if my tomatoes are in a hothouse (flowering) how do they get pollinated?
i can’t leave the door open because my pigeons are ready and willing to nest in the hh.
do i go around with a brush and intermingle the flower pollen?

Pepe, tomatoes are largely free pollinated on the wind.
In a controlled environment, they use an electric toothbrush to do the pollinating.
Gees that’ll give you something to do right!!
I cover my tommies with mozzie nets in the fruitfly season but the wind still pollinates them. Insects are not big on tomato flowers.

Longy said:

Pepe, tomatoes are largely free pollinated on the wind.
In a controlled environment, they use an electric toothbrush to do the pollinating.
Gees that’ll give you something to do right!!
I cover my tommies with mozzie nets in the fruitfly season but the wind still pollinates them. Insects are not big on tomato flowers.

i’m not comprehending
are you saying they will self pollinate? – or do i have to shake them?

pepe said:

Longy said:

Pepe, tomatoes are largely free pollinated on the wind.
In a controlled environment, they use an electric toothbrush to do the pollinating.
Gees that’ll give you something to do right!!
I cover my tommies with mozzie nets in the fruitfly season but the wind still pollinates them. Insects are not big on tomato flowers.

i’m not comprehending
are you saying they will self pollinate? – or do i have to shake them?

If the pollen just falls off and happens to land on another flower, they will self pollinate. However, a good shaking will certainly help spread the wealth.
Or you could get out the little paintbrush and go for it too, touching all the flowers briefly for a bumper crop.

f the pollen just falls off and happens to land on another flower, they will self pollinate. However, a good shaking will certainly help spread the wealth.
Or you could get out the little paintbrush and go for it too, touching all the flowers briefly for a bumper crop.
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gotcha – much appreciated.

pepe said:

if my tomatoes are in a hothouse (flowering) how do they get pollinated?
i can’t leave the door open because my pigeons are ready and willing to nest in the hh.
do i go around with a brush and intermingle the flower pollen?

Give the plants a gentle shake and this will help to pollinate the flowers. I saw a program where they gently vibrate the stems to help with pollination in a huge hot house.

some commercial tomato growers pollinate greenhouse toms as follows:
- grow each tomato with only single leader up a string, removing all side shoots regularly
- as the toms grow it’s a matter of a correct flick of the plant around the string, to secure it more
- all the strings are hung from above tied to a crossbar
- when in flower, the crossbar is struck with another solid object..which sends enough vibrations through the flowers to cause pollination. it’s done weekly or so while the toms are in flower. it’s a very efficient way of pollinating many toms

for the backyard greenhouse tom grower: you can open vents to allow some wind in, which will do the job OR just give each plant a bit of a shake. the shaking should be abrupt/quick but the plant/stem should not be moved a great deal….would that be called a rattle instead of a shake?

aquarium said:

some commercial tomato growers pollinate greenhouse toms as follows:
- grow each tomato with only single leader up a string, removing all side shoots regularly
- as the toms grow it’s a matter of a correct flick of the plant around the string, to secure it more
- all the strings are hung from above tied to a crossbar
- when in flower, the crossbar is struck with another solid object..which sends enough vibrations through the flowers to cause pollination. it’s done weekly or so while the toms are in flower. it’s a very efficient way of pollinating many toms

for the backyard greenhouse tom grower: you can open vents to allow some wind in, which will do the job OR just give each plant a bit of a shake. the shaking should be abrupt/quick but the plant/stem should not be moved a great deal….would that be called a rattle instead of a shake?

thanks – i’m am thinking of stringing them up – i have wait now to see what the new abundant light does to them. i do have visions of toms all the way up to the ceiling.
‘rattle not shake’ – stirred not shaken – rattle and roll – its hard to express delicate matters eh?
maybe i should play some music to cause mild vibrations. LOL