Re: HYB: storing pollen

In theory, Christy, that's all true.  But with 100% humidity here most
mornings when it's good hybridizing weather, I figure moisture can
instantly condense on cold pollen AND dessicant.  I wondered about it
last year, and seeing the note about having problems with pollen moved
in and out of the freezer made me decide not to do that any more.  I
suppose if I had all the pollen in one sealed container with dessicant
and I planned ahead enough, I could let it reach room temperature before
opening....easier just to store several little packets of pollen to
remove one at a time.

Some of the crosses I wanted to make were with blooms on the ridgetop
garden - no way to get up there quickly.  Once pollen is out of the
freezer, it wouldn't get back in for several hours.

Yes, Sandra, dry the anthers first for a couple of days, then freeze.  I
don't use dessicant because it's a losing battle in our humidity.  I dry
the collected anthers in compartment of a pill minder container under
lights to keep them dry, then put the pill minder container inside a
snaptight freezer container.

<Linda,    If you're storing the frozen pollen with a desiccant capsule
in the
                   container, it should last more than that! The biggest
culprit of lost
                   viability is moisture.

                   I've gotten some nice pods from pollen that's as old
as 2 years. Though I
                   try to work quickly and get the container back to the
freezer ASAP, a
                   container will be pulled out for use half a dozen or
more times over the
                   course of a season.

                   Christy>

Now to go back in the pouring rain and hunt for the rest of those Tempo
Two imports, to see if they look like they are going to bloom.  At least
it's cool, & the sweat washes right off, and the weeds are easy to
pull....

--
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.korrnet.org/etis>
American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org>
talk archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/>
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online R&I <http://www.irisregister.com>

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