Do Peppers self-pollinate?

[lumierefrere]

Those mystery peppers look like they're developing blossoms. Do I have to do anything with them in the house to get them pollinated? The plants aren't very big/seems a little strange to me. But heck, I'm willing.

[velikipop]

No you do not need to do anything. Peppers are self pollinators and will readily bloom indoors. You might want to make sure the pot that it is in is large enough to produce plenty of peppers. Production for peppers in containers is relataive to the size of the container.

[svalli]

I use a small brush, which I gently move from one flower to an other on my indoor peppers. Sometimes I just do it with my finger, when I can not find the brush.

If you do it, you will have better changes to get peppers. Remember to make buzz sounds when you do that.

[lumierefrere]

Thanks for the advice.

I have them in drinks cups are the moment and didn't feel the need to pot up but maybe I do since they're all starting to get blossoms. I just want to see what kind of pepper I'll get since this is somewhat of a dehybridizing experiment. But if the peppers don't look like a Frankenstein pepper, then sure, I'd like lots of them!

They're doing much better than the Feher Ozons speed wise.

[WVTomatoMan]

I generally use a fan on indoor peppers, tomatoes, etc. In addition I flick the plants or give them a good shake. I do this to help the flowers pollinate.

I have performed an experiment where I restricted air movement to tomato plants and it negatively affected pollination. I then used the methods described above on the same plants and had almost 100% pollination. While not a truly scientific experiment it was enough to convince me to use the fan and flick.

The safest thing to say is that tomato and pepper plants are self fertile. There is a debate as to whether they are truly self pollinating due to the issues they have with setting fruit when there is nothing to disturb the plants (wind, sonicating bees, etc.)

BTW, I have seen the chicken in question. He is a wanted fugitive and was last seen at the residence of Wallace and Gromit.

Good luck.

Randy

[nctomatoman]

Tomatoes and peppers are absolutely self fertile. The flowers pollinate as they open and the pollen brushes against the stigma. Eggplant as well. Poor germination indoors is most likely climate related (humidity, temperature). I've grown peppers in my work office in a sunny window with no air movement except for the ambient movement and they've set fruit just fine.

[WVTomatoMan]

Perhaps some clarification is in order.

The reason I said the safest term to use is self fertile is because that is a fact that is not debatable. The reason is that peppers, tomatoes, and the like have "perfect" flowers. Simply put a perfect flower is one that contains both the male and female reproductive parts.

In some circles the debate arises if peppers (and tomatoes) are truly self pollinating. Essentially those that question whether they're truly self pollinating raise the issue: Why can't I put pepper plants in a greenhouse and get near 100% fruit set if they're truly self pollinating? Assuming proper environmental conditions of course.

I can see their point. I didn't say I agreed with it and I raise the following myself:
1) A greenhouse is not their natural habitat.
2) Where is it written that for a plant to be truly self pollinating that it has to achieve near 100% fruit set? As long as it sets some fruit then isn't it self pollinating?

When you grow peppers indoors it is similar to a greenhouse. The following links from respectible institutions and at least one quotes scientific papers as references. I'll highlight the important part (to us) and provide the link so anyone interested can read the whole article.

With regard to pepper plants:
Unlike tomatoes, pollination of the pepper flowers occurs successfully without any outside pollination assistance required (assuming that the correct temperature targets are established). However, additional pollination assistance, bumble bees or "artificial" pollination has been demonstrated to improve flower set and eventual yield and quality of the pepper fruit (Portree 1996, Pressman et al 1998).
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/opp4523


With regard to tomato plants:
Tomato plants have both male and female reproductive organs on the same flower, so with a little help, each flower can self-pollinate. In the natural environment, wind and insects pollinate tomatoes. In a greenhouse environment, more attention must be paid to the pollination process to ensure maximum fruit set. Today, tomatoes are pollinated in greenhouses either by bumblebees or by mechanical pollinators.
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/ghtomato.html

You can google "pollination peppers greenhouse" and find many such articles. BTW, when you try to look up the references many times you can read part of the scientific paper for free, but to read the whole thing you have to pay.

The following pertains to tomatoes and is on the light side with no scientific backing, but is typical of those debating self pollinating:
Yup, tomatoes are self fertile, but self pollinating?...only when conditions are ideal...they often need help. "Self pollinating" is one of the myths of tomato growers.

http://pollinator.com/self_pollinating_tomato.htm

Don't shoot the messenger (me). I didn't write this stuff I'm only reporting the opinions of others.

Randy

p.s. In the future I'm just going to say yes this is too much citing and typing just for the sake of completeness.

[nctomatoman]

No shooting messengers meant at all! I am enjoying reading the discussions and links.

[WVTomatoMan]

Back to the subject at hand....

I don't know how big the drink cups and plants are, but I do want to reiterate that it is a good idea to have plants in properly sized containers.

If you have good ambient air movement (foot traffic, opening and closing doors causing a draft, etc) and/or satisfied with your fruit set rate then do nothing. If you want to optimize your potential for maximum fruit set you may want to consider a fan etc.

Good luck.

Randy

[svalli]

Thanks Randy, that is very good information. I do run a table fan in the room where I have 8 indoor peppers and all of my tomato seedlings. I do pollinate the peppers with an artist's brush, but for the tomatoes it must have been the fan which caused the 100s & 1000s to set fruit.

I'm thinking about to get an old battery powered tooth brush and modify it to a tomato pollinator.

[lumierefrere]

Yes! Thank you, Randy and Craig, for all the information and I will try to pot up this weekend. They're all getting blossoms so I'm a laggard.

I love, of course, Gromit but I would like to smack Wallace. How dare he eat cheese in front of Gromit and not share?

[korney19]

I have better luck [as in GREATER # of fruits/pods] using one of these:



Brandywine tough pollinating & blossoms dropping? Here's Sudduth BW after vibrating:



Seems the wand gives me more fruits per cluster, at least on tomatoes.

Check it out on some peppers:

[svalli]

I made my own pollinator from an old battery operated toothbrush, by sticking a bent pipe cleaner in place of the brush. I have used it on my tomatoes, which are blooming indoors, but peppers I have kept pollinating with a soft bristled artist's brush.

[lumierefrere]

Without doing much of anything, I now have 2 peppers coming along. One's about the size of an elongated grape. I need to pot up, I know!

[freelancer79d]

what is that tool called korney19?