By Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Give your tomatoes a helping pollination hand by gently tapping the trusses with flowers. Do this between 12pm and 2pm, as pollen travels quickest at that noontime.
The problem is, however, and I am sure everyone will agree with me, that most of us are not going to have the time to do that at that time of day. Most of us work and thus are not in the garden, whether at home or on the allotment.
On the other hand, the primary pollination will be done by the bees and other such kind of insects and the wind and thus we may help a little as and when we have the time, I would say, such as if and when we are in the garden or the greenhouse around those hours.
Other plants that do need a helping hand with pollination are courgettes and marrows, which both, basically, are the same, and other squashes too like and need help at times. The same seems to be going for cucumbers too, at times.
With courgettes and marrows you will have to, physically, put the male flower over the female. Make sure not to damage the latter flower on the stalk as that is where your courgettes or marrows will develop.
Despite all the work involved with growing your own veggies it still is very much worthwhile as long as you do not count, as in man hours and thus monetary terms, your time spent doing all those things, as well as the watering, the digging, the hoeing, the weeding, etc.
Happy gardening and have a good harvest...
© 2011
