First we are going to cover whether a plant needs pollination to produce the intended item such as the veggie, fruit, herb or bloom.
Self Pollinating – each flower on these veggies and fruits has male and female parts. While these plants are self pollinating, it doesn’t mean that pollinators don’t help produce the veggie or fruit. This category includes:
Legume Family – peas and beans
Nightshade Family – tomatoes, peppers, eggplant etc.
Okra
Fruit Trees and Berries – while the flowers are self pollinating many fruit trees and berries produce better with more than one variety growing close by.
Not Self Pollinating – each plant has male and female flowers and needs pollination to produce.
The Cucurbit Family – squash, cucumbers, melons etc.
No Pollination Required:
Greens – lettuce, arugula, spinach, cabbage
Flowers – annual and perennial flowers
Brassica Family – broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts
Onion Family – garlic, onions, shallots, etc.
Carrot Family – carrots, celery
Herbs
Now that we got the above covered, we will talk about saving the seeds for the above and whether pollination is important to form the seeds.
