I've read several conflicting pieces of information on the growing of dill, cilantro, and fennel near one another. I've read that fennel and dill will grow well together and make good companion plants, however I've also read that they will cross pollinate to make a foul-smelling hybrid. I've read that dill and cilantro will cross pollinate to create a rather disgusting culinary useless hybrid, but I've also read that they can be beneficial to one another's growth. I have not, however, read anything on cilantro and fennel growing together. How do these three plants fare when grown with one another, and is there any risk of cross pollination or hybridization?
To cut costs I am planning on using the seeds again. I (personally) don't particularly care about hybrids or GMOs, I just want to be able to use the plants as herbs. However, should the hybrids not be culinarily useful, I would begin to care.
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1 Answers
Yes, cross pollination between Dill and Fennel can occur. Not a plant you want to grow...bitter and wimpy. Not sure about the Cilantro...the point is harvesting your own seed without exacting knowledge about genome, sanitation, sequestration and lots of money to ensure pollination between two plants with known DNA? Is kind of a waste of time.
While we are able, before some dang catastrophe, we should always use certified, non gmo stamped, seed, certified seed potatoes, certified plant starts. Harvesting our own seed is fine but that habit has major draw backs if you aren't expecting them or have enough room to experiment growing your own harvested seed without the ability to know the genetics. Save your NON gmo and certified seeds. Freezer with absolutely no worry about thawing...so no automatic defrosting freezers and vacuum packing.
Just the ability to grow crops successfully, knowing how to test pH, knowing how to change pH, knowing how to rotate crops, prepare proper beds, how to use fertilizer, how to control drainage, how to mitigate normal insect infestations, how to water properly? How to improve soil tilth? How to do just the basics without being able to go to a store to get proper ingredients is pretty much out of the scope of skills the most seasoned gardeners have.
Harvesting your own seed is interesting. Pollination control? That is almost impossible without a sealed, sanitary room with positive pressure. I am spending my time and money collecting unadulterated seed. Certified seed. There is a half life of sorts with seed but having good seed makes good sense. I collect seed when I've been lazy making sure I label exactly what I THINK I've got. Growing this seed will make sense when there is no other seed to buy...
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