A gardener who is world renowned for his tomatoes has revealed the bizarre secret behind how he achieves a bountiful harvest. He claims that he tickles the tomato plants with a vibrator. You can watch a demonstration below:
Nope, we're not sure how that would help, either. However, that's exactly what World Tomato Society ambassador Joseph Lofthouse says he does.
So, let's answer the burning question - why does he do this?
Well, near to Lofthouse's farm in Paradise, Utah, there aren't that many insects, and there isn't much wind.
That's a problem because you need pollinators, and pollen spreading, to ensure that the crops grow properly, and in decent numbers.
Lofthouse was having a few issues growing his variety of salad foods - he's not just about the tomatoes, you know - and getting them produced before the first frost of the year in September.
That meant that he had to get a bit creative.
Using a sex toy that he picked up for $15 (£12), he uses the vibrations to coax the pollen out of the flowers, before collecting it on a spoon and dispersing it about his whole crop.
Ingenious, when you think about it.
He's even filmed a video, in case any others want to try out his bizarre technique.
Lofthouse explained: "I prefer to use a vibrating sex toy for releasing the pollen. They mimic the shaking motion of the tomatoes' natural pollinators - they vibrate strongly.
"I get a better fruit set, and larger fruits if the flowers get shaken up, so that the pollen can move between the male and female parts inside each flower.
"Early in the season, before the bumblebees become active, I manually move pollen from one plant to the others.
"Vibrating the flower releases the pollen, which I collect into a spoon, and transfer to other plants."
He continued: "It was embarrassing at first. I wanted to blurt out to the clerk that I was using it for tomato pollination, but I kept my mouth shut.
"People suggest that electric toothbrushes could do the same thing.
"Perhaps they could but I'd be worried about the bristles damaging the flower, and they don't seem as powerful."
Since he shared the video, it's been viewed 90,000 times, and shared far and wide inside and outside the farming community.
It's fair to say that it divides opinion.
Lofthouse added: "There are those that say I'm ingenious for using a commonly available tool for pollinating tomatoes in an easy straight-forward way.
"There are the people who express an 'ick' factor about using a sex toy.
"Some people have suggested alternate methods like an ear bud or paint brush, but they aren't in harmony with tomato biology.
"There has been a full array of sexual comments and innuendos but I deleted a few of those, for being too raunchy for my page.
"I'm still part of my local community, even if I use taboo tools or methods."
Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and Media