Re: HYB: Was Expert Presence
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: HYB: Was Expert Presence
- From: G* D* S* <g*@sacam.OREN.ORTN.EDU>
- Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 18:49:28 -0700 (MST)
> I use a pill bottle as a homemade dessicator with the little
> > dissicants that come in pharmacy bottles. (My druggist saves them for me,
> > even in Massachusetts, after a few funny looks) I store the pollen in 00
> > gelatin capsules . . .
To which I should have added, I make three holes in each end of the
capsules with a hat pin so that the air can circulate thru and they don't
crumple from the moisture collecting. The bottle is cylindrical shaped
and is 1 7/8" diameter x 3 1/2" tall. The dissicants come in two
cylindrical shaped sizes: small and large. I put either 4 of the larger
size in the bottom which wedges them in so they don't move or 7 smaller
and 1 large in the center and then use a very skinny one to wedge them in.
> Thanks for going into detail about storing your pollen. This should be
> very helpful to our new hybridizers who will inevitably wonder how to
> make crosses between flowers that don't bloom at the same time. Another
> useful piece of information would be -- how long do you find you can
> store your pollen by this method and still keep it useable? And what
> kind of temperature do you try to keep it at? It sounds like you don't
> refrigerate it.
But I do refrigerate, taking out the bottles in the afternoon when I get
home and repalcing after an evening of crossing. One winter, long ago, I
stored just this way in the freezer and made crosses in the spring that
took. This winter I have stored some Pink Attraction pollen in the
fridge and plan to see if it works come May.
I plan to try and collect some pollen in CA this spring and use it when I
get home some 5-6 weeks later. That should be no problem at all. I have
even gotten crosses from pollen shipped in the mail in this way from Keith
Keppel in CA. Breeding irises is the most exciting thing I have ever done
and there are so many facets of it to learn abut all the time.
It just occurred to me that perhaps this would make a good article for
some publication. Guess I'll have to get busy! Much of this information
came from the book published by Wilma Vallette--now deceased and book out
of print. she printed gleanings from the Robin program that she had
garnered over many years. it is without question the most informative
book on irises, culture and breeding that I have ever read--in layman's
terms. If anyone ever runs across it, grab it. I had a wonderful
opportunity to do so shortly after joining AIS back in '82. Have never
regretted the price of it. Perhaps it's time for a reprint of it!
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Gary D. Sides south central MASS USDA 5 Auburn (just outside Worcester)
[172 Frost Free Days] gdsides@160.91.128.2 Rebloom is Up and Coming!
