will my beans have cross-pollinated?

[Use Less]

I had left-overs & some small packs, so ended up w/at least 5 kinds of beans in the bush bean rows, including green & purple green beans, gren & purple romanos, Blue Lake, and who-knows-what for 17cents from the dollar store. Are some less likely to have cross-pollinated than others? Some of the old pods have dried up, so I could save seed. I don't really care if they grow some odd crosses next year, but wouldn't want to waste time & space if sterile. Thanks, Sue

[Belfrybat]

If the beans were right next to each other or intermixed, then you may have some cross-pollination, but probably not a lot. Beans are pretty much self-pollinating. To make sure, in the future, plant different varieties a few feet apart. I grow pole beans with cukes or squash in between to help buffer them from each other. If it were me, I'd try some of the saved beans just to see what I came up with.

[salmonslayer91]

chances are that they will not be sterle and you may only have as much as 5% crossing maybe none, next year just make sure to save seed form those that match th variety character.

[geo in mi]

Up to 1% is the figure generally given for cross pollination of beans growing close together, but, the self pollenization nearly always takes place inside the blossom before the petals open. A bee might force its way into the closed bloom, or you might have a cross if two different blooms were intertwined and touching each other, maybe French kissing........

It's very doubtful, then, that you'll get any sterile, mutant zombie beans. But you might get kissing cousins sometimes.........

geo

[Steve L.]

Originally Posted by Use Less

...but wouldn't want to waste time & space if sterile. Thanks, Sue

They won't likely be sterile if they have crossed, anyway.