For the seeds to be true you need to keep the bees off of them. I would put a nylon stocking over the buds before they open into flowers, once they open you hand pollinate them and then put the nylon back over the flower until the fruit forms.

Here is a link that might be useful: Win Free Garden Stuff

No, you don't need to manually pollinate them b/c self pollenization occurs almost all the time.

If you go to the FAQ link at the top of this page there's an excellent article on how to prevent Cross pollination that you might find very useful. Just scroll down at that FAQ until you find that title.

Carolyn

Many, many of us "save true seeds" from our OP tomatoes without bagging. ;) And since tomatoes are self-fertile and pollination on many varieties takes place before the bloom even opens, it is quite easy to do and accidental crossing is minimal.

So check out the FAQ and you might also want to browse through the many previous discussions here on cross-pollination in tomatoes.

Dave

FAQ, FAQ, FAQ....blah, blah, blah....geez you waste more time posting that people should do searches and check the FAQ than if you would just answer the person's question.

RJ, If you want to be 100 PERCENT sure that seed wont be crossed, go to walmart and pick up a pack of 10 tulle bags in the wedding favor section for $4. Cover the blossom truss loosely with it before the blossoms mature and open. They can be cross-pollinated even before the blossom opens. Keep them covered until after fruit is set and them mark the truss somehow to remember which fruit you bagged so you can save seed from them later.

If you don't bag the blossoms or isolate the plant somehow, then you can't be totally sure the seed will grow true the following year.

FAQ, FAQ, FAQ....blah, blah, blah....geez you waste more time posting that people should do searches and check the FAQ than if you would just answer the person's question.

****

John, the reason that the FAQ on preventing cross pollination was done was for the very fact that so many people ask questions about cross pollination and it has helped many folks who have read it.

And no way can anyone take the time to type out all that's in that FAQ nor can they speak to the many pictures there.

As I recall you were here at GW when all those new FAQ's were written so you know what I'm saying, that is, making available to folks a lot of information that already has been written and then if the person still has questions they can post those questions in the thread that they initiated/

Carolyn

You do not have to hand pollinate when bagging, just put the bag over the truss full of buds. You will most likely get fruit from it.

If you decide not to bag, use the first fruits of the season. Some of my unbagged individual fruits from mid season flowers had over 40% of the seed cross pollinated by bees.

The FAQ's do NOT answer specific questions. People post here because they hope that people who know(which is not always the case) will answer their questions. Why cant you and digger just assume that they read the damn FAQs and did not find answers to their specific questions and stop being so condescending?????

I just put a nylon bag over my head and leave it on until fall. This will insure that none of my tomatoes cross with each other all summer long.

Or you could just space each plant about a mile apart.

Remember..........condescentdingaling is only partially self fertile and will not insure illegitimate parentage.

Any data on how often you do NOT get fruit from the bagged trusses? (Basically the tomatoes don't actually self-pollinate.)

I guess maybe one in ten bagging attempts do not develop at least one fruit for me. Its not really a problem because as soon as you see fruit start to develop you can take the bag off and reuse it on a plant that didn't take. Some varieties set fruit easily in bags others are a bit more reluctant, and I think weather may play some part as well so its a good idea to start bagging a little before mid season so you have plenty of time to do-overs. Before reusing I drop my bags in a sauce pan with some boiling water in it for a few minutes to kill off any pollen from the previous plant.