Who Cares if Vegetables Seeds Cross Pollinate?

If you are saving seeds to plant in next years garden you do!

For example - All squash varieties are outbreeding which means they are insect pollinated. Squashes are divided into 6 different species and different varieties within the same species will cross readily. Crossing however does not occur between the different species. So what in the world does that all mean?

O.K. say you plant Buttercup and Hubbard squash in your garden, you carefully save the seeds from each variety and plant them next year. Ouch what is that?? Not a Buttercup and certainly not a Hubbard. Something unusual, with questionable nutritional value and who knows if it will taste good! Same goes with Acorn Squash and Sweet Pie Pumpkin. Also all varieties of Crookneck Squash will cross with Pie Pumpkin as will all varieties of zucchini. When your plants begin to fruit it won't take you long to see a big problem. If you are not counting on this garden to feed your family you will only lose a lot of hard work. But if you are counting on this garden to feed your hungry family a grave situation will be at hand. Many other vegetables will cross like broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, cabbage,and kale. Beets and Swiss Chard readily cross pollinate. Again giving you a "whatsamacallit"! Not what you expected. Beans are self-pollinating and only rarely cross. All varieties of corn are wind pollinated and will easily cross.