A Tip for Pollinating Peas & Tomatoes

The last  few days, we've seen temperatures in mid to upper 70's Fahrenheit and things are really heating up in the garden!

The sugar snap peas that I planted in the greenhouse on New Year's day, are now about 4 feet tall and have flowered.  It won't be long before we start harvesting.

A Tip For Ensuring Good Pollination

Peas and tomatoes are self-pollinating, meaning you don't need a bee or other insect to pollinate the flowers.  Wind or just natural pollination of the plant takes care of this. 

But if you're growing these vegetables in a greenhouse, there is little to no wind to either move the pollen or directly or agitate the plant which would cause pollen to spread within the flower.

So to be on the safe side, I give the plants a little extra help.  I use an electric toothbrush to agitate the plants and spread the pollen.  Just turn on the toothbrush and run the back of the brush head along the flower and stem. 

So brush your self-pollinating plants, but pass on flossing.