Re: HYB: storing pollen

Thanks Griff.  From what you say, it sounds like my method <should> have
worked.

One problem with collecting rebloom pollen has been getting anthers that
have fluffy pollen that hasn't been worked over by wee critters.  So
maybe the pollen I collected last year wasn't that good to start with.

We had our fall potluck picnic this afternoon, so I asked Jim and Ruth
Ennenga how they store pollen.  Jim likes to put anthers in little
gelatin capsules with pin holes punched in the sides.  Ruth has a stock
of dessicant that she also uses for drying flowers.  The stuff they have
is the same as the kind I used to use - blue when dry, pink when it
needs to be baked in the oven to dry it out again.  200o F until the
dessicant turns blue.

She fills a peanut butter jar about one third to one half full of
dessicant (thinking much larger than I was!), cuts a round piece of
corregated cardboard box with small holes punched in it to fit on top of
the dessicant.  The capsules are put in the jar on top of the cardboard,
then the jar is covered with saran wrap and the lit put on tight.  The
whole thing is then stored in the freezer.

--
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>
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