I'm a reformed finger-flicker. LOL! (That just sounds wrong) I found that I would too often flick a flower off. Plus, I love seeing that puff of pollen with the electric toothbrush!

It works ...

the pollen drops with a simple tap/flick on the vines and is just as effective and less time consuming.

I have an old electric toothbrush saved just for that purpose and although there are other routine things that also stimulate polination like just clipping stems or snapping suckers off, running circulation fans of spraying with Blossom Set, the electric toothbrush does give the appearance of accomplishment. I'll admit that I only ever used it for the first 3-4 blossom clusters and then rely on other stimuli.

For us early high tunnel growers any of the mentioned options are effective and much cheaper than purchasing Bumble bees for pollination. While some advocate removing early blossoms others go to great lengths to see them through to fruition.

I have also decided to use electric tooth brush. It seems that tooth brush has much higher vibration frequency than you can generate with finger tapping. It can loosen event sticky pollen. I know it is time consuming but with limited number of plants and free time it is practical.

Sey

Not that time consuming. You only touch the toothbrush to base of blossom cluster for a split second. I cover an entire high tunnel if 500 tomato plants in about 15 minutes. And while you're doing it you can scout for problems.

No...but I do a lot of stem stroking and paper wafting.

Ok you convinced me. Just ordered myself a battery operated toothbrush from amazon. Didn't have one since my teeth have spent their nights in a cup for years. :-)

Dave

I'm a cage-rattler like Dave but I've been tempted to go the toothbrush route too after reading this thread. Had to go to the store for something yesterday, thought about it, and all I could find were spin brushes (grocery store) - stupid question but does it make a difference?

I use the tooth bush. I was taught at university to use a cosmetic brush like women use to powder whatever with. I think I am still prejudiced in favor of the cosmetic brush.

Does anyone have any experience trying to use these in summer heat, when the tomato refuses to pollinate itself? Flicking doesn't work then. But maybe more aggressive shaking from an electric toothbrush would do the trick?

Dan, I think high temperatures affect the ovules not getting pollinated and it is not probably because of the lack of pollen. But high humidity may cause the pollen to become sticky that won't fall off. If my theory is correct , electric tooth brush might help. It is not the force of shaking that does the trick but high vibration frequency that make the pollen to come down.JMO

Sey

Thanks. Maybe I was confused but I always thought that high temps made the pollen sticky. But whatever, sticky pollen might get unstuck with more aggressive vibration. This would be a great thing to test this summer. Take a toothbrush to half your plants, and see what happens.

As I mentioned earlier, I've done the cage rattling and finger flicking for years and have had decent success. This is my first year with the electric toothbrush and I have exponentially greater fruit set. Particularly this early in the season. I also find that as I'm going through the flower clusters I notice things about the plant that I'd not otherwise see with a cage shake. I sucker my plants and I notice suckers that I'd missed. I also have spotted horn worms that I would have missed as well. Plus its just downright cool to see that cloud of pollen. And for those of us control freaks who want to feel like we're really affecting our crop it does satisfy that compulsion...LOL! Dave, I'm thrilled that you're getting an electric tooth brush. For all the years of advice that I've taking from your posts, I'm happy that one of mine is contributing to you. :)

I have never flicked, rattled, or vibrated. I just relied on the wind and whatever jostling I created from tucking things back in the cage. This does sound intriguing though. I think I'll try it.

I can not find any electric toothbrush that does not spin. Can someone post one that they are using?

NC...have you checked on Amazon?

Watch this video .

tootbrush

Sey...that was the video that I watched too. You really can see the plume!

Thanks for sharing that!

I found one at Walmarts for $5. Colgate

Yup $5 for Colgate at Wally's or Dollar Gen. I like watching that pollen fly.

Interesting that it is noted that the toothbrush vibration is similar to what bees to do a flower. Now, we all know that bees don't pollinate tomatoes by transferring pollen from one flower to another, but they do like flowers, and it would be amusing if bees DID pollinate tomatoes by just shaking the flowers.

Dan, I think actually bees take the pollen off the stigma and run with it. hehe

I think it is the vibration that causes more pollen to fall down on the stigma.

But then , in the process they unintentionally can carry pollen from plant to plant , causing crosses. That is how the pollinate cucurbits.

Sey

Ugh. Just get a fan.

?What do we do, carry the fan around from plant to plant?

BTW guys, I did start brushing my tomatoes and I am extremely impressed with the fruit set improvement. To be honest I didn't think it would be much of an improvement since I live in a really windy area, but it surprised me. Should have tried this sooner.

"What do we do, carry the fan around from plant to plant?"

Good point. Someone who says he only grows a few plants in his living room under light really has no understanding of what is involved growing lots of plants outdoors.

Dave

It is a dandy idea. And very easy and simple to handle and use.

Testimonial:

I have 2 SFT plants. One of them had several flowers while still inside. I did my first use of ETB on one of the flower. LO and behold ! That tomato is about 4 oz and it is the only tomato among over 40 plants That I have grown from seed.

No need to carry the fan around. Get one of these.

Oh, man, Nitsua, I could really sleep with one of those blowing on me :)

Ya, cuz I was born indoors. Right.

Wind.

Sun.

Ur a noob.

Right now there aren't that many flowers, but I worked on a half a dozen that I had. So I was not really as busy as bees. hehe

By the way, there were zillions of bumble bees on the rhododendron flowers but nothing to be found around the tomatoes and other flowers. BBs like big trumpet shaped flowers.

Sey

What time of day do you attempt to enhance pollinating with toothbrush?

With absolutely no reason my gut says early morning.

I'm usually rushing out of the house in the morning, so it's the evenings for me ...

I will do mornings and evenings.

Don't forget to floss after brushing ; )

Fans can work for some of us. I have 4 circulations fans running when this picture was taken and tomato plants are moved enough that fruits are setting well.

Have you been BRUSHING lately ? :-)

I do it almost everyday. (hehe). But I have no way of knowing what the results are. Once I see lots of small tomatoes then I can compare to previous season. So far after extensive investigations I have found several small cherry size tomatoes. From flower to cherry size takes about TWO weeks (per tomato time line). That is pretty slow. But gotta do it.I cannot count on bees. The ones I see are visiting cucumber vine, never interested in tomato flowers.

I have a SFT loaded with tens of flowers and I keep brushing . lol

Lets hear from you .

Sey

Brushing Up :-)

I have yet to know if my efforts are paying off.

I have lots of "nubs" that are hanging in there. That means they did not "drop". That means they've got pollinated. BUT not sure that they will all grow .

The weather is to blame, me thinks. For the last couple of weeks it has been cool ( lows in high 40s and highs in mid 60s), with less sun and more clouds and light rain. That is not a tomato loving weather, for Pete's sake.

But we seem to be turning the corner and highs reaching 80s. Lows around mid 50s. No too bad.

So we shall see what grows and what not. In the mean time I will keep brushing. hehe

Sey

I just used something similar called 'be the bee pollinator' on my eggplant a few days ago and now I see baby eggplants! My eggplant never produced before I became the bee. All the bees in my garden are addicted to the dill flowers and they never attend to my eggplants/tomatoes...I though I didn't need to help the pollination since there were lots of bees, but I was wrong..Now it's kind of late but better than none..

cc, I have never seen tomato flowers visited by Honey and/or bumble bees.

Yeah, bees love herbs especially bee balm. No wonder .

So I never count on bees to help pollinates tomatoes. Luckily, in general, most tomato flowers don't need a pollinator. But I use the brush anyway.

Sey

Bumblebees were all over my tomatoes last year. This year, I've only seen a couple of true bumblebees in my garden, although I've seen carpenter bees, etc. Perhaps they have better foraging grounds this year, as I'm late this year and the big draw, the squash, hasn't flowered yet. Or the neighbor with a messy yard cut down some trees and cleaned everything up this year, and that could have destroyed nest sites for the bees. Most of my pollinator attractant plantings this year was to try to get hoverflies and parasitoid wasps into the yard. I think I'll add more bumblebee attractants next year.