I’m a gardener – my paintbrush ‘tickle’ trick can double your bounty of tomatoes
AS the warm weather provokes the urge to get outside and tend to your garden, there are certain tricks that will simplify your tasks.
One green thumb said when it comes to growing tomatoes, he’s the guy to double your supply.
A tree hugger who goes by @thatweirdplantguy on TikTok has found his niche in sharing gardening tips, cooking hacks, and fun facts about nature.
In one video, he said a little paintbrush will go a long way if you’re looking to increase your fruit output.
“Here’s a tip I learned when I first started gardening that helped me double my bounty of tomatoes,” he began.
Holding a thin paintbrush, he began tickling the inside of the tiny tomato flowers before they blossomed.
The reason for this? To help increase cross-pollination.
“Tomato plants are unique in that they have both male and female parts inside the one plant, which means they can pollinate themselves.
“But sometimes, you’ve got to show them a little extra love.”
The brush trick will do just that, helping spread the pollen so that the plants can reproduce and grow more of that juicy red fruit we’re looking for.
Loving the fun fact about a tomato plant’s capability to do the work on its own, he captioned the clip: “One is the loneliest number, unless you’re a tomato.”
Viewers were thankful for the advice.
“Yasss! Love this tip,” one person commented.
Another said the trick works for other fruits as well: “I do this for my dragon fruit to make sure they get pollinated, but the bees help me out a lot.”