Polination of toms in my tunnel , bees ??

[ukmastiff]

Lo all , i have read up a bit as in googled and it suggested that bees would be the norm for toms and an electric toothbrush if your a bit strange
Now i like to think im not too strange so have been opening the poly door on bright days in the hope of encouraging bees in but all ive seen are various flies.

Im a bit worried as i have a dozen gorgous tom plants and dont want a lack of fruit so any advice would be welcome

Regards
Mas

[Potstubsdustbins]

Hi UKM,

I pollinate my toms by just touching the top of the supporting cane as I pass by, this will shake loose the pollen and do the job.

A friend of mine tells me I am wasting my time as the disturbance of just working on them will be enough.

Hope this helps Colin

[ukmastiff]

I dd tap a few flowers to see and you can actually see a fine dust come out. I take it the required parts are all in the flower I.E by releasing the pollen it only has to polenate the same flower not others if you see whatxI mean :P

If this is the case I'm going to be doing some flower tickling lol

[Vagetarian]

You are correct ukmastiff, the flowers have both male and female parts. I've been tickling mine!

[Alison]

You don't need to do anything, they'll do just fine on their own, I've quite happily grown small plants on the window ledge without any bees, toothbrush or anything like that so if you start on that track you're just making work for yourself.

[chris]

Indeed - most modern jobbies have all the "bits" fused in the flower anyway - so they're not open to the pollinating insects. Mind you, I bump into mine all the time as they're too many in the greenhouse now - have to weave in and out of them to get where I want to be.

[Flummery]

Insects may well pollinate some of the older Heritage or Beefsteak types because one of the gubbins bits sticks out further than the anther cone - if you aren't careful they might even cross. Not that I've ever had this happen and I've grown several types in a greenhouse 6 x 10, but theoretically it's possible. For the 'usual' types though, they are self fertile because all the boy and girls bits are in together (having fun presumably?)

[Two_Sheds]

Most tomatoes will happily pollinate themselves

[Aberdeenplotter]

Mine are tied to canes which in turn are tied to a central wire which gets a ping every time I go into the greenhouse. A good shake aids pollination.