Re: Re: HYB: Basics 101 and painting pollen

I buy the cheap paint brushes 20 for $1 , sometimes  two packs for $1. I use
a new one each time. Wash them out when I am done. I would have a hard time
seeing the pollen on a white cotton tip. I might try that only dye them
black or a dark color with a little Ritt dye.

My hands are big I have problems finding gloves big enough. SDB crosses give
me fit's. About 50% takes with long brushes 10% with short. I will make
crosses that I know should not take because of bloom age. Sometimes they
work.

Mike Greenfield
redear@Infinet.com
SW Ohio Zone 5b
>Subject: [iris] Re: HYB: Basics 101 and painting pollen


> Whew! I'm relieved.  Was prepared for no pink in the first generation,
but...
>
> Mike - What percentage success using a paintbrush?  I started using cotton
> swabs, cut in two, this year and got over 50%, counting tries in the rain,
in
> high winds, and second-day blooms.  I like the swabs - they cost almost
> nothing (Bill, are you reading this?), and seem a lot like a bee's back to
me.
> Also, since I toss them when I change pollen, there's no cleanup and no
chance
> of carrying pollen over.  It's easy to use them to refrigerate pollen,
too.  I
> have fat fingers, so plucking anthers doesn't work very well here.  How do
you
> clean the paintbrush between pollens and still keep it dry?
>
> Mary Lou, rank amateur, near Indianapolis, Z5.
>
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