Maximum Yield From Micro Dwarf Tomato Plants
Tomatoes are self pollinating. They could produce tomatoes without much help from outside forces. Usually, bees, butterflies, ants, wind and even birds will assist in the pollination process. When help occurs from insects or animals, the results could be good and bad. While these methods of pollination would almost always produce bigger yields, they often come with the headache of cross pollination. This would be a nightmare for growers who are growing for specific traits. I mostly grow my micro dwarf tomatoes under lights and indoors, so there are no insects to assist in the pollination process.
Wind And Vibration Pollination
The safest methods of pollination whether indoor or out, is wind and vibration. With these methods, the objective is to create a vibration on the blooms so they would release pollen onto the pistol. This process causes higher pollination and consequently more fruits. Many tomato growers us electric toothbrushes for this purpose. By simply touching the vibrating toothbrush on the stem of the bloom-set, the desired results can easily be achieved. I do not have an electric toothbrush so I sometimes use a battery operated hair clipper. I use the back side of the clipper to help vibrate the bloom-set on my plants.
Shaking Or Flicking Plants Can Boost Your Production
The most common tool that I use for pollination is my bare hands. Instead of vibrating with gadgets, I simply shake the plants with my bare hands. I just grab on to the plant near the blooms and give it a quick back and fort. Another method I use is the flick. Lightly flicking the bloom base a few times, this does the job very well too. With Micro Dwarf tomatoes, I also flick the entire plant by using this method on the base of the plant. Believe it or not, this is enough to pollinate the entire plant. Keep in mind, this process would have to be repeated because not all the blooms are ready for pollination at the same time.
When you grow indoors it’s especially necessary to use the vibration, shake or flick methods. It can be the difference between a small, good or great harvest. If you found this topic interesting, feel free to check out THIS. Thanks..