I'll definitely be experimenting with your method this year. Ought to
be fun trying it on lacustris, with tiny buds at ground level. I
assume stamens collected this way still open to release pollen, even
when not connected to the plant?
Sean Z
Quoting Christy Hensler <h*@povn.com>:
> To even try [hand pollination], I think I'd have to bag the buds
> to keep bees off the dichotoma, as they're very popular.
>
> Sean,
>
> For what it's worth, I've been using a method of stripping petals
> for quite a few years that virtually guarantees that I'm the first
> pollinator (and the last) to get to a bloom.
> (http://www.povn.com/rock/stripped.html).
>
> In all the years I've been doing it this way I've also done a few
> dozen "controls" each year. Some were stripped and left alone. None
> of these ever set seed. Some were stripped and bagged, and a few
> were just bagged. I used the lightest weight bug cover or panty hose
> to make the bags. Those with bags were considerably more work and
> most broke off if the wind picked up after a rain or after watering.
> Larger bags tied onto the stem made no more difference than those
> tied close to the blossom. Worse yet, the local gopher control squad
> believed them to be "kitty toys".
>
> Christy
>
