Tomatoe flowers

[growingkasbar]

My bush tomatoes have just started to flower. I have two flowers open and 4 or 5 almost out. My dad told me i should brush each flower with a paint brush to transfer the pollen. Is this true or just an old wives tale?

[ginger ninger]

My dad used a rabbits tail (not very nice for the poor rabbit), he said that it didn't hurt to give mother nature a helping hand , from what i remember we had lots of tomatoes when we were kids, so it must have worked

[Flummery]

No need really. Just tap the plant to joggle the pollen about. In most modern toms the anthers with the pollen on are in a cone around the pistil (girlie bit) and if the plant is agitated by the wind or a tap from you, the pollen joggles into the right place and Bob's your Uncle.

You get fairly good pollination if you just ignore them. Mainly they are self fertile (a few heritage types can be cross pollinated by insects). I wouldn't faff around trying to pollinate them with anything else. In fact you probably wouldn't even get to the pollen with a paint brush or rabbit's foot. The 'doings' is all inside and jolly hard to get at if you want to cross pollinate them deliberately!

[growingkasbar]

ok, maybe ill just let nature take its course then

[Flummery]

I don't believe in making work!

[growingkasbar]

i think thats a good thing to believe in lol

[Alice]

No need Growingkasbar. Tomatoes are good at doing it all by themselves. If it makes you feel better to help just tap their canes - not sure that is necessary but if it makes you feel good just do it.

[onefivenine]

My 100s and 1000s and Tumbling Toms have hundreds of flowers, some very wilted.
But I only have 1 tiny tom - out of four plants which are smothered in flowers!
Any ideas why?