Q.I Have In Different Containers, Two Four O’clock Plants Which I Grew From Seed. I Have Kept Them Indoors And They Have Several F
lower buds which haven’t bloomed yet. Would I be able to hand pollinate them so that they produce seeds? If so, how do I do tha t since I wouldn’t know which is the female vs the male flower? I keep the plants in a sunny corner shelf of the kitchen. The light comes in through a thin curtain. I move them to kitchen sink below if the afternoon sun gets too hot. I don’t want to put them outside since any plant I’ve tried, except succulents, have gotten attacked or eaten by bugs. Thank you for any advice you can give me!
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Four o'clocks are self-pollinating so all you need to do is ruffle them up a bit to help them along. The male and female parts are within each flower, so they don't need bees to transfer pollen.
https://extension.psu.edu/pollination-and-pollinators
https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/cass/Pollination%20Basics%20June%202019.docx.pdf
