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enter image description hereI've got six Carolina Reaper pepper plants that I've planted from seed. Two of them have peppers (the smallest plants), and the remaining ones have flowers but are dropping them unpollinated. If I touch them with a q-tip they tend to fall off.

I've been doing fish emulsion on the soil about every two weeks and a kelp/humic acid spray (Root Rukus) on the leaves every other week. I skipped the Root Rukus this week and sprayed with epsom salts. Since beginning fertilizing I've noticed a substantial increase in the size of the plants. I wonder if the energy going into growing will slow and the flower/fruit output will increase as the season carries on, and they'll pollinate naturally. Worth mentioning that they are outdoors in partial shade, in planter boxes. We're pretty much completely covered by trees but they do get full sun at least for a few hours a day through the gaps in the canopy.

RhinoWalrus
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I found another answer that recommended a small paintbrush. I think that may solve my problem. I appreciate any additional methods that might be helpful.

RhinoWalrus
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A small paintbrush works great like you mentioned, but you really don't need anything. My personal favorite way to pollinate pepper plants is to "give them a good tickle". By that I mean you can just use your finger and gently rub the tip of your finger in the inside of the flower.

If you do it, you'll see lots of pollen on your finger afterward. You can even cross-pollinate the plants with this method.

Cavenfish
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