Yes! You know those little mesh baggies that they put candy covered almonds in and hand out at wedding receptions? Get some of those, or something like it. Tie them over the unblossomed flowers (gently!) and this will keep bees and the like from introducing pollen from one variety's flower to the ones in the bag. When the blossoms fall off, remove the little baggie and mark the blossoms you had protected by tying a ribbon or piece of string to the branch. Then you can harvest those tomatoes for their seeds, then consume their tasty flesh.

Jadegreen is correct. See the FAQ at the top of forum for more details. Even without bagging you only get a small pct. of cross pollination and not every tomato on a plant will be crossed.
Jim

and not every tomato on a plant will be crossed.

******

So true, but there's no way just looking at fruits to know which fruits have crossed seeds and which ones don't.

It's always best to save seed from several fruits on each plant, better is to save fruits from several plants of the same variety.

And is it necessary to save pure seeds? Only if you plan to trade with others, as courtesy For home use it really doesn't matter that much as I see it.

And in general, these days I save seeds only when I know that the seeds of a variety are hard to come by.

And I second the motion that folks interested in knowing how to prevent X pollination read the excellent article, with pictures, that's already here in the FAQ section, link at the top of this first page.

Carolyn

Thank you Jadegreen and Jimm. I've almost never seen bees or other insect pollinators at my tomato blossoms, so I thought tomatoes were self or wind pollinated. I don't have almond mesh bags, but I save fine-mesh onion bags that I use to support melons growing up the trellis. I can cut a few up to form bags.

I think a plant clip should hold the mesh around the blossom without pinching the stem, and I can use it to mark which fruit to save the seeds from, too.

Excellent! I think I will go out and do that with 3 new blossoms of each variety today!

but I save fine-mesh onion bags that I use to support melons growing up the trellis. I can cut a few up to form bags.

*****

I know those onion bags and I think the mesh is way too big and that quite a few potential insect pollinators will get throught it, especially the predominant pollinators, the sweat bees ( Halictids) b'c they are tiny tiny.

Those tulle bags described in the FAQ do work well.

Just a gentle suggestion.

Carolyn

Here you go. ;)

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: How to prevent Cross-Pollination FAQ

Here's organza on a roll; also see the link for organza bags near the bottom.

Here is a link that might be useful: Organza Tube Ribbon, 4

And here are various fabric bags in organza & other materials, including round bottom, flat bottom, cone shaped (may be great for cherry tom clusters), and giant bags (good for covering entire dwarf plants or smaller pepper plants.)

You can also get Tulle circles, even at Walmart in the crafts department, that you can wrap around a cluster and twist tie or rubberband shut.

Hope this helps.

Mark

Here is a link that might be useful: Organza bags

Is 1/16" by 1/32" mesh too large, Carolyn? If so, how small should the mesh be? Need I use something as finely meshed as landscaping fabric?

Is 1/16" by 1/32" mesh too large, Carolyn? If so, how small should the mesh be? Need I use something as finely meshed as landscaping fabric?

*****

If you bag blossoms with landscaping fabric it will hold in the heat too much and everything will rot. Been there, done that. ( smile)

Please do use the tulle that's referred to in that FAQ, which is also known as organza, and Mark has given you some sources.

You can just go to a fabric store if you want to and ask for tulle/organza. It allows for air exchange whereas most landscaping fabrics do not.

Carolyn

I've read your posts and the FAQ and have found them very helpful, but I have a lingering question about timing.

You see, I didn't think about saving seed until now, and many are rare/heirloom varieties. All of my plants are blossoming and many have fruit growing already. Is it too late to try and "bag" the blossoms to ensure purity?

I've been asked to grow plants to sell next year (spreading the love of true tomato flavour throughout my community!!), and for financial reasons I would like to use my own seed. All of my plants are situated close to each other.

Thanks for all your help.

Cindy

I've read your posts and the FAQ and have found them very helpful, but I have a lingering question about timing.
You see, I didn't think about saving seed until now, and many are rare/heirloom varieties. All of my plants are blossoming and many have fruit growing already. Is it too late to try and "bag" the blossoms to ensure purity?

******

I assume you're talking to me when you say you've read my posts since you posted after I did. Whatever. LOL

Cindy, you can read/see from the FAQ that blossoms need to be bagged when they are in bud, well before they open. So if you have any that are still in bud you can bag them.

Out of curiousity, what are the rare heirloom varieties that you want to save seeds from? I can see someone being concerned about finances, but I'm just curious to know what you consider to be rare.

it may well be that if things don't work out for you that I or others would know a source for your rare ones that might be available commercially or otherwise. And there are places where a pack of seeds costs way less than $2. And those packs would have way more than the standard 20-30 seeds that most places pack.

Carolyn