The Best Pollinators for Indoor Plants (And How to Hand-Pollinate When You Don't Have Them)
The simple answer to your question is that your houseplants have no pollinators except you and that the bees never get past the living room window․ Moths‚ hummingbirds and wind cannot get in․ So it is up to you to move the pollen between flowers‚ using a finger‚ a small paintbrush‚ or a device such as an electric toothbrush․ So this isn't a workaround: for most houseplants‚ it's the only method that works․
A lot of first-time plant owners are surprised‚ too‚ when they discover that‚ unlike outdoor plants‚ their fiddle leaf fig or peace lily don't just reproduce on their own․ Some do․ Many don't‚ and knowing what category your plant falls into would go a long way in tackling frustration when trying to grow fruit in an indoor garden‚ or when trying to get an orchid to produce a seed pod․
Which indoor plants really need help
Not all houseplants need to be pollinated to produce seed and many others are not grown for seed production․ Plants such as pothos‚ snake plant or ZZ plant do not produce seed pods‚ and many houseplants such as dracaena and philodendron would successfully grow as divisions or cuttings․
Where indoor pollination is needed:
- Flowering plants‚ like African violets and begonias‚ that you want to seed-save - Indoor fruiting plants include dwarf citrus like the Meyer lemon and calamondin orange which Tennessee gardeners bring indoors by late October or November when temperatures fall below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) - Orchids․ A string of orchids is far from uncommon‚ especially if one desires a Phalaenopsis to set a seed pod rather than waiting for it to reflower on a new spike․ - Tomatoes or peppers kept in artificial light during the winter months are fertilized by hand because the pollen must be transferred
All these plants must also be hand-pollinated; a flower that has not been pollinated will simply wilt and drop instead of producing fruit or seed․
Hand-Pollination: The Real Pollinator for Houseplants
This is easier than it sounds because you're just a bee or a moth out in the field with pollen on its legs‚ just using your fingers․
Self-fertilization occurs in self-fertile flowers (tomatoes‚ peppers‚ most citrus)‚ where the male and female parts are in the same flower․ No transfer from flower to flower is required‚ but vibration is․ In the wild‚ this is done by a bee vibrating its wings (buzz pollination)․ An electric toothbrush will work indoors too: hold the vibrating bristles against the base of each flower for 1-2 seconds‚ twice a day while the flowers are open․ Once pollination has occurred you will see a small puff of yellow pollen dust․ Repeat this for about a week or so for each flower that blooms‚ every few days․
Where the male and female blossoms are separate plants (as in some squash or the begonia)‚ or when in doubt‚ stack one flower on top of the other․ A female blossom has a small swollen bulb behind its petals which will form the fruit‚ a male blossom does not․ Using a small artist's paintbrush‚ or a cotton swab‚ transfer pollen from each male flower to the receptive cavity of each female flower before 9 am‚ when pollen is driest and germinates best․
In orchid pollen‚ these two masses (pollinia) are waxy and hard‚ forming capsule-shaped grains‚ which are situated beneath a small waxy cap located in the center of each flower․ To pollinate orchids‚ lift the cap with a toothpick and press the exposed pollinia onto the gluey stigma of another flower on the same or another plant of the same species or variety․ It is a little difficult at first but gets easier․ In two to three weeks you'll see if the flowers have set․ If you have not successfully pollinated it‚ the flower will dry quickly․ If the flower is pollinated‚ it will persist and will balloon out at its base․
What About Actual Insects Indoors?
While you're at it you might also notice a tiny bug like a thrip or a fungus gnat which might be cross-contaminating the pollen between plants as it munches up your plants․ This is probably not going to be the answer as these insects are more likely to be a problem rather than a solution and a heavy thrip load could damage the flowers․
Some growers use floral scent lures to attract pollinators to their plants‚ while others take blooming plants outside for a few hours on warm sunny days․ This is most effective in areas where nighttime temperatures do not get colder than about 55 °F (13 °C) between mid-May and September‚ such as in Middle and East Tennessee․ An alternative is to place the flowering plant outside on a porch or patio for a few hours during the day‚ and then to bring it back inside before nightfall․ Watch the temperature and don't leave anything outside if rain is on the way: damp flowers don't pollinate well‚ no matter how they're pollinated․
Conditions That Make Pollination More Likible to Succeed
This is dependent on the plant being in good condition‚ as stressed plants will produce pollen when they flower‚ but the pollen may not be of good quality‚ and thus have poor fertility․
Some things are more important than people expect․
- 40-60% humidity is ideal for most flowering houseplants; pollen will not adhere well below this‚ and may clump together above this․ - Adequate light: Should have at least 6 hours of bright indirect light per day‚ or full-spectrum grow light on a timer‚ especially during the low-light periods in late fall and winter in Tennessee - Moderate conditions of 65 to 75 °F (18 to 24 °C) are best‚ with cold drafts around the windows in the months of December and January causing flowers to fall before they can be pollinated․
Good flowers on which to practice hand-pollination include both African violets and dwarf citrus trees․ They are easy to grow inside‚ and work well with both the toothbrush and paintbrush methods of hand-pollination described above․ Orchids are also a good option‚ although they take a little more time and effort to bloom․
Once you see signs of pollination relax and wait․ Indoor crops take longer than outdoor crops․ Meyer lemon fruit‚ on the other hand‚ will take 6-9 months from flower to fruit‚ orchid seed pods may take a year to mature after they appear․ There's nothing wrong if it's a little slow․ That's just how it works without the sun and open air doing half the work for you․
