each of 3 varieties, lots of people were buying them, and many other varieties they had of chillies and peppers, so in most areas will be the same so no chance without a load of hassle of not cross pollinating.

I got 12 plants, just going to plant them next to each other, but will still plant seeds fromthem next year anyway just to see

[Alison]

I got 12 plants, just going to plant them next to each other, but will still plant seeds fromthem next year anyway just to see

For some things I don't mind sowing seeds which are probably cross pollinated (beans being a good example) as you can pretty much guarantee you'll still get something nice, even if not exactly looking as you imagined. Peppers however are more variable (same with squashes), you may well plant the seed of a beautiful sweet pepper and grow a horrible hot chilli. It MIGHT be nice but the risk of taking up valuable polytunnel space with something with such a high degree of uncertainty just isn't worth it for me.

[Thelma Sanders]

They will self pollinate so you could bag a few flowers of each type if you do want to save seeds, that haven't been cross pollinated by insects

How to do it here -

DIY Pepper Seed Saving Instructions from The Real Seed Catalogue

[BUFFS]

last year I had 13/14 types growing in the back greenhouse but as I was resiting the front g/house this spring my sowing was passed over and I had to buy some in from g/centres etc, so next year will be the eye opener, Californian sweet x cayenne, now theres a thought..., we still have 2 large carrier bags full of frozen types of peppers in the freezer(frozen whole) so more chillies/curries are on the books..