Stumped by my blooming but fruitless balcony tomatoes

I have three tomato plants in big pots on my balcony that get about six hours of sun each day. I water them when the soil feels dry, and every summer they cover themselves in yellow flowers. But the flowers drop off without forming any tomatoes. I read that city gardens might not have enough bees for pollination. I tried shaking the plants every morning, but it didn't help. Now I'm looking into using a small paintbrush to pollinate by hand. Has anyone else faced this issue in an apartment setting?

3 comments

3 Comments

charles_scott931mo ago

Yeah, the paintbrush method saved my plants last year... just dab it gently in each flower. Sometimes they need a little extra help if there's no breeze to shake them naturally.

coleman.james1mo ago

That 'dab it gently' advice is SPOT ON. For @jamie_moore, I use a cheap makeup brush because it's super soft and perfect for daily use when there's no wind. Just a quick touch each morning does the trick without hurting the flowers.

jamie_moore1mo ago

Glad to hear the paintbrush method worked for you... the gentle dabbing part seems key. What kind of brush do you recommend for this? I tried with a stiff one from my shed and it didn't go well at all. Do you have to repeat it every day or just when there's no wind? My plants always seem to need more help than I think they do.

-1