How can i pollinate my tomatoes

Another commonly used technique is to use an electric toothbrush to vibrate the flowers. The toothbrush should be touched against the plant just behind the flower for a few seconds.

Do this at least once a day. You will know that successful pollination has taken place when the flower begins to shrivel and fruits begin to form. In the case of pepper plants, as self pollinators, they can be pollinated in much the same way as tomatoes although it is rarely necessary. Some gentle flicking of the flowers should be all that is required.

You may also use a soft paintbrush to transfer pollen to the stigma. Squash plants produce both male and female flowers on the same plant and if there is a lack of natural pollinators such as bees, or if it is important to produce seed that is true to type i.

The first thing you should do is identify the male and the female flowers. This should be relatively straightforward, female flowers possess a swollen ovary at their base which will eventually produce the fruit, male flowers do not. If you simply wish to give the flowers a helping hand then you can use the paintbrush technique to transfer pollen from a male flower to a female or you can pick a male flower and remove its petals to expose the pollen-containing anthers before rubbing the pollen onto the stigma of the female flower.

However, in the world of pollen grains, Solanum pollen is sticky and heavy, so it takes a good breeze to release the grains from the anthers. Pollen shed normally occurs from morning to late afternoon, with midday being the ideal time for release and transfer.

Some pollen transfer still occurs in less than ideal weather. To mimic the conditions of either wind or buzzing insects, any one of the following methods will improve fruit set.

This can be done by gently, but rapidly, tapping the top of each flower. You can also flick the flower stems in short, staccato bursts. A small art brush is an effective tool to gather and distribute pollen in a manner similar to that of nectar-gathering insects.

The brush can be inexpensive, but it should have natural bristles — the pollen clings better to natural bristles than it does to plastic ones. Gently lift up the flower and rub or twirl the brush back and forth and around the inside of the petals, along the pistil, and over the tip of the stigma.

This will collect and transfer pollen grains. To avoid cross-pollination, always use a different brush for different varieties of tomatoes, or wash your brush in isopropyl alcohol before moving on to another variety. Cotton swabs are another effective tool because their surface of finely spun cotton is ideal for collecting and distributing pollen. The easiest, fastest, and most effective method is employed via a simple battery-operated toothbrush.

The vibrating head mimics buzz pollination and causes the anthers to release their pollen onto the stigma. Just place the vibrating toothbrush head on the flower base or on the flower stem, and buzz for a second or two before moving on to the next blossom.

Tomatoes are self-fertile, which means each flower can pollinate itself. Bumblebees are especially good at this. Open up doors and vents, which will also help to create a good through-flow of air, keeping plants cooler and reducing the risk of disease. Twang string-lines or canes supporting vining tomatoes, or lift and drop gently, from a very short distance! In hotter climates, high temperatures can sometimes play havoc with pollination. Turns out tomatoes like it hot — but not too hot! The only thing you can do during a heat wave is bide your time.