How to Hand Pollinate Indoor Gardens

by Dr. Chris Kline

Some plants need a helping hand for good pollination when grown indoors or in a greenhouse, but it is easier than one may think and you will only need some Q-tips and/or small paint brushes.

Vegetables and other plants can be hand-pollinated by taking a Q-tip or small paint brush and transferring the pollen from the male flower to the female. Male flowers will bear stamens and female will bear pistils (the female always has a small fruit on the end). Make sure to clean the brush or use a new Q-tip when pollinating more than one type of the same plant. Hand pollination is necessary with plants that have a male and female flower like squash, cucumbers etc. This method is needed if growing vegetables indoors or in a controlled environment like a greenhouse.    

Some plants need less help than others to pollinate indoors. All that is needed to help pepper and tomato plants is to gently shake the plant every couple of days to advance pollination. Some self pollinators like peas, beans and lettuce do not need any help to pollinate indoors.

Poor production from indoor and outdoor vegetables is often caused by over fertilizing with high nitrogen fertilizers rather than poor pollination. Fertilizers high in nitrogen are desirable during the growth cycle, but once the plants are ready to flower it is important to switch to a fertilizer higher in phosphorus and potassium. These fertilizers generally have the word “bloom” in their name and should have a ratio that favors the last two numbers over the first, a fertilizer with a 1-2-2 ratio, for example.

Dr. Christopher J. Kline is a master gardener and writer living in Paradise Valley Arizona. Chris is a member of the Garden Writers Association and a columnist for Garden and Greenhouse Magazine http://www.gardenandgreenhouse.net. You can contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it