Will seedless watermelon crosspollinate and contaminate the seeded watermelon used to pollinate them?

2015-03-15T17:25:06Z

I'm considering using a heirloom variety as the pollinator, but want to keep the heirloom seeds pure. I think seedless watermelons need a pollinator cause their flowers are mainly female, so I'm not too sure if it will cross due to the lack of males.

2015-03-17T13:13:21Z

I thought I made it clear that I understand how heirloom seeds work, and am explicitly trying to save the seeds, not keeping the quality of the first generation fruit. What I am unclear of is how seedless watermelons differ from seeded watermelons in their plant growth, and why they need a seeded watermelon. I thought it was because seedless watermelons produce small or no amounts of male flowers and so need a pollinator.

fluffernut2015-03-15T20:46:58Z

Cross pollination affects the fruit grown from the seed after the crossing.........future year's fruit, not the present fruit...........in most cases. If you want to keep heirloom pure you cannot have another watermelon, seedless or not as you are messing with the DNA.

Wahya2015-03-15T20:41:28Z

Having a seedless strain will just mean that the seeds you do have will give rise to either seeded or seedless. I would not grow seedless if you want to keep the seeds.