A Complete Guide to Pollinating Tomatoes by Hand

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If you want your tomato plants to grow big, healthy fruits, hand-pollinating the flowers ensures you’ll get an abundant crop. Tomatoes are self-pollinating, meaning the male and female parts grow in the same flower, but they sometimes need a little help spreading pollen. Hand-pollinating is great for tomatoes you’re growing inside or in a greenhouse, but outdoor tomatoes can benefit from it too. Pollinating tomatoes by hand is really easy, so keep reading to learn when and all of the ways you can do it!

Things You Should Know

Shake the tomato flowers or the plant’s supports to pollinate the flowers.
Rub the inside of the petals with a cotton swab or soft paintbrush. Twirl the pollen onto the long stigma in the middle of the flower.
Hold an electric toothbrush or pollinator to vibrate the flower and transfer the pollen.
Hand-pollinate tomatoes grown indoors or in greenhouses at least 3 times a week.

Hand-Pollinating Tomato Flowers

Tapping the flower Gently tap the back or top of the flower or the supports that your tomato plants are growing on. Even a soft flick on the flower stem spreads the pollen to the male and female parts of the flower. Set up a fan next to your tomatoes to mimic a gentle breeze, which is how the plants naturally pollinate outdoors.

Cotton swab Lift the flower up and gently rub the cotton swab around the inside of the petals. Twirl the cotton swab so the pollen transfers off of the petals and onto the stigma, which are the cone-shaped female parts in the middle of the flower. Fluff up the cotton on the end of the swab to catch more pollen.

Soft-bristled paintbrush Gently push the soft-bristled paintbrush inside the flower and brush it against the sides of the petals. Twirl the brush over the stigma in the center of the flower to dust it with pollen.

Electric toothbrush Put the head of the electric toothbrush against the base of the flower and turn it on. The vibrations from the toothbrush will shake the pollen off of the petals and onto the flower’s stigma. Alternatively, you could get an electric pollinator that vibrates the flower to knock the pollen off the petals.

How do you know if you should hand-pollinate tomatoes?

Hand-pollinate tomatoes growing indoors or in a greenhouse. When you plant tomatoes outdoors, the wind and insects like bumblebees pollinate flowers naturally. If you’re growing tomatoes indoors or in a greenhouse, then they’re closed off from pollinators and need a little additional help to produce fruit. Pollinate your tomatoes by hand if you don’t see a lot of natural pollinators in your area or if your planting spot is blocked from the wind.

When should you pollinate tomatoes by hand?

Pollinate tomatoes midday when it’s sunny. Pollination works best during the hottest parts of the day when there’s less humidity. Since humidity is higher in the morning and evening, the moisture makes pollen stick to the flowers and prevents it from transferring. You’ll get the best results if the humidity is between 60–70%.

Try to pollinate your plants at least 3 times a week. Check your tomato plants every other day and hand-pollinate them until the flowers fall off and fruits start forming.

How can you tell if a tomato flower has been pollinated?

A flower closes and wilts when it’s pollinated and forming fruit. Flowers usually close up within a day or two of being pollinated. Check the flowers to see if the petals have closed or even fallen off. If the base of the flower stem looks green instead of yellowed or withered, your tomatoes were pollinated and will grow fruits. Check the stem by the base of the flower for swelling since that’s a sign that fruits are forming.