Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Can someone explain this?, 1 by LouisianaMark

LouisianaMark wrote:
Hi Trevor,

I am beginning to suspect that high heat inhibits successful pollenation, so I am now trying to shade my flowers (not always easy to do). I have heard that you have to wait for the stigmae to bend down before pollenating, so I try to do that when possible. Local incarnata here opens between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. My Pennsylvania incarnata is the earliest--it opens between 11:00 and noon. I have successfully pollenated as late as 7:00 p.m., which again makes me think that high heat inhibits pollenation.
I wonder about humidity also--we typically have high humidity until the fall arrives. One thing that I would love to know is how to dry and store pollen so that it stays viable for more than a few days. Right now, what I do is to transfer it to a small paintbrush, and let that sit inside (in the AC and lower than outside humidity). It only seems to be viable for a few days, although my pollenation attempts are so hit or miss right now that it might actually be viable longer. Perhaps it needs to be stored at a slightly higher humidity level to stay viable. When left on the anthers it seems to be viable only until the next day.
Interesting tip on the Elizabeth--I don't have one, but if it makes fruit that big maybe I should get one.

Mark

Photo shows some success results obtained during a 4 day period of cloudy/rainey weather: