How to Hand Pollinate Tomato Plants

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a great garden vegetable, but what happens if your tomato plant does not produce any fruit? While tomatoes are self-pollinating, meaning the male and female flower are on the same plant, sometimes the male pollen does not reach the female flowers either from lack of insects or wind, which means there are no tomatoes for you to enjoy. If this is the case, you can hand pollinate your tomato plants in order for them produce fruit.

Things You'll Need

• Cotton swab, such as a Q-tip
• Small paintbrush

Instructions

1. Find the female flowers and male flowers on your tomato plant. The female flowers have a little bulb of green fruit at the base while the male flowers simply have a green stem.

2. Dip the Q-tip or small paintbrush into the male flower and cover it with pollen. The pollen is the yellow substance on the male flower's stamen.

3. Dab the pollen-covered Q-tip or paintbrush into the female flowers, inserting it into the middle of the flower and rubbing it inside. Use each male flower to pollinate two or three female flowers.

4. Repeat the process until all of your female tomato flowers are pollinated.

Tips & Warnings

• Hand pollinate tomatoes around 9 in the morning for the best results.

References

• The Kitchen: Gardening: How To Hand-Pollinate Fruits and Vegetables
• Plant Answers: Blooming Basics: Tomatoes and Squash

Resources

• Zeta Talk: Hand Pollinating