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Why Aren't My Click & Grow Plants Producing Fruit?
Have you ever tried growing a fruiting plant and it didn’t produce fruit? If so, you’re not alone. If your plants don’t produce fruit, it could be due to varying reasons. To give your plants the best chance of success, it’s important to keep the room temperature in mind and to thin your plants where necessary. You can find out the ideal room temperature for your plant (and whether it needs to be thinned) by checking its product page in the plant catalog or by registering it in the Click & Grow mobile app. In most cases, however, plants don’t produce fruit because they have not been pollinated.
What exactly is pollination? It’s essentially the reproductive process of the plant world. Pollen germinates after it’s transferred from the stamen (male) to the pistil (female). This leads to fertilization and the development of seeds. In the outdoor world, plants rely on vectors such as bees, butterflies, birds, bats, wind, or even rain to move pollen from one flower to the next. When growing indoors, however, you need to pollinate your plants manually. Thankfully, it’s extremely easy! Using the example of red hot chili pepper plants, here’s how it’s done:
The best time to pollinate your fruiting plants is when their small flowers appear. It’s also worth noting that the flowers on mini tomato plants will not open very widely. If you are unable to use a brush or your fingertip to pollinate them, you can gently shake them instead. This will loosen some of the pollen. Bear in mind that not every flower will become a fruit when pollinated. The plant itself will decide which flowers are destined to become fruits and which ones will fall off.
Here is an approximate guideline of when you can expect to see the flowers appear on each of our fruiting plants:
Chili peppers: 50 - 70 days
Mini tomatoes: 40 - 60 days
Sweet peppers: 50 - 70 days
Wild strawberry: 50 - 70 days
Dwarf pea can also be considered a fruiting plant but it is self-pollinating.
Key takeaways:
- Possible causes for lack of fruit: unsuitable room temperature, plants were not thinned, plants were not pollinated.
- Check that the room temperature is suitable for the plant you’re growing.
- Remember to thin your plants where necessary.
- Pollinate your plants when they start flowering.
For more plant care info, be sure to check our plant catalog and the Click & Grow mobile app. Once you’ve registered your smart garden and plant on the app, you’ll receive helpful tips at each stage of your plant’s life cycle. If you have a gardening question, get in touch with our expert gardeners using our ‘Ask a Gardener’ forum. Our horticulturalists are always happy to help and provide you with tips to take your gardening skills to the next level.
For further reading, check out our blog post:
Your Guide to Growing Click & Grow Fruiting Plants
Thinning your Click & Grow plants: why it’s important and how to do it
Does Room Temperature Matter When Growing Click & Grow Plants?