HYB: technique
- Subject: HYB: technique
- From: L* M*
- Date: Mon, 21 May 2001 11:17:45 -0400
Anybody care to describe in detail the technique of using toothpicks to
spread pollen? I must be missing something or else just don't have the
patience to use this technique. How does one get the pollen onto the
toothpick? I'm trying to use round picks - are the flat ones better?
Also, not having figured out where these little condiment cup thingies
Sharon McAllister uses for pollen come from (they don't have them at my
local hardware store <g>), after accidentally knocking over another
little plate of several carefully gathered anthers again this year while
fumbling around in the iris patch, I grabbed up some weekly pill
reminder container thingies and used those. They work great! Each one
is big enough to put a bit of card stock in the bottom with the name of
hte cultivar and has enough room to store more anthers than will ever
grow here. I think they make transparent ones, but mine are opaque
plastic. I labeled the tops with Sharpie. The plastic is slick enough
that the Sharpie label is easy enough to rub off to make room for a new
label, but stays on well enough for the day's crosses.
For freezer storage, I like Jim Ennenga's trick of storing in punctured
gel capsules from the health food store. Getting the freeze dried
pollen out again is not as easy as with fresh anthers - a brush or
?toothpick? would definitely work better.
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
enjoying a few drops of rain!
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