RE: CULT: moisture

Betty, I don't know how much morning fog/dew is taken up by the plant,
but it sure does mess up pollen!  I have been slow to realize this was
one of many major screwups in my attempts at making crosses.  Finally
figured it out year before last, started collecting pollen from anthers
that open the <afternoon before>, storing them indoors overnight, then
using them the next morning.

I have to keep an eye on the pollen eaters to make sure I get pollen
before they eat it all, plus they are more active in the afternoon when
it's warmer.  A nuisance!

Some kind flowers, like CELEBRATION SONG, pop open pollen in the morning
<after> fresh dew is no longer being formed, but before it gets too hot
to make crosses.  Dew usually stays on the grass (and presumably iris
blooms) until nearly noon here most of the year.

At least I think that's what's happening - I posted and asked if others
had this experience and didn't get any feedback.  Pollen collected the
day after anthers open looks nice and fluffy, but is clumpy instead of
gritty when an anther is rolled between the fingers.

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>
talk archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/>
photos archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/>
online R&I <http://www.irisregister.com>

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