Pepper Pollination Question...

GoDawgs · #1

I've been using a Q-tip to pollinate the first flowers on my indoor pepper plant. Never done this with peppers before since they've always been grown outside. Then I just read in one article that one can use the electric toothbrush method on pepper flowers to do the job. This would make sense since they're both solanums but I don't trust everything I read in these articles.

Does anyone have a tip on the best way to do this? Any comments on the toothbrush thing?

pepperhead212 · #2

I would do the toothbrush thing, if you feel you have to. But peppers are fairly good at self-pollinating (and also crossing, but that's another story!). I was concerned about this when I first covered some of my plants years ago, to avoid pepper maggots, and I watched them closely, as a bunch started flowering, about the same time as some uncovered ones. I thought I was going to have to do this to all of them, but amazingly, it seems that all of the flowers set, and produced large fruits! Some wind got through to help, I guess, so maybe you could leave a few on one side of one plant that you don't "buzz" with the TB, just to see if it matters at all?

I use that thing all the time on my first tomato blossoms of the season, and it seems to set more of them quicker. By the time I'm getting more than I know what to do with, I stop, and insects are out, by then. I never even bother with peppers.

AKgardener · #3

I always use an electric toothbrush for my indoor peppers including eggplant as well works great I also use it on my maters as well never fails. But just my opinion

GoDawgs · #4

Thanks for the input, folks. Toothbrush it is!

rxkeith · #5

i do the finger flick to the branches. it seemed to work on the zupa peppers, and indian jwahl
i had growing a couple years ago.
i have not done a lot of in door pepper growing. aphids seem to find the peppers i bring in doors.

keith