Yes, tomato blossoms self pollenize about 95% of the time so no bees are needed.

But, If you're going to save seeds you might want to consider some other options since bees can cross pollinate varieties, meaning they take pollen from one variety and put it on the stigma of another variety.

other options include bagging blossoms and growing varieties very far apart. But it also depends on whether you're saving seed just for home use, or listing in the SSE YEarbook, for instance, or trading seeds.

If you go to the top of this first page and click on the FAQ linik, scroll down to the article about How to Prevent Cross pollination and you'll find lots of information about pollination and X pollination, with pictures.

Carolyn

I trellis all my tomatoes and twice a week I tap the bar that the strings are attached to vibrate the plant to help with pollination. It works and it's cheep.

Good luck!

WM

Wow, thank you for all your responses!

Thank you. I never knew tomatoes self pollinate. Every year they are completely demolished by the green horn worms. This year, I’m getting fine mesh for my plants. I hope this works.
Thanks again!

Man, old thread. You can hand-pick off those hornworms. Also, try planting a lot of flowers and herbs that attract brachnoid wasps. They are a predator of the hornworms in the form of using them as living incubators for wasp eggs. Alyssum, chamomile, feverfew, buckwheat, and members of the carrot family like carrot, dill, and fennel if left to blossom will feed the adult wasps.

Yes, I know you can pick them off but by the time I find them, the majority of my,plant is gone!