Tomatoes are one of the most popular crops to grow in vegetable gardens because of their versatility.
Thanks to gardening expert Jerra (@jerrasgarden), you can increase your tomato production with this simple hack.
@jerrasgarden Do you have a lot of tomato flowers but no tomatoes? This simple trick boosted my tomato production like crazy! Find seeds for the same heirloom tomatoes I love to grow, on my website. #tomato #heirloomtomato #handpollinate #sustainableliving #floridagardening #farmtotable #growyourownfood #eatwhatyougrow #plants #gardentok #gardening #gardening101 ♬ original sound - Jerra's Garden
The scoop
Many tomato plants bloom numerous flowers but do not end up producing a lot of tomatoes. According to Jerra, this is a common problem for tomato plants, but luckily, it has a simple fix.
Even if your garden attracts key pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, they may not be reaching all of your flower buds.
To increase your crop yield, simply assist with the pollination process. Jerra recommends lightly tapping each tomato stem to shake the plant. This releases the pollen and pollinates the flowers.
While some gardeners use electric toothbrushes to shake and pollinate their tomato plants, Jerra says using your hands works equally as well.
"This simple trick boosted my tomato production like crazy!" Jerra wrote in the caption.
"I instantly got higher yields like this beautiful cluster right here," she adds.
How it's helping
Jerra's gardening hack is teaching internet users how to successfully grow their own organic food. The more you garden and grow your own produce, the more you can save money on groceries. After an initial investment of $70, you can potentially grow 300 pounds of food per year, which is equivalent to $600 worth of fresh groceries.
Tending to a garden on a daily basis is not only good for your wallet but is also good for your physical and mental health. Recent studies have found that individuals who garden report reduced levels of stress and higher levels of physical activity.
Growing your own food also reduces harmful pollution in our atmosphere, as it decreases the demand for mass-produced, globally shipped produce.
What everyone's saying
TikTokers were appreciative of the gardening hack and excited to try it in their own yards.
"I always go out and say I need to tickle my tomatoes," joked one user.
"Definitely going to shake my plants this [year]," commented another TikToker. "Thanks you."
"Great advice," wrote one user. "I'll start growing them now. Thank you."
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