Here’s something I didn’t expect to see on my TikTok feed this week: an electric toothbrush being used on a tomato plant.
That's right – gardeners are now using electric toothbrushes to vibrate the flowers on their tomato plants. I first saw the trick on @farmhouseinthefield's TikTok video. It’s said to encourage the plants to produce more tomatoes – so if, like me, you’re growing your own tomatoes, you’re probably wondering whether this trick can actually produce a bumper crop.
I asked the experts whether an electric toothbrush can really make a tomato plant produce more tomatoes. There's more credit to the idea than you'd think!
@farmhouseinthefield ♬ original sound - THE HOTEL STORY
I asked pro gardeners to share some of the lessons they learned about growing tomatoes recently, and ‘vibrate the plants with an electric toothbrush’ wasn’t on the list.
It’s curious, then, that gardeners are now shouting about the trick on social media. In a nutshell, they’re holding an electric toothbrush (sometimes wrapped in a plastic bag) against the stems of their tomato plants so that the plants vibrate, too.
‘I believe the toothbrush trick is designed to mimic what's known as buzz pollination – the vibration that bumblebees create when they land on flowers,’ says horticulture expert and The Plant Pod host Ross Dyke.
‘Tomatoes are self-pollinating, but they still need their pollen to be shaken loose and transferred within the flower. Outdoors, wind and insects usually take care of this, but in greenhouses or more sheltered conditions, an electric toothbrush can provide the gentle vibration needed to improve pollination. It won't encourage the plant to produce more flowers, but it can help more of those flowers develop into tomatoes.’
So, it isn’t a case of making the plant flower more – it’s more about making the most of the flowers that are already there and, crucially, encouraging them to turn into tomatoes.
‘To do this effectively, turn the toothbrush to its highest setting, and gently press the non-bristle side of the head or the base of the brush against the stem behind a flower,’ says Richard Barker, horticultural expert and commercial director of LBS Horticulture. ‘You should see a small cloud of pollen puff out from the flower. Do this every few days as new flowers open on the plant.’
There are more reliable ways you can encourage a tomato plant to produce more flowers and tomatoes, though. Pinching out tomato side shoots is one of them, but it’s also a good idea to feed them this month.
‘Focusing on plant health and nutrition is likely to deliver far greater results than reaching for an electric toothbrush,’ Ross says. ‘My go-to product is Maximato from Envii, which has been specifically developed for tomatoes and provides the nutrients and beneficial microbes needed to support strong growth, abundant flowering and healthy fruit development.'
Ross also cites plenty of sunshine and consistent watering as key stepping stones to plenty of harvests (especially if you're growing tomatoes in hanging baskets or pots).
Tomato growing essentials
Feeding your tomato plant will reward you with more tomatoes.
My tomato plant has grown so quickly in this compost. It's forming tomatoes already!
Don't forget a support frame for taller plants!
If you're growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, the electric toothbrush trick is a brilliant way to keep them pollinated (and more tomatoes!).
