In order to enjoy the tasty fruit of tomatoes, the flowers must be pollinated and the fruit must be set. Unfortunatelyin cultivation under foil, tomatoes are more difficult to pollinateThis is because there is no rain, wind and insects that naturally occur in the open. If we want to have a bountiful harvest,tomato pollinationneeds help. Seehow to pollinate tomatoes under the foilto get lots of tasty fruit!
Bumblebee pollinating tomato flowers
Fig. depositphotos.com
Why do tomatoes need pollination?
Tomato fruit setting occurs after pollination of developed, pollinating flowersor spraying with growth substances, i.e. hormonization. Hormonization is performed when at least half of the flowers in the cluster are open. However, this procedure is mainly used in commercial (professional) tomato cultivation.
In turna necessary condition for the natural pollination of tomato flowersis their proper development, the production of a sufficient amount of pollen, germination and the correct temperature and air humidity in a foil tunnel or greenhouse. Lack of pollination, despite flower development, may be caused by too little pollen or its poor germination.If we want to increase the intensity of fruit setting by our tomatoes, we can introduce flower pollination treatmentsThere are several ways to do this.
Manual pollination of tomatoes
Manual pollination of tomatoes consists in shaking the inflorescences during the pollen pouring outIt is best to do it in the afternoon, because then the flowers open. Before just shaking the flowers, reduce the humidity in the tunnel, check on a single plant that pollen is shedding, and start shaking the plants or the flower clusters themselves.This method of pollinating tomatoes under the foil is perfect for amateur cultivation , when there are not many plants to pollinate.
Pollination of tomatoes by an artificial bee
Another method of pollinating tomatoes under the foil is the use of the so-called artificial beeAn artificial or electric bee is a battery-operated vibrating device that touches tomato clusters at the base. Pollen is showered abundantly from the clusters introduced into vibrations. After pollination, we increase the humidity under the foil so that the pollen sticks to the pistil better, which will facilitate its germination.
Pollination of tomatoes by bumblebees
A very effectivepollination method is to use ground bumblebees(Bombus terrestris). Why bumblebees and not bees? Well, the honey bee does not do well in confined spaces, dies hitting the walls of a tunnel or greenhouse when trying to escape, and is less active at lower temperatures and with less light.
Bumblebees are an excellent solution. Thanks to their natural effect, we not only gain more tomato fruits, but they are also tastier, their hardness increases, they have a nicer shape and do not deform.Bumblebees are introduced into the tunnel with tomatoes when the first flowers open Hives are placed on a tripod with a water trap or an ant adhesive trap. You can also hang the hives over the plants.The hives we buy are supplied with food for bumblebees for the whole season. Bumblebees require additional food because tomatoes do not have enough nectar.
Commercially available hives for various tomato growing areasSmall hives provide good dusting on 500m² of the area. They usually need to be completed after 5-6 weeks. With a small number of developed flowers or small objects, bumblebees may visit the same flower several times. In order to protect against overfilling and damage caused by it, it is necessary to adjust the number of bumblebees per surface or to close the hives and thereby regulate the work of the bumblebees. Currently, you can also get the so-called mini hives with good dustiness on an area of 250m² for 4-5 weeks.
MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
