Can someone help me clarify an issue? I've gotten myself completely confused over it by reading too many different books and sources. :_|

Cuke family: This year we'll have 2 different cucumber varieties, 3 melons and up to 5 squash/pumpkin varieties in our 1.5 - 2 acre plot. Do they need a minimum distance of separation for the fruits to be safe? Is cross pollination just an issue if I wanted to save seed (which I'm not planning on - not enough time or help) or will I end up with funky shaped fruits that don't taste quite right?

Tomatoes - same question, except I am planning to save seed from some of them. I've got teensy tiny pea-sized ones and some huge dinner-plate sized ones and lots in between. Some are open pollinated heritage varieties (the seed savers), others are newer hybrids. Will I get true fruit regardless of how close they are? How far apart should the ones be that I want to save seed from?

I know someone out there can save me from my muddle.

If your not going to save the seeds you will be fine. They wont be funky looking/tasteing. the offspring of those plants mighthowever!

For tomatoes you need to seperate them or bag some flowers to make sure no pollinators get into them. But they do tend to pollente themselves.

Cross pollination won't affect the fruit you grow this year, but if you save seeds from those plants it will affect future plants. Tomatoes are generally self fertile and do not depend on insects for pollination but still that will not affect the fruits this year, only those in the future if you save seeds from those plants.

In fruit trees at least, even those which selfpollinate have bigger crops with crosspollination for some reason. You only have a problem with it if you want purebred seed for next year, which you said you don't. so I wouldn't worry too much.

The tomatoes need a minimum of 8' of separation from your other tomatoes (but the more distance the better) and you need a minimum of 8 plants of than variety for proper pollination and genetic distribution. plant the plants in a block of 4 x 4 or 2 x 8.