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When is the best time to hand pollinate flowers?

filmost

filmost

At what time during the day do flowers produce the most pollen and have the highest chance to successful pollination?
 
Supposed to be early afternoon around 1pm-ish.
 
For me, it's just whenever I have the time. But from personal observation I would say they do seem to have more pollen around that time.
 
magicpepper said:
why are you hand pollinating the flowers?  dont pepper plant flowers act as tomato plants and self pollinate?
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If you don't have enough wind and/or insects, they do need manual intervention.
 
whenever they have pollen on them id say. i got out and tickle flowers in the morning before work. theres been decent breeze here recently so that usually does the trick!
 
ah i see, i usually have a fan blowing on my plants if they are indoors and i personally have never had to hand pollinate, and have always ended up with fresh pods. go to know that though, i always thought they pollinated them selves just as the flowers are opening up. the only time i have actually hand pollinated was when i wanted to cross two breeds and usually the day before the flower opens up i emasculate the flower (rip all the petals off) and take the pollen from the donor plant and pollinate the mother plant.   
 
plaisir8 said:
If you don't have enough wind and/or insects, they do need manual intervention.
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This sums it up. I mean my plants are outside and there is plenty of wind in our area, but hand pollinating just helps assure I get some pods.
 
Thanks btw plaisir8, I had thought it was around noon but couldn't remember for sure.
georgej said:
whenever they have pollen on them id say. i got out and tickle flowers in the morning before work. theres been decent breeze here recently so that usually does the trick!
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Yeah I have been doing so as well, but sometimes just don't have enough time with the morning rush and all.
 
I only have an overwintered Jalapeno and a supposed De Arbol that are putting out a ton of pods. Of my newbies, so far only two. Hoping that changes within the next week or so. 
 
I had tried to hand pollinate a rocoto the other day too but failed, I think the stigma was quite short on that flower though so maybe I didn't get the pollen on there.
 
magicpepper said:
the only time i have actually hand pollinated was when i wanted to cross two breeds and usually the day before the flower opens up
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had any luck with the crossing, magicpepper? some magic hybrids?
 
filmost said:
I only have an overwintered Jalapeno and a supposed De Arbol that are putting out a ton of pods. Of my newbies, so far only two. Hoping that changes within the next week or so. 
 
I had tried to hand pollinate a rocoto the other day too but failed, I think the stigma was quite short on that flower though so maybe I didn't get the pollen on there.
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Tasty stuff. What else are you planning to grow?
 
You know, a lot of people use brushes or electric teethbrush or petting their plants for hand pollination. But what I do when I want to be absolutely sure, is this: I use the back of my thumbnail as a little tray onto which I dust the pollen and then I stroke the tip of the stigma with it. A tad time consuming and apart from the odd stigma falling off, it's pretty much failproof.
 
plaisir8 said:
had any luck with the crossing, magicpepper? some magic hybrids?
 
Tasty stuff. What else are you planning to grow?
 
You know, a lot of people use brushes or electric teethbrush or petting their plants for hand pollination. But what I do when I want to be absolutely sure, is this: I use the back of my thumbnail as a little tray onto which I dust the pollen and then I stroke the tip of the stigma with it. A tad time consuming and apart from the odd stigma falling off, it's pretty much failproof.
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I have going some Jalapenos, Corno di Toro, Poblano, various Rocoto, White Hab (I think), Reaper, Tepin x Lemon Drop, Fatalii, unknowns, De Arbols.
 
And yeah I actually emasculated some this morning before work. I went out to tickle some rocoto flowers and they fell off, so I pulled the petals off some flowers that looked like they were about to open and used the pollen from the fallen flower lol.
 
So from what i gathered from this post, i need to get a fan going on my plants since i'm indoors only  in order for my plants to pollinate. Oscillating fan work ok ? I been getting alot of flower drop that could explain why.
 
You can get a fan blowing on them, or shake the plants, or take the time to hand pollinate them. Basically you have to do natures job since you are indoors. Any kind of fan will work, so long as the flowers get some movement.
 
Iv'e been "shaking" them everyday after work for the last few days, but i'm still getting flower drop everyday. Wonder if i should set up a fan on them  ? will it matter if its oscillating or not  ?
 
It doesn't matter of it is oscillating. You just want to get some movement. You might try hand pollinating with a brush or qtip as well and see if you can get some pods to set.
 
I have been having flower drop with my rocoto as well, so don't feel too bad about it. Sometimes it is just a thing.
 
afr0n0me said:
Iv'e been "shaking" them everyday after work for the last few days, but i'm still getting flower drop everyday. Wonder if i should set up a fan on them  ? will it matter if its oscillating or not  ?
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Maybe you're shaking the flowers off. ;)
 
Growing indoors.
Due to lack of a garden, i have a small balcony which is outa bounds because my little man would probably wreck all the plants.
 
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