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I'm a gardener – my paintbrush 'tickle' trick can double your bounty of tomatoes

Author

Andrew Hansen

Published Aug 24, 2026

A GARDENING expert has revealed a simple trick that he said doubled the amount of tomatoes his plant grew.

When it comes to growing tomatoes, this green thumb said he's the guy to double your supply.

A plant lover often shares his gardening tips on social media, inspiring others to give it a go

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A plant lover often shares his gardening tips on social media, inspiring others to give it a goCredit: TikTok / thatweirdplantguy
When it comes to growing tomatoes, he said you should 'tickle' the flower to help it pollinate

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When it comes to growing tomatoes, he said you should 'tickle' the flower to help it pollinateCredit: TikTok / thatweirdplantguy

The tree hugger, who goes by @thatweirdplantguy on TikTok, has found his niche in sharing gardening tips, cooking hacks, and fun facts about nature.

In one video, he said a little paintbrush will go a long way if you’re looking to increase your fruit output.

“Here’s a tip I learned when I first started gardening that helped me double my bounty of tomatoes,” he began.

Holding a thin paintbrush, he began tickling the inside of the tiny tomato flowers before they blossomed.

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The reason for this? To help increase cross-pollination.

“Tomato plants are unique in that they have both male and female parts inside the one plant, which means they can pollinate themselves.

“But sometimes, you’ve got to show them a little extra love.”

The brush trick will do just that, helping spread the pollen so that the plants can reproduce and grow more of that juicy red fruit we're looking for.

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Loving the fun fact about a tomato plant’s capability to do the work on its own, he captioned the clip: “One is the loneliest number, unless you’re a tomato.”

Viewers were thankful for the advice.

“Yasss! Love this tip,” one person commented.

Another said the trick works for other fruits as well: “I do this for my dragon fruit to make sure they get pollinated, but the bees help me out a lot."

Although tomatoes can pollinate on their own, it doesn't hurt to extend a helping hand

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Although tomatoes can pollinate on their own, it doesn't hurt to extend a helping handCredit: TikTok / thatweirdplantguy