Maggots/bluebottles

[goosander]

Read somewhere that bluebottles can pollinate plants in the greenhouse. Easy to get some maggots from the fishing shop. Being new to this growing i was wondering if this would be a daft thing to do. Bob.

[mothhawk]

Bluebottles can apparently pollinate crops in the greenhouse. They do drink nectar. But you would need to keep the greenhouse sealed because unlike bees, who will return to the same nectar source, flies don't. As soon as you open the door or ventilators, half of them will be away. Plus, I think it would be quite unpleasant to walk into a GH full of blowflies. Ugh!

Also unlike bees, they don't stick to one type of flower at a time, but land and feed on whatever is nearby, which may be an issue if you are growing a mix of crops.

[Plot70]

Maggots are likely to be more use drowned and laid an inch below seed drills where they relatively quickly dissolve and release there nutrients just as the new plants need them.

[goosander]

Thank you for that.
It seamed stupid to me but being a learner i thought i would seek advice as we have very few bees about the last few years.
I know that when i kill a fish in the summer and hang it in the trees for shade until ready to take it to the car the blowflies have laid massive amounts of eggs in the fish mouth.
Bob.

[mothhawk]

What are you growing in the GH, goose? The tomato family including peppers, are self fertile, but can be helped by lightly spraying the plants with water or by gently shaking the plants.

There are lots of other flies that pollinate, hoverflies being a major one. Some beetles do pollination duty too, and moths and a lot of the small wasps that we don't really notice. As long as they can get in and out of the GH through an open door they will do the job.

[goosander]

Mothhawk.
Have a lot of flowers on the tomato's that seam to just die. The likes of my melons i tickle them with a brush.
Bob.

[Jungle Jane]

Could be the heat causing the flowers to abort,I have the same thing & my plants are all outside.

[mothhawk]

Mothhawk.
Have a lot of flowers on the tomato's that seam to just die. The likes of my melons i tickle them with a brush.
Bob.

Give each plant a tap or shake whenever you are in the GH to shake the pollen from the anthers onto the stigmas. That should do the trick.

[goosander]

Thanks Mothhawk. Will try that.
Bob.

[Babru]

My first season growing tomatoes in the greenhouse, they weren't setting till my friend told me I had to do the paintbrush thing. I've loads of bees in my garden, but they don't all pile into the greenhouse. Get your brush out to them, that'll do the trick. Of course, I only have one 6x8, if you've three polytunnels you could be there all day....

[goosander]

I grow a lot of marigolds for outside and in the greenhouse which seams to bring in some bees. Will try the shaking thing. Had some long trusses of cherry type toms that i wanted to have all ready at the same time as in the shops but never managed to get the whole truss ready at the same time.
Bob.