The answer is no, and yes: Can a sweet pepper plant produce hot peppers? A lesson on cross pollinating.

Garden columnist Dan Gill answers readers’ questions each week. To send a question, email Gill at gnogardening@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Is it true that if you plant hot peppers on the same row as sweet peppers, the sweet pepper plants will cross with the hot peppers and become hot? — Bill Carter

I get variations on this question all the time. Will yellow squash cross with nearby zucchini plants to produce odd squashes? Will my lemon tree cross with a nearby orange tree and produce orangey-lemons or lemony-oranges? While it is certainly possible for cross-pollination to take place between these plants, it does not affect the type of fruit a plant produces. Except for corn, the type of fruit a plant produces depends entirely on the genetics of the plant producing the fruit, not where the pollen came from to pollinate the flowers.

Although peppers are self-pollinating and generally do not cross, sweet peppers and hot peppers belong to the same species and can cross with one another. However, the type of pepper produced by a flower is based on the genetics of the plant producing the fruit — not by the pollen.

If pollen from a hot pepper fertilizes the flower of a sweet pepper, all the hot pepper genes from the father plant go into the embryo in the seed. The genes from the male parent do not play a part in the formation of the fruit. That depends entirely on the genetics of the mother plant producing the fruit.

It is the ovary of the flower that develops into a pepper. It does not contain any, and is not affected by, the hot pepper genes that were in the pollen. The heat or mildness of the pepper itself is strictly determined by the genes of the mother. As a result, even if a flower of a sweet pepper is pollinated by pollen from a hot pepper plant — it absolutely, positively does not affect the fruit produced by the sweet pepper plant and will not make the fruit hot.

Now, if you plant the seeds inside that sweet pepper you will see the effect of the male parent’s genes.

The embryos inside the seeds inherited half their genetic makeup from the male parent. That means it is entirely likely that some of the plants grown from the seeds inside the sweet pepper may turn out hot.

So, if cross-pollination does occur between a sweet and hot pepper, it does not affect the fruit produced, but may affect the characteristics of the next generation grown from the seeds in the fruit. This information applies to all vegetables (other than corn), such as squash and zucchini, and all fruit, such as lemons and oranges. Cross-pollination is not an issue.

We have a large ground cover area of Asian jasmine. Is there any weed and feed product that is safe to control weeds? Two of the most prevalent of these are wild strawberries and dollarweed. — Chris Phillips

There is no weed and feed you could use on the Asian jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) to control existing dollar weed and wild strawberries. These products are strictly for use on lawns. Imazaquin (Image Kills Nutsedge) is a selective herbicide that will kill a variety of broadleaf weeds (as well as sedges and some grasses) and is safe to use on Asian jasmine.

If that does not work, you may apply glyphosate (Killzall, Eraser Grass and Weed Killer, Roundup). While this herbicide is nonselective (will kill whatever you apply it to), Asian jasmine is very resistant to it. Mix it at the lowest recommended rate, or buy it premixed if you like.

Just spray the weeds and avoid getting the spray on the foliage of the jasmine as much as possible. If the spray gets on the Asian jasmine, it will likely be damaged very little, if at all, by the spray. It may take more than one application.

Do not apply glyphosate to control the weeds in any other type of ground cover as it will damage them. You may also apply a fertilizer now if you like. Use any general-purpose fertilizer scattered evenly over the Asian jasmine following package directions and water in.

Garden tips

SPRING GARDEN SHOW: The annual Spring Garden Show will be held April 1 to 2 at the New Orleans Botanical Garden. The garden show includes plant and garden product exhibits, sales throughout the garden, a children’s discovery tent, educational programs, live music, arts and crafts, cooking demonstrations and more. Admission to the show is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 5 to 12. Children under 4 years old and Friends of City Park members get in free. For additional information, contact Chris Dunaway at cdunaway@agcenter.lsu.edu.

NOTICE DRAINAGE: After a heavy rain is an excellent time to evaluate drainage conditions in your landscape. Which areas did the water drain away from quickly? Where did water puddle in the yard? What areas still have standing water or are still very wet days after a rain? This can be invaluable later one when considering what plants to plant in various areas.

TLC FOR ROSES: Fertilize roses now if you have not already done so. If you are growing types of roses highly susceptible to black spot (such as hybrid tea roses), a regular spray program should be started now for disease (black spot) and insect problems. For convenience, use a material that combines an insecticide and a fungicide in the same product.

LAWN CARE: We fertilize lawns anytime from late March to early April, so now is the time. Mow the lawn just before fertilizer application, spread the fertilizer evenly and at the proper rate, and water thoroughly when you are finished. If weeds are an issue, you may use a weed and feed.

Fickle transitional weather is almost behind us, so it’s time to start planting now

Sago palm structure is a container for seeds, and other garden advice from Dan Gill