How to Artificially Pollinate Flowers

Pollinating flowers is usually the job of birds, bats and insects, but in some cases you may have to do the job yourself. Artificially pollinating flowers is a great way to ensure that plants produce seeds in an area with no natural pollinators.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rounded toothpick
• Small wooden dowel (for larger flowers)

1. Insert the rounded end of a toothpick into the flower.

2. Move the toothpick in a circular motion around the interior of the flower. Brush the interior of the flower gently.

3. Take the toothpick out and move on to another flower.

4. Repeat steps one and two.

5. Return to the original flower and repeat the process.

6. Repeat steps one through five until all of the flowers on your plant have been pollinated.

Tips & Warnings

• A cotton swab can be used in place of the toothpick if there is concern about damaging the flower.
• Be gentle when inserting the pollinator into the flowers; it doesn't take a lot of effort to damage a flower.
• Inspect the end of the toothpick or dowel to make sure there is pollen on it. A yellow-colored dust is what you want to see.
• Artificial pollination is a great way to get your plants to produce seeds in the absence of natural pollinators, but it can also be a frustrating process. Some plants produce only male or female flowers, and some plants can't fertilize their own flowers, requiring another plant of the same type to complete the process. Don't be frustrated if your efforts produce few or no results; artificial pollination can be a tricky process.
• Natural pollinators are still the best means of getting your plants to produce seeds. If natural pollinators are absent in your area, they can be introduced through beehives, planting other flowers to attract specific pollinators and through turning off outdoor lights at night.

Resources

• All about pollinators.