Topic: Pollinating Chiles Indoors

[SnS]

The process of pollination is simple:

Anthers in a chile flower create a fine yellow dust called pollen. Stigmas in the same flower wait to receive this pollen (from the same plant or airborne from another plant). When this hits the stigma, the pollen works its way down the inside of the stigma to fertilize an ovule, producing a baby chile pepper.

Normally this process is done naturally by creepy crawlers, flying insects and the wind. However, pollination that normally occurs outdoors doesn't usually occur indoors - although this is easy to overcome.

1) Every morning, shake the plant. Hold it by the base and give it a gentle shake.

2) A cotton bud or small soft-bristle brush. Just gently swirl it around inside each flower for a couple of seconds then move on to the next one.

These processes will result in a significant increase in the amount of chile yield.

SnS 

[pauleey]

you got it bang on sns
about midday is the best time to do this   

[Bobby Bhuna]

about midday is the best time to do this   

Why?

[SnS]

about midday is the best time to do this   

Why?

New to me Bobby, but ...
I guess it could be because the flowers are normally fully open at midday  :

SnS

[pauleey]

chillis are very simaler to tomatoes and this might be a mith but lots of people do this
me being one


TOMATOES: Tomato flowers have both male and female organs and are self-fertilizing. Pollen is shed in
greatest abundance between 10 am and 4 pm on dry sunny days. Normally the wind will pollinate sufficiently.
Optimum fruit set occurs within a narrow range of night temperatures, 60-70?F. When night temperatures
drop below 55? or rise above 75?, interference with the growth of pollen tubes prevents normal fertilization.
The pollen may even become sterile, causing blossoms to drop. High daytime temperatures, rain, or
prolonged periods of high humidity also hamper good fruit set. If the humidity is too low, the pollen will be too
dry and will not adhere to the stigma. But if the humidity is too high, the pollen will not shed from the stamens.
You can't control the weather but there are things you can do that will help. To aid pollination, gently shake or
vibrate the entire tomato plant. Do this at midday when temperatures are warm and humidity is somewhat
low. If you have only a few plants, you can hand pollinate with a Q-tip or small, soft paintbrush, moving from
flower to flower.
PEPPERS and EGGPLANT experience pollination problems similar to tomatoes.

when most chilli plants flower when growing outdoors day temps will be as above well should be uk summers? lol
and i do as sns said with a cotton bud no need to shake the plant
all the best
paul

[Ghoulie]

my 5 new plants are outside - & starting to form chillis - so the beasties must be at work 'cos i aint touched 'em at all

[foxy69rtaz]

no idea what u lot talkin bout, sorry to sound thik but does the flowers have n e thin to do with the chillis growin? pm me?