I got an email a few years ago in early December as well as a question from a friend at the pool about saving gourd seeds. “Is it OK to eat squash that has mixed traits of different squash in the same ...

Is it true that if you plant hot peppers on the same row as sweet peppers, the sweet pepper plants will cross with the hot peppers and become hot? — William I get variations on this question all the ...

Q: This summer, several of my squash and cucumbers were deformed and tasted funny. I think that they were cross pollinating each other. What can I do to prevent it next year? — Jean, Tulsa. A: Cross ...

So, if cross-pollination does occur between a sweet and hot pepper, it does not affect the fruit produced, but may affect the characteristics of the next generation grown from the seeds in the fruit.

One way to isolate seed-saving plants is to grow them in containers away from other garden plants, such as these four ...

Cross-pollination occurs when pollen from one plant fertilizes the ovules of another plant. Some plants cannot set viable seed without cross pollination, as is the case with broccoli and many apple ...

Garden columnist Dan Gill answers readers' questions each week. To send a question, email Gill at gnogardening@agcenter.lsu.edu. Is it true that if you plant hot peppers on the same row as sweet ...