Day 21: My Tomato Has 12 Flowers
My cherry tomato has 12 flowers. I hand-pollinated them today. Here’s how and why.
The plant is 18 inches tall. Dark green leaves. 12 yellow flowers in two clusters.
Why I Hand-Pollinated
My balcony is on the 8th floor. No bees. No wind. Without pollination, the flowers drop.
How I Did It
- Waited until morning (dry pollen)
- Gently tapped each flower cluster with my finger
- Repeated 3 times over 2 days
What I’m Watching For
- Small fruit forming at the base of flowers
- Yellow flowers dropping without fruit (bad sign)
What Else Is Growing
- Pepper: 4 flowers, not yet open
- Basil: 8 inches tall, no flowers yet
- Lettuce: Harvesting outer leaves weekly
What I Learned
Hand-pollination is easy. Just tap the flowers. It takes 30 seconds.
— Day 21 of 65