Growing two varieties side by side whether its a hot peper and a sweet bell or a pickling cucumber or a long green slicer has no bearing what so ever on the crop that each produces as far as taste and appearance etc are concerned. The only crop I can think of that this is a problem in , is corn. If two corn varieties are planted side by side and bloom at the same time the corn kernnels or seed will show traites of each in taste and appearance, for example if I planted a white corn and a yellow corn together, I will get a bi-colored corn. I do this all the time with silver queen and qolden queen corn, it is cheaper than buying the bi-colored seed. The only effect of growing two types of anything side by side would be in the seed, which for all crops, except corn, is transparent, if you grew out the seed the new plants would be a hybrid of the two parents. So plant as many cucumber varieties ,melon varieties, squash varieties ,bean varieties, tomato varieties ,side by side as you want and there will be no effect on the crop. But don't keep any seed unless proper distance or isolation was used because the seed will be crossed and produce something other than what the parent was. Same applies for people other mammals and birds etc just because we live or work side by side, touch and associate doesn't mean we will turn into one or the other. But if any offspring were to arise from this association that offspring would be a mix of the two parents. Rodger

That's kind of amazing about the corn Rodger. Thanks for your response.

It's the Babylon that's gynoecious (sp?). Here's what I read, in a couple of places: "These varieties produce only female flowers. Fruits that are fertilised by male flowers are bitter tasting." This means this generation's fruits will be bitter, not the fruit grown in the next generation, no?