Will squash cross-pollinate with other vine crops such as cucumbers or cantaloupes?

It will. In fact most of the "giant pumpkins" that are shown at Halloween are really squash cross-pollinated with pumpkins.

Will squash cross-pollinate with other vine crops such as cucumbers or cantaloupes?
From the information I have gathered it appears that it only happens "IF" you save seeds for planting the following year. Which most small home gardeners don't do!





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http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plant...

A. No. Squash will cross-pollinate with other types of squash, for example yellow squash with green squash,



but they will not cross-pollinate with cucumbers, watermelons or cantaloupes.



This cross-pollination will not result in off- flavored or off-colored fruit from this year's garden but if seed are saved for planting next year the result will be a combination.



If yellow squash crosses with a zucchini squash and you plant the seed, the new plant will have the characteristics of both.

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http://vric.ucdavis.edu/veginfo/commodit...





http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/...

You will be happy to learn that what you were told about melon types crossing is erroneous. The old garden folklore that 'you should never plant cucumbers next to squash or melons because they will cross-pollinate and produce off-tasting fruit" has SOME basis in reality, but only for members of the squash family. And, even then, the effects of the cross-pollinated squash will not be seen in this year's fruit or plants.

******The key is following year***********

If, however, you save seed from one of this year's cross-pollinated squash and plant that seed next year, then it might produce odd fruit resulting from the cross-pollination.
Reply:Once I had a cucumber and watermelon cross, but they were both kept in close proximity in a greenhouse environment. It had the rind of the watermelon and inside had green flesh like the cucumber and a very mild flavor.



Outdoors I've had sweat meat, cross with sweet mama's, both winter squash.



But I never had a winter squash cross with a summer squash, cuc, zuc, or any melons.
Reply:Squash will cross-pollinate with other types of squash. An acorn squash will cross with a pumpkin, for example. But cucumbers and cantalopes are in different families and will not cross with squash. Corn won't cross with beans, and tomatoes won't cross with peppers. But sweet corn will cross with field corn. Get the idea?

Whoever said yes doesn't know what they're talking about.
Reply:yes.