does garlic stop bees from pollinating the eggplant flowers?

[gardengirl7]

we have spider mites all over the eggplant, and i sprayed it with garlic & water,
just wondering if the garlic will prevent the bees from pollinating the eggplant flowers,
and i'm also wondering if the flower will grow if it has garlic all over.


thanks
gardengirl7

 

[dickiebird]

I don't know about the bees. But all of my eggplant flowers grow with the flower facing down kinda in the same direction the fruit will develop. I think the eggplant flower is a perfect flower having all the mommy and daddy parts. I'm trying eggplant for the 1st time this year and my plants have had blooms for a long time, like 6 weeks. I just now am seeing fruit developing, like just Friday, but boy are the going to town now!!!
I tried pollinating some of the flowers by hand but I'm not sure I was very effective!!!

THANX RICH

 

[hoodat]

Eggplant and most of the rest of the nightshade family is self pollinating so no insect activity is required. Bees seldom visit eggplant anyway. I doubt that garlic deters bees. I have a row of garlic chives and the bees swarm them when they flower.