Hand pollination is necessary with plants that have a male and female flower like squash, cucumbers etc. This method is needed if growing vegetables indoors or in a controlled environment like a greenhouse.

Some plants need less help than others to pollinate indoors. All that is needed to help pepper and tomato plants is to gently shake the plant every couple of days to advance pollination. Some self pollinators like peas, beans and lettuce do not need any help to pollinate indoors.

no bees up on the 14th floor :(

****

I assume on an outside balcony. And if sheltered from the wind do shake the plants a couple of times each day when the buds are about to open.

rj has given you some good advice. I'll just add that tomatoes self pollenize most of the time and no insect pollinators are needed.

It would also help to know what garden zone you're in to be sure that the temps are not too high that what you're seeing is blossom drop due to temps alone, or perhaps in combination with high humidity which clumps pollen and makes it less effective.

Carolyn

It's forever hot and humid in where I live, so I guess i'll shake them more.

Thanks :D

P.S It's very windy up there so which is why I wonder why there's only one tomato out of 7 flowers.

It's forever hot and humid in where I live, so I guess i'll shake them more.

***

How hot and how humid? How about just a gardening zone for us to understand your problem if you don't want to give a general geographic area?

I'm not being difficult, trust me, but if the temps are too high for too long and/or the humidity is too high for too long then the pollen is not effective, it's been destroyed, and no amount of shaking the plants is going to lead to fruit set.

If you go to the FAQ link at the top of this first page and click on it and then scroll down to Blossom Drop I think you'll see what I mean.

And high humidity clumps the pollen making pollenization dicey as well.

Carolyn