Hello,

Question here from a Newbie. We are growing Tomatoes indoors. They are
gardeners delight.

Someone mentioned that growing them indoors might be a problem as they may
need pollinated by insects. Is this true? If so, can they be manually
pollinated?

Michael Calwell

Michael Calwell wrote:
Hello,

Question here from a Newbie. We are growing Tomatoes indoors. They
are
gardeners delight.

Someone mentioned that growing them indoors might be a problem as
they may need pollinated by insects. Is this true? If so, can they
be
manually pollinated?

Manual pollination of tomatoes is an ancient cult ritual.
It requires an artists sable haired paintbrush (if you are really
serious about it ;-) ) and a very deft wrist action.
As each truss of flowers opens (some prefer to do it at 10.00am on a
Sunday morning) pollen from plant 'A' is transferred to plant 'B',
etc., etc.
Depending on which branch of the cult you favour, there are many
subtle variations on the technique.
........ But the basic idea is pretty straight forward. ;-)

'Michael',

Simply get a small thin cane, make a slit in its end, fluff up some
cotton wool into a small ball, insert it into the slit and gently flick
the tomato blossom with the cotton wool ball.

Soon you will see that the cotton wool becomes yellowish and then you
will realise that you are being effective in transferring the pollen.

Some growers syringe the plants daily with clear water to assist
pollination and others merely flick the strings securing them, to that
end.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.




"Michael Calwell" wrote in message
...
Hello,

Question here from a Newbie. We are growing Tomatoes indoors. They are
gardeners delight.

Someone mentioned that growing them indoors might be a problem as they
may
need pollinated by insects. Is this true? If so, can they be manually
pollinated?

Michael Calwell

Good Morning.
Successful tomato growing relies on pollination and plenty of
sunshine. From past experienece tomatoes grown 'indoors' (greenhouse?)
require help with pollination. By far the best way for this to happen
is by insects - just open the windows/door of your greenhouse and let
the bees and flies do their work. So many blooms can be damaged by an
inexperienced human.

Hope you are successful,
Helen

Michael Calwell wrote:
Hello,

Question here from a Newbie. We are growing Tomatoes indoors. They
are
gardeners delight.

Someone mentioned that growing them indoors might be a problem as
they may need pollinated by insects. Is this true? If so, can they
be
manually pollinated?

Manual pollination of tomatoes is an ancient cult ritual.
It requires an artists sable haired paintbrush (if you are really
serious about it ;-) ) and a very deft wrist action.
As each truss of flowers opens (some prefer to do it at 10.00am on a
Sunday morning) pollen from plant 'A' is transferred to plant 'B',
etc., etc.
Depending on which branch of the cult you favour, there are many
subtle variations on the technique.
........ But the basic idea is pretty straight forward. ;-)

'Michael',

Simply get a small thin cane, make a slit in its end, fluff up some
cotton wool into a small ball, insert it into the slit and gently flick
the tomato blossom with the cotton wool ball.

Soon you will see that the cotton wool becomes yellowish and then you
will realise that you are being effective in transferring the pollen.

Some growers syringe the plants daily with clear water to assist
pollination and others merely flick the strings securing them, to that
end.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.




"Michael Calwell" wrote in message
...
Hello,

Question here from a Newbie. We are growing Tomatoes indoors. They are
gardeners delight.

Someone mentioned that growing them indoors might be a problem as they
may
need pollinated by insects. Is this true? If so, can they be manually
pollinated?

Michael Calwell

Good Morning.
Successful tomato growing relies on pollination and plenty of
sunshine. From past experienece tomatoes grown 'indoors' (greenhouse?)
require help with pollination. By far the best way for this to happen
is by insects - just open the windows/door of your greenhouse and let
the bees and flies do their work. So many blooms can be damaged by an
inexperienced human.

Hope you are successful,
Helen

From: (Helen)
Organization: http://groups.google.com/
Newsgroups: uk.rec.gardening
Date: 12 May 2003 01:12:16 -0700
Subject: Indoor tomato advice

Good Morning.
Successful tomato growing relies on pollination and plenty of
sunshine. From past experienece tomatoes grown 'indoors' (greenhouse?)
require help with pollination. By far the best way for this to happen
is by insects - just open the windows/door of your greenhouse and let
the bees and flies do their work. So many blooms can be damaged by an
inexperienced human.

Hope you are successful,
Helen

Thanks everyone for their advice.

FYI, the plants are in my S Facing top floor flat. We don't get much in the
way of insects, so delicate pollination will have to be administered I feel.

Michael

"Michael Calwell" wrote in message
...

FYI, the plants are in my S Facing top floor flat. We don't get much in
the
way of insects, so delicate pollination will have to be administered I
feel.

I planted a couple of old tomato seeds in each of 11 large-ish yogurt pots
with slits in the bases and old growbag soil.

That was in January and, having stood them in a growbag tray in my s-facing
bedroom, they (rather unexpectedly, I admit) started to grow.

To pollinate them I tapped the flowers as they appeared and now I am taking
about a dozen toms off the plants each day (that's an average of 1 tom off
each plant a day, not 11 per plant).

I haven't fed them at all, apart from watering them with rainwater from my
waterbutt.

I am just north of Cambridge, not that that matters as the plants are
indoors.

:-)

--
Brian
"Style advisor to the seasonally-challenged"