How to Pollinate Brandywine Tomatoes

Brandywine tomatoes have pink flesh, and each tomato can reach up to 1 lb. in size. Brandywine is an heirloom variety that tends to produce fewer fruits than other tomato cultivars. Unlike many other types of plants, all tomatoes are self-pollinating and do not require another plant for pollination. While this typically results in tomatoes with no effort, hand pollinating the Brandywine variety will increase the number of tomatoes that develop.

Things You'll Need

Pencil

Instructions

- 1
  Wait for a dry, sunny day between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to pollinate Brandywine tomatoes. This is the time when the pollen production is most abundant and results in the greatest chance of success.
- 2
  Find the small, yellow flowers on the Brandywine tomato plants that are fully open. Fully open flowers have a tubular shape with a center spike that is clearly visible.
- 3
  Place the point of a pencil or other thin object on the tomato stem just above the flower. Gently tap the stem twice using the tip of the pencil. This process loosens the pollen in the flower stamen and transfers it to the pistil.
- 4
  Repeat the process to gently tap the stems of all remaining tomato flowers to ensure they are pollinated. To further increase the odds of pollination, repeat the tapping process two more times per day until the plant sets fruit.

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