Too Much Pollination - Opps!!??

[indysun]

I got the idea to use a leaf blower to pollinate my tomato plants. I think I over did it. I used to just shake the cages or stems as I walked by. Using a blower 3 to 4 times a week just before and during blossom set, I got some weird tomatoes this year.
I now have/had a lot of gobbed up/ fused / ugly tomatoes albeit a good crop.
Will take some pic's to add when I can. GGWT for example now has like 75 cherry sized tomatoes. Looks like an Elgin Pink or Pink Pioneer has been crossed w/maybe a Dwarf Lucky Swirl, Dwarf Wherokawhai, or Mr. Snow and looks kinda like a KBX.
Do a lot of accidental crosses go on all the time??:?!?:

No leaf blower for me next year because of this and the fact I won't have 75 plants - prolly only 40.

[Nan6b]

1. Fused tomatoes which look oversized and often lumpy, are caused by fused flowers. Your leaf blower had nothing to do with that.
2. Tomatoes that don't match what the seed label says is caused by one of two things: the seed supplier accidentally put the wrong seeds in the packet, or last year the flowers of GGWT (for example) got pollinated by the pollen of a different variety, in this case, a cherry tomato. Again, not the fault of your leaf blower.
3. The thing which your leaf blower could cause, is more pollen from different varieties going to the flowers of other varieties. So the seeds in your tomatoes growing this year are possibly more likely to be crossed with other varieties. So if you're going to save seeds, save from tomatoes that came from flowers that came out after you started leaf-blowing.

[brownrexx]

If your plants cross pollinated this year it will effect the seeds but should not change the look of this year's fruits.

If they look like a different variety than you were expecting, then the flowers must have been cross pollinated last year.

[indysun]

Thanks for the help Wow! Wow, sounds like I have problems - or no problems the early fruits of GGWT were of decent size, the fruits currently on the plant occurred after the leaf blowing. Maybe just the second wave is always smaller and just a coincidence w/the blowing?
Also maybe the yellowish fruits from Elgin Pink or Pink Pioneer are really a KBX mis marked seed from last yr.?
I'll keep up the investigation. ..
Nan, did you mean seeds saved from fruits set before using blower are good, and not fruit formed after using the blower?
Thanks
Pete

[indysun]

Mystery.jpg

Mystery.jpg

Here's a pic of a tomato that I thought was accidentally crossed from a Dwarf Uluru Ochre to a Pink or Pink Pioneer , or is it a KBX????

Mystery Tom.jpg

[Amateurinawe]

I use an electric toothbrush. Place behind flower head. Pwooof, pollen spray, job done, next.

[indysun]

Thought about that, times 75 plants - would take too long.

[brownrexx]

Tomatoes basically self pollinating by wind. Bees also help but are not required. Why would you need to do this unless you are growing in a greenhouse. If not you can also gently shake the plant if you feel like you are not getting enough pollination.

[Growing Coastal]

I use an electric toothbrush. Place behind flower head. Pwooof, pollen spray, job done, next.

Used to do this in greenhouses on thousands of tomato plants, up one side of a row and then down the other. It was worth the effort. The cheap electric toothbrushes don't seem to vibrate as much as they used to.

[Nan6b]

Plant monarda/bergamot/bee balm near your tomatoes. It attracts the big bumblebees which pollinate tomato plants.

[indysun]

I read too much - where pollination by blower could increase production by as much as 25% - some university study. We do have bee balm - succulent "live forever" . You'all are prob right, let the bees do it but I do believe it helped but i will go back to shaking the cages.

[indysun]

Here's a pic of GGWT second wave of fruit after using blower....

Tiny GGWT.jpg

[Nan6b]

Indysun, you might want to continue using the blower to increase production- your results are great! Just be careful which seeds you save.

[Growing Coastal]

I read too much - where pollination by blower could increase production by as much as 25% - some university study. We do have bee balm - succulent "live forever" . You'all are prob right, let the bees do it but I do believe it helped but i will go back to shaking the cages.

Maybe just run the blower on low? It's a tempting idea, especially for the tight growing dwarfs.

[indysun]

maybe it does work, still getting toms....Still picking

Aug292020.jpg