Cross Pollination: Does it matter if I'm not saving seed?

Hello all,

I'm new to allotments and growing things so stupid questions will be flowing thick and fast no doubt.  My first is... I want to grow a number of different beans, courgettes and tomatoes and since I have no intention of saving my own seed does cross pollination matter?

Thanks,
Michelle

Excellent!  Thank you for the speedy response gillie.  I don't plan on growing sweetcorn as it seems like a lot of trouble for the amount you get to eat.  They do taste wonderful though so maybe in my second year.

As Gillie said it doesn't matter a jot if they cross polinate...
However, if you DO get tempted to save seed at any point, its worth knowing that tomato varieties rarely if ever cross with each other via normal insect pollination.... the flowers self pollinate themselves (the female part is tucked away beneath the male part, and the opening is too small for insects to get in to it!!)

Same with French beans- they don't cross easily, so you can happily save seed, even if you're growing lots of varieties right next to each other, and the same with peas.
(but runner and broad beans cross VERY easily, as do any of the courgette/squash/cucumber curcubits)

Cucumbers are another veg where home-grown is incomparable with shop bought.  You will be hooked!

The variety of cucumber I'm hoping to grow is called Miniature White as I don't really fancy growing really big ones that I'm not going to use.

Ooh, on that topic, I only read yesterday that you can harvest half cucumbers- you just chop the bottom end off, and leave the rest still attached to the vine, and it calluses over the wound, and carries on growing!!!
I was amaaaaazed!!

I saw that too and while I found it quite interesting and useful to know I'm not sure I'd want to do it outside.  If I remember rightly the gentleman showing this tip was inside a greenhouse.