Flowering Question

Sounds like a gardenweb reply.

Here is their explanation-

"Tomato pollen is not in the exterior like most flowers, rather it resides internally and then released through pores in the anther. Paintbrush are good for peppers and squash, but it cannot to the trick for tomatoes. Motion is required to release the pollen, and the greatest quantity to be released is by sonication in certain frequency.

Tomato is originated in the highlands of the west coast of South America where a species of halictid bees were their native pollinators. As tomatoes were moved from their native areas, their traditional pollinators did not move with them. Domestic cultivars of tomato have been selected to maximize the trait of self-fertility, i.e., the capibility being pollinated by alternative ways such as in wind or shaking.

Shaking by wind will release pollen. But not all types of tomatoes respond to wind the same. Most commercially chosen types to grow for open air will respond to wind very well. But if you are growing those rare-to-find species, wind may not be enough (that is why they are not selected for commercial production).

The most effective pollination is to be vibrated at a specific frequency by the native halictid bees. Honey bees are unable to vibrate the tomato flower in this way, but bumble bees and some other native species can. The size of the fruit is dependent on the number of ovules fertilized. So we want to get pollination as full as possible. This is the reason the bee is best, it delivers the most grains of pollen, exactly where it is needed, on the sticky surface of the stigma. Even for species responding to wind well, according to research, bees can still significantly increase the productivity and you'll get bigger and juicier fruits."

I asked them to please post links for this "research".

Kind of made me sorry I replied. Hocus pocus is alive and well.
Probably need to add some eggshells.
Here's a link.
www.helpfulgardener.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=42512&sid=f8515515b775d7aa6dbb0357e6f26d4f#42512

That moderator is a beaut. Check this out.

Here's the question:
"plants are about 15 ins tall and no sign of flowers they are in greenhouse.never had this problem before and the others are no more than 1,5 ins tall."

And the answer:
"Is your green house totally enclosed? Without pollinators there is no point in having flowers anyway. I havne't heard of this but, there might be an association between a chemical stimulant from pollinators and flowering in tomatoes. Just a hypothesis though."


I think I am remembering why I never posted or read much on this particular forum.

There appears to be no chance of using facts, as you will be contradicted with beliefs. Shades of IDIG.
JMO,
Tom

This wasn't posted on GW or any other big forum. Plus I have been banned from GW for yrs. No great loss. The member who answered goes by the name "Nan1234" out of Chicago. Here are the links they sent me. I basically told them that those links are just not good enough proof for me. They all mention these "scientific studies" yet I see no mention of where this research took place.


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato

www.xerces.org/Pollinator_Insect_Conservation/Factsheet_Cherry_Tomato_Pollination_by_Native_Bees.PDF

pollinator.com/self_pollinating_tomato.htm

I also found this part of the wikipedia entry confusing.

"As tomatoes were moved from their native areas, their traditional pollinators, (probably a species of halictid bee) did not move with them. The trait of self-fertility (or self-pollenizing) became an advantage and domestic cultivars of tomato have been selected to maximize this trait.

This is not the same as self-pollination, despite the common claim that tomatoes do so. That tomatoes pollinate themselves poorly without outside aid is clearly shown in greenhouse situations where pollination must be aided by artificial wind, vibration of the plants (one brand of vibrator is a wand called an "electric bee" that is used manually), or more often today, by cultured bumblebees."

How are "self -pollinizing" and "self -pollinization" different?

My tomatoes are just fine, but I might look into that wand vibrator....

But there's just one problem with that. There are so many among the ignorant masses who are quick to follow them. "I saw it on the Internet" is too often the only excuse some have in making such absurd statements. It does little good to attempt to refute such misinformation as there's always the 10% who never get the word. I originally thought of the Internet as being the ultimate source for knowledge. Now I think of it as the ultimate source of BS, often perpetuated by sadists who can do so without having their teeth knocked down their throats.

Martin