Common bathroom staple being used by gardeners to increase crop of home-grown vegetables – it’s just $6 at Walmart

GARDENERS looking to increase their home-grown vegetable yields this summer need look no further than their bathrooms. One staple item selling for just $6 at Walmart can help mimic a key part of the pollination process that tells plants it’s time to blossom. Giving just a little help to tomato plants can go a long way when it comes to what gardeners will ultimately harvest Credit: Getty An electric toothbrush like the Equate battery-powered brush sold at Walmart can stimulate produce Credit: Walmart An electric toothbrush like the Equate battery-powered brush used at just the right time in a tomato plant’s lifecycle can increase greenhouse harvests. The hack’s science is based on the natural pollination process, which relies on buzzing bees telling plants it’s time to bloom. Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank you! “Tomato plants rely on wind or bees to shake their flowers in order to release pollen for pollination,” horticultural expert Richard Barker told House Beautiful. Since tomato plants are self-pollinating, home gardeners can use an electric toothbrush to achieve the same results without nature’s intervention. Read More Gardening Hacks Gently shaking the flowers can also work too, but the act has to be done at the right time. Once a tomato plant starts flowering, it should be buzzed around midday once its blooms are fully open, with the toothbrush held just behind an open bloom for a few seconds. This process should be repeated every few days as fresh flowers continue opening, but gardeners can expect to see results quickly. “After pollinating tomato plants, you should see results within a few days as small, green bumps will appear after the flowers drop their petals, ” said Barker. Most read in Lifestyle These bumps will eventually become ripe, delicious tomatoes, but gardeners will have to wait a little while before reaping the fruits of their labor. “It can take three to four weeks for the fruit to reach full size, and another week or two for them to ripen and change color,” said Barker. But the trick should only be used on indoor plants since “plants have evolved to be pollinated by insects.” Outdoor gardeners can instead give their tomato plants shade during hot weather, water them consistently, and ensure there’s space between the plants for air to circulate freely to get the best harvest possible. Comment now