As you've found out...a swab is a poor tool for this...try a small artist's brush

and a lighter hand........

I use my finger and knock pollen loose and go from flower to flower. I have found that the best time to assist with pollination is between 12-1pm every time I try before or after seems there is not much pollen if any. It does not take much to knock the pollen loose so take it easy and you will be fine.

Mark

Chiles are self-pollinating. You can do this if you're bored.....you don't need to.

I agree with Willard3 I only do this on weekends if I have time as I am checking for aphids. I don't make it a daily habit. They do self pollinate, wind and insects do the job.

Mark

Thanks to everybody.

I have started to do it because I have very low fruit set on Habanero and TS Moruga, the Habanero one has been dropping a lot of flowers and I have only gotten ONE pepper.

In other hand my other type of pepper are having a good time with a lot peppers, the blessed ones are:

*Jalapeno
*Cayenne
*Apache
*Super chili
*Basket of fire
*Thai
*Hungarian Yellow Wax
*Giant Marconi
*California Wonder
*Chocolate beauty

Yep. Usually a shaking of the plant is good enough.. or like willard said, nothing at all. Keep in mind, the varieties you listed as flourishing should be. While the ones you're concerned about are a lot slower to develop.

Kevin

Thanks Woohooman,

Regarding the question about the pistil, will it set a pepper? Or with the pistil broken it will be impossible?

I'm kind of new in pollination-gardening matters

Not sure. Let us know. ;)

As abnorm mentioned, I've also switched to the artist brush for pollinating. In my opinion though, peppers and tomatoes don't really need help. Even if grown indoors, I would imagine that a nice shaking of the plant(s) would suffice.

Kevin

FWIW, my Scorpions are also slow to set. My BJs already have peppers but the Scorps just seem to want to eat more light. Don't have any "normal" habs...

g2013 I'm interesting in knowing if those peppers set with no stigma? I had the samething happento me today and ran to google to find out if I'd still get bell Peppers from those two flowers that lost their pistil while I was hand pollinating and it brought me to your question here. Please update us on what happened? Did the flower drop or were you able to get the peppers to set without the pistil? Thanks!

I dont really remember my 8th grade science too well, but I think the Pistil is the male part. Since you are introducing pollen by hand, I don't think the pistil is necessary in this case. But again, 40 years later, that stuff is pretty fuzzy in my mind.

Best of luck getting an update from him/her. This thread's from 2013 ;) Not saying it's not possible but, I wouldn't hold my breath.....