7 Important Things You Need to Know About Hand Pollinating Veggies

Do you get flowers but no fruit on plants such as cucumber, squash or tomatoes? Do the flowers or fruit just fall off or rot away? Time to hand pollinate.

Why Hand Pollinate?

Weather, declining bee populations and greenhouse growing can affect natural pollination by bees and wind.

What to Hand Pollinate?

Fruiting plants such as cucumbers, eggplants, melons, peppers, pumpkin, squash and tomatoes rely on flower pollination to set fruit.

What Tools Are Needed?

A small paintbrush or cotton swabs as well as a dry cloth to wipe the paintbrush between plants.

When to Hand Pollinate?

Early morning is best before the heat of the day and you’ll need flowers to pollinate.

How to Pollinate

For veggies with large flowers such as squash, remove the male flower (without the nodule) and brush the stamen in a female flower.

How to Pollinate

For cucumbers or melons that have smaller flowers, use a paintbrush or swab to move pollen from one flower to another.

How to Pollinate

For tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, use a paintbrush or cotton swab swirling it inside each flower. Or shake the blossoms.

Swipe up for more info on hand pollinating veggies.