Propagation: Pollen: how to store them?

Discussion in 'HortForum' started by SvenLittkowski, May 26, 2010.

  1. SvenLittkowski

    SvenLittkowski Active Member

    Messages:
    175
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Kingston, Jamaica
    I would like to know, how best to extract pollen from blossoms, and how best to store them for a time until they are used for pollination.
     
  2. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    2,455
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Siloam Springs, AR, USA
    To achieve hand-pollination the pollen from a bloom of the same or a related species which is already at anthesis must be transported. In nature the event is completed by an insect pollinator that has been attracted by the bloom's odor but within cultivation it must be done manually.

    To accomplish this task an artist's brush damp with sterile water is used to collect and hold the pollen and transfer it to the wet stigmas of another plant. If the pollination is successful the inflorescence will "hold". If the artificial pollination is truly a success this will become obvious as the female flowers produce seeds.

    Hand-pollination can be accomplished relatively simply by collecting pollen from one bloom using a small brush such as a camel hair artist brush that is slightly wet with sterile water and transferring this pollen to a bloom as soon as it is fertile. Sometimes you can observe the sticky liquid exuded by the female flowers once ready to accept the pollen. Coating the female flowers with as much pollen as possible will act to ensure the pollen "holds" and the reproductive cycle is complete.

    You can store the pollen in the tightly capped tube for a few days in the refrigerator. Although not foolproof, it is possible to collect and store pollen for longer periods and sometimes up to one year by simply sweeping any excess pollen into a small glass lab tube that can be tightly capped. The tube should contain a small amount of desiccant to prevent moisture from reaching the stored pollen. If you only have a single specimen producing pollen and none to which the pollen can be transferred simply sweep the pollen with the brush totally dry pushing the grains into the test tube. If the pollen comes in contact with moisture it will not remain viable. Cap the tube tightly and store the labeled tube in a freezer. Once another fertile flower develops take the tube from the freezer a few hours before use and warm it slowly to room temperature. If you use it quickly the chances are fair it will be viable, however this method does not always work in every case.

    Many Flowers are perfect and contain both sexes bu in the case of unisexual imperfect flowers you may need to create a thick "pollen soup" and slowly introduce it slowly to the female flowers. Successful growers have learned it is possible to use a vial of viable pollen and mix a small amount of sterile water with the pollen to create a "slurry". This slurry can then be dribbled with an eye dropper.

    Small quantities of both the capped tubes and desiccant can be found on the internet.
     
  3. SvenLittkowski

    SvenLittkowski Active Member

    Messages:
    175
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Kingston, Jamaica
    That, Steve Lucas, is what I call a deep sophisticated article leaving no questions open! Wow! Thank you very much, I appreciate the time and knowledge you are sharing for/with me!

    Your answer is going to help me tremendously!

    I am going to check your website, to find out what it is about. If you like, please feel invited to check my website, too - the ISE forum (International Seed Exchange). I need feedbacks (and users, ha ha ha)!
     
  4. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    2,455
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Siloam Springs, AR, USA
    Glad to help. Please post the link.

    My site deals largely with the plant family Araceae (aroids) and one major goal is to dispel commonly held plant myths. I try as much as possible to use information directly acquired from botanists and qualified expert to explain the many myths and misconceptions found on the internet. For growers of Philodendron, Anthurium and other plants in the family I try to explain as best possible how the plant grows in nature and how to duplicate those conditions when possible.
     
  5. SvenLittkowski

    SvenLittkowski Active Member

    Messages:
    175
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Kingston, Jamaica
    Here is the link. International Seed Exchange Forum (ISE): http://InternationalSeedExchange.jamaica-focus.com

    I am working on a related website, too (I am a website developer since 1991), as soon as that website has been finished, I might offer e-commerce and information browsing options online for plant enthusiasts. For now, it's only the forum alone. But at least, everyone can interact with everyone.

    Since it is brand new, I expect some errors of malfunctions. I would welcome your feedback, Steve.
     
  6. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    2,455
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Siloam Springs, AR, USA
    Your site appears to have the capacity to be very useful to growers. My only caution is to be sure and include the viability of both pollen and seeds in storage.

    Most people don't know that very few aroids have an extremely short shelf life for both seeds and pollen. If not kept frozen pollen will last only a few weeks at best, only then if kept cold.. Seeds must be germinated in about three weeks and in some cases one week or they loose their viability. Almost all aroid seeds can never be allowed to dry out. Aroids are very different from many other plants.

    A few years ago people in Indonesia were writing all the time asking to buy 10,000 to 100,000 seeds of a particular aroid known as Anthurium jenmanii. Such quantities would be impossible to find even if you lived in South or Central America and worse, they were offering $1 or more per seed. By the time they would have received 10,000 seeds in Indonesia almost every single seed would have been dead. I know a seed collector in French Guiana and he refuses orders for more than 500 seeds at a time and will only ship them if paid in full in advance. He warns the buyer they must be planted quickly or all will be lost. He sometimes mails rare seeds to me and often they don't germinate after only two weeks in the mail.

    Steve
     
  7. SvenLittkowski

    SvenLittkowski Active Member

    Messages:
    175
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Kingston, Jamaica
    Sounds very informative. Would you like to write some Readme textes for the ISE forum? Also, I would like to ask you to visit the forum, to sig up and test-use it. I need feedbacks on usability and problems. I would be glad if you could test the forum. Thanks a lot!
     
  8. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    2,455
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Siloam Springs, AR, USA
    I will be glad to help as much as possible. I am currently involved in some major projects but you can find my email address on the homepage of my site so just sent me a note.
     
  9. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    2,455
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Siloam Springs, AR, USA
    I just tried to sign up but regret to tell you with glaucoma your mix of letters etc combined with wild colors is impossible to read.
     
  10. SvenLittkowski

    SvenLittkowski Active Member

    Messages:
    175
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Kingston, Jamaica
    Yeah, this became necessary because all our other forums got plenty Chinese spammers (por., viagr., ciali., and many more idiot things).

    But I am sad that your glaucome makes it so hard for you. Here is one hint: if you can't read the numbers, simply click the ENTER button until you get a combination you can read. Tried that out already? Colors of the numbers can change, as well as their length, and the mathematical operation asked for (minus or plus). Please try again, and tell me, if all combinations are too difficult for you. Thanks.

    I appreciate your feedback, even this one. It shows up to me some problems I never thought of, before.
     

Share This Page