Hi- 

Pepper is largely self-pollinated so hand-pollination would not be helpful. Crops in the squash family are cross-pollinated and hand-pollination can increase help increase yield if pollinating insects are low in number or inactive during particular periods of the growing season. These are the only crops you might consider for hand-pollination.

There are summer squash and cucumber cultivars available from most seed companies that are parthenocarpic- they produce fruits without pollination.

The following resources are on seed saving and have information on pollination requirements and how to hand-pollinate: 

Seed Savers Exchange (SSE)- http://www.seedsavers.org/Education/

SSE: Crop-Specific Seed Saving Guide- http://www.southernexposure.com/growing-guides/saving-seeds-home-use.pdf

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Seed Saving Guides- http://www.southernexposure.com/growing-guides-library-ezp-41.html#seed-saving

Hybrid Varieties and Saving Seeds- http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/vegetables/seed.html

Montana State University- http://store.msuextension.org/publications/YardandGarden/MT199905AG.pdf

Jon

It sounds like you are not looking to save seed for the following year (which won't necessarily come 'true', if they are hybrids) as much as you are concerned about adequate pollination.

Is there some reason that you suspect that you have a lack of pollinators in your garden?

Cucumbers are easy and do well when started by seeds directly in the soil in early May, as you will see here on our planting dates calendar: 

https://extension.umd.edu/sites/default/files/2021-04/UME%20Planting%20Calendar_EN_v4.0.pdf 

Given the vast number of cucumber types available, particularly from on-line seed companies (Burpee's, Johnny's, Park Seed Co. etc.) it's worth perusing what might be your favorites instead of what just might be available locally. A second planting can be made about July 1st. If you have a problem with bacterial wilt spread by cucumber beetles, try planting 'County Fair', a variety with bred for resistance to the disease.

You could also consider planting some annual flowers near or within the bed to help attract more pollinators to the area.

Here is our page with details on growing Cucumbers:

https://extension.umd.edu/resource/cucumbers

Christine

Hi- yes, cucumbers are in the squash family and are hand-pollinated similarly.

Here are two web pages with good photos explaining the process:

https://bonnieplants.com/the-bonnie-blog/pollination-problems-give-hand-pollination-a-try/

https://www.pollinator.com/hand_pollination2.htm

Good luck,

Jon

Here's a very helpful list of disease resistant cucumber varieties from Cornell:

https://www.vegetables.cornell.edu/pest-management/disease-factsheets/disease-resistant-vegetable-varieties/disease-resistant-cucurbit-varieties/

Jon