buds open, pollination ensues

The tomato buds have opened and I now have many many beautiful yellow flowers in my greenhouses.



Thankfully, most tomato plants have complete flowers and can self-pollinate with a little encouragement.  A few taps with a stick a couple of times a day is supposedly sufficient for self-pollinating plants.

Pollinating:

The Greenhouse Gardener's Companion says that the morning is, for some reason, the best time to pollinate, but I've found that the flowers aren't always fully open yet early in the morning, and have had better luck with afternoon and evening pollination.

It's so exciting to tap on the bright yellow flowers and see the pollen drift out!  I don't know how long it takes for the flowers to be pollinated and the fruit to emerge, or if I'm even doing it right.  I guess I'll find out if the flowers close up and fall off without producing tomatoes.  As more and more flowers open, I'm becoming increasingly appreciative of the constant work of the bees in my summer garden.