Alright, Isabella is within days of blooming again (YEAH!!), but my other brugs only have tiny buds right now. So, if I want to use Isabella's pollen on someone else later on, is there a special way to save Isabella's pollen? Freeze it in a ziplock bag? Dethaw when the other brug has bloomed?
Thanks much for your help!!
Freezing pollen question
I can tell you what I do........ I use those little glassine bags and I put the whole anther in there, well the top part with the pollen on. I fold it over twice, mark it and put it in a freezer ziplock immediately. Then when I want to use it, I take it out, use it fast and put it back in. No need to thaw it.
If you contaminate your paintbush going into the flower, do not restick it in your pollen bag or you will have 2 kinds of pollen in there.
I often take out my anthers (out of the bloom I am pollinating) before I pollinate a bloom to reduce the chance of pollen falling on my paintbrush and contaminating it.
This message was edited Jul 29, 2006 1:26 PM
Great! Thanks so much, Kell! Just wanted to be prepared. :)
I edited a bit to clarify what I meant. I was in a hurry this AM. It is easy and it works for me. Good luck!
Oh and before I splurged on the glassine little envelopes, I would make some with wax paper folded in such a way as I would not have to use scotch tape which would grab the pollen. I find glassine or wax paper allows you to get every last grain of pollen to use.
I just collected mine and put in the tiny ziploc coin sized bags and put in the door of the frig...some pollen stored this way for up to 6 months and still worked.beyond that I wouldn't save it.
Kyle
Thanks much. That should have been my second question -- how long does the pollen last when chilled. :)
I think it will be so interesting to see what I come up with when I can start cross-pollenating. Now, if the other brugs would hurry up and get bigger!!