[UrbanGrower]

Hi all

Urban gardener here again. This forum is addictive!! I've been told I should pollinate my courgettes to give them a helping hand. I'm on a high balcony in central hackney and I haven't seen any bees at all so I'm thinking that this maybe a good idea. Any thoughts or tips in how to do this (I'm so new to all this!). Would it be the same for the cucumber as that has a couple of flowers on it too!

In other news I have planted out all but 1 of my toms and they look very happy. I cut off most of the lower branches so they can concentrate of growing toms (also as I am space limited). Due to space issue I am going to try One tom upside down - I know many people frown on this but I've no room and I inherited the upside down planter so its an experiment.  I've just realised the seeds I got for French beans were the climbing variety and I've already run out of cane. So I'm gonna have to get creative to house the beans and mangetout on an already busy balcony.

Have to point out, I'm sooooo happy planting and growing, though all my hardcore Londoner friends think I'm turning into an old woman!! More fool them.

As always any hints and tips would be greatly received

[simonwatson]

Courgette fertilization is dead easy. Find a male flower (one with no small fruit behind it, just as thin stalk) that's fully open and either:

• Use a clean paintbrush to collect pollen and brush it into the female flowers
• Just cut off the flower and rub it into the female flowers

You can tell the female flowers because the have a small fruit immediately behind the flower. With cucumbers it depends on whether you have an all female variety or one that produces both male and female flowers. I wouldn't cut a cucumber flower off either, as they might use it as an excuse to die.

[UrbanGrower]

thanks for the advice
will get busy!

[Beetroot queen]

I have never bothered but I may have to have a go when we get flowers.

[gavinjconway]

Have you had a problem with them not pollinating themselves?  I just leave mine to nature..

[Dave Mack]

Just leave it to do its own thing  would you like somebody interfering with your sex life 

[compostqueen]

Bees do it so we don't have to

[Salmo]

More than just bees polinate flowers. Flies of all sizes also visit flowers. If you have lots of male flowers you could cut one or two and polinate the female flowers. There again, if you have lots of male flowers you probably do not need to do so.

Turning to the climbing french beans. If you keep on pinching out the tips they will produce flowers and beans at a low level. Pinch the shoots out when they have 2 joints. Do it every day as they will grow very quickly.

[Beetroot queen]

Just leave it to do its own thing  would you like somebody interfering with your sex life 

Well put that way it feels rude to interupt.