I recently purchased a small paint brush to try and hand pollinate my
vegetables. I finally got bell peppers to grow this way. The flowers
were drying up and falling off the plant before I tried this. I've done
this to the muskmelon and cucumbers. Can I hand pollinate tomatoes? I
noticed on the flower that I cannot see the pistil or stamen. A yellow
cone protrudes from all the centers of the flowers on the tomato plants
(I suspect that the pistil and stamen may be inside). Does this mean I
cannot hand pollinate them?

GardeningGuy

"GardeningGuy" wrote in message
...
I recently purchased a small paint brush to try and hand pollinate my
vegetables. I finally got bell peppers to grow this way. The flowers
were drying up and falling off the plant before I tried this. I've done
this to the muskmelon and cucumbers. Can I hand pollinate tomatoes? I
noticed on the flower that I cannot see the pistil or stamen. A yellow
cone protrudes from all the centers of the flowers on the tomato plants
(I suspect that the pistil and stamen may be inside). Does this mean I
cannot hand pollinate them?

GardeningGuy

Tomatoes are self-pollinating. If you have them in an area with no breeze,
give them a shaking. That's all they need to set fruit. Usually this is only
necessary when growing tomatoes in an enclosed area such as a greenhouse.

John

"B & J" wrote in message ...
"GardeningGuy" wrote in message
...
I recently purchased a small paint brush to try and hand pollinate my
vegetables. I finally got bell peppers to grow this way. The flowers
were drying up and falling off the plant before I tried this. I've done
this to the muskmelon and cucumbers. Can I hand pollinate tomatoes? I
noticed on the flower that I cannot see the pistil or stamen. A yellow
cone protrudes from all the centers of the flowers on the tomato plants
(I suspect that the pistil and stamen may be inside). Does this mean I
cannot hand pollinate them?

GardeningGuy

Tomatoes are self-pollinating. If you have them in an area with no breeze,
give them a shaking. That's all they need to set fruit. Usually this is only
necessary when growing tomatoes in an enclosed area such as a greenhouse.

John

Going over them with a fine spray of water helps, too, when conditions are dry.

Mike.

GardeningGuy wrote in message ...
I recently purchased a small paint brush to try and hand pollinate my
vegetables. I finally got bell peppers to grow this way. The flowers
were drying up and falling off the plant before I tried this. I've done
this to the muskmelon and cucumbers. Can I hand pollinate tomatoes? I
noticed on the flower that I cannot see the pistil or stamen. A yellow
cone protrudes from all the centers of the flowers on the tomato plants
(I suspect that the pistil and stamen may be inside). Does this mean I
cannot hand pollinate them?

GardeningGuy

Don't bother with a brush, take a blossom and go from flower to flower
using it as the brush.
As for tomato they can be wind pollinated , insect pollinated or
pollinated by any tool that buzzes like a hair clipper or sander to
rattle the pollen loose.