How can you tell if a tomato flower has been pollinated?

johnnytwofingers · June 9, 2012

I've had flowers on some of my plants for several weeks now, but its been very rainy and cold here. I've been out doing the electric toothbrush thing now and then if we ever get a somewhat dry day, but still don't see any tomatoes forming on any of them.

Is there a way to tell when a flower has been pollinated, or a way to tell when it has "missed its chance" and is not going to form fruit? After pollination, do they get a different look to them, or, does the fruit form very quickly, so it almost doesn't even matter if the flower does have a different look?

meadowyck · June 10, 2012

Great question, sorry I can't help you, I just want to post so I'll see what the top maters have to say.

saltmarsh · June 10, 2012

Watch the stem the bloom is attached to. If it starts turning yellow, it means the plant has given up on that flower and it won't be long for this world. If it stays green and enlarges, expect good things in short order. At least I think that's the method hornworms use to determine which blooms to eat. Claud

feldon30 · June 10, 2012

I also look for the stem behind the flower to bulge.

duderubble · June 10, 2012

That's probably a faster indicator than the method I use: When the flower petals wilt and turn brown and eventually fall off, if the flower is still hanging on to the vine that's a good sign.

attml · June 10, 2012

That's easy - there is a tomato where the flower used to be!

Chrissykin · June 10, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltmarsh

Watch the stem the bloom is attached to. If it starts turning yellow, it means the plant has given up on that flower and it won't be long for this world. If it stays green and enlarges, expect good things in short order. At least I think that's the method hornworms use to determine which blooms to eat. Claud

LOL

OMG that was too funny.

kurt · June 10, 2012

Look for a little BB looking baby where the flower was.Sometimes just lightly pinch and you can feel a hard small growth where flower was.On the ground if you see flower petals fully intact but with no green stem attached you are good to go.If you see flower tops on plant and where the stem close to flower at the bend turns yellow/brown that petal will fall off.

livinonfaith · June 10, 2012

I don't get excited until I have a little tomato there. It has to be a bit larger than pea size with a healthy green stem before I consider it pollinated and set.

I've had a few flowers that have been dried up for days and I've completely given up on, suddenly swell and produce fruit. I've also had some that look like they are forming a teeny tiny fruit slowly wither and fall off.

meadowyck · June 10, 2012

so it is sounding like it is a wait and see???? LOL

biscgolf · June 10, 2012

sometimes they will smoke a cigarette immediately following pollination...

PA_Julia · June 10, 2012

Or they will roll over and go to sleep.

Quote:

Originally Posted by biscgolf

sometimes they will smoke a cigarette immediately following pollination...

livinonfaith · June 10, 2012

You guys crack me up!

Fusion_power · June 10, 2012

Youse guys is embarassin. Don't you know some things are supposed to be PRIVATE!

DarJones

Mashman · June 11, 2012

Incessant demands for Neptune's Harvest in the middle of the night is a pretty good indication pollination has occurred.

June 9, 2012	#1
johnnytwofingers Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 74	How can you tell if a tomato flower has been pollinated? I've had flowers on some of my plants for several weeks now, but its been very rainy and cold here. I've been out doing the electric toothbrush thing now and then if we ever get a somewhat dry day, but still don't see any tomatoes forming on any of them. Is there a way to tell when a flower has been pollinated, or a way to tell when it has "missed its chance" and is not going to form fruit? After pollination, do they get a different look to them, or, does the fruit form very quickly, so it almost doesn't even matter if the flower does have a different look?

June 10, 2012	#2
meadowyck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Brooksville, FL Posts: 1,001	Great question, sorry I can't help you, I just want to post so I'll see what the top maters have to say. __________________ Jan “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -Theodore Roosevelt

June 10, 2012	#4
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	I also look for the stem behind the flower to bulge. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

June 10, 2012	#5
duderubble Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southwest Missouri Posts: 71	That's probably a faster indicator than the method I use: When the flower petals wilt and turn brown and eventually fall off, if the flower is still hanging on to the vine that's a good sign. __________________ Dude Rubble

June 10, 2012	#10
meadowyck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Brooksville, FL Posts: 1,001	so it is sounding like it is a wait and see???? LOL __________________ Jan “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -Theodore Roosevelt

June 10, 2012	#3
saltmarsh Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: 2 miles south of Yoknapatawpha Zone 7b Posts: 662	Watch the stem the bloom is attached to. If it starts turning yellow, it means the plant has given up on that flower and it won't be long for this world. If it stays green and enlarges, expect good things in short order. At least I think that's the method hornworms use to determine which blooms to eat. Claud

June 10, 2012	#6
attml Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Annapolis, Maryland Posts: 222	That's easy - there is a tomato where the flower used to be!

June 10, 2012	#8
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,491	Look for a little BB looking baby where the flower was.Sometimes just lightly pinch and you can feel a hard small growth where flower was.On the ground if you see flower petals fully intact but with no green stem attached you are good to go.If you see flower tops on plant and where the stem close to flower at the bend turns yellow/brown that petal will fall off.

June 10, 2012	#9
livinonfaith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina Posts: 1,332	I don't get excited until I have a little tomato there. It has to be a bit larger than pea size with a healthy green stem before I consider it pollinated and set. I've had a few flowers that have been dried up for days and I've completely given up on, suddenly swell and produce fruit. I've also had some that look like they are forming a teeny tiny fruit slowly wither and fall off.

June 10, 2012	#11
biscgolf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 353	sometimes they will smoke a cigarette immediately following pollination...

June 10, 2012	#14
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	Youse guys is embarassin. Don't you know some things are supposed to be PRIVATE! DarJones

June 11, 2012	#15
Mashman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: MA Posts: 158	Incessant demands for Neptune's Harvest in the middle of the night is a pretty good indication pollination has occurred.