Cross Pollination – Same Plant

Q: I understand that cross-pollination is not of concern to the current plants, but the seeds are affected: if you replant those seeds next year, then you’ll have Franken-veggies. But what about cross-pollination between varieties of the same plant?

A: It’s the same result in both situations. Different varieties of the same vegetable do cross-pollinate and do affect the genes in the seed, leading to unpredictable results from those seeds the next year. Seed producers raise the same variety of a vegetable in a controlled plot, so the seeds you buy are genetically pure and predictable.