RE: HYB: handling pollen

Bill,
I've found that medicine/pill-minder boxes work really good for pollen
storage. Especially the one-week or 30-day kind that let you take some of the
boxes out separate from the rest.

I put the filled containers in a ziplock bag before long term freezer
storage.

This was recommended to me by daylily hybridizers who have similar issues on
pollen storage of about the same size.

Another recommended storage is gel capsules (you can buy these at a healthfood
store).

You could even combine both of these and use the pill minders to organize the
gel caps.

In both of these methods you can write the plant name directly on the
container with a fine-tip & waterproof marker. I use either an all-weather
sharpie or a grease pencil.

Store as little of the plant flesh as you possibly can as it contains moisture
which can reduce the storage life of the pollen. I store just the anther head
though some people even scrape the pollen off of that and put only pollen into
the gel cap.

Hope that helps.

Debra Scott
CO z5, AIS reg 20
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