Morning Glories: Wild Potato Vine - Need help with pollenation, 1 by KevinTernes

KevinTernes wrote:
Wild Potato Vines grow all over one area of my yard as I explain on my website, http://kevinternes.home.comcast.net/ipomoea/Ipomoea_pandurat...

But they can only grow large enough to flower if they happen to come up close to the fence.
Typically only one plant is close enough to the fence--although this year I have three!

Although I had plenty of blooms last year, I have never had a single seed pod.
I have it on good authority that the Ipomea pandurata cannot self-pollenate. A bloom can only be pollenated from a bloom on a different plant. And since I have three blooming this year, I figure that here's my chance.

But although I have three blooming plants and I see bees at work on them, the blooms are excised a few days after they close and I am still not getting seed pods. I suppose that the bees are not flying from plant to plant.

So here's my question:
Can anyone tell me exactly how to go about pollenating by hand? Or point me to a clear reference?
I have never attempted anything like this. And these blooms are only going to last a few more weeks so I need to get this right.

Thanks.






This message was edited Jul 30, 2005 10:25 AM

This message was edited Jul 30, 2005 10:26 AM