Re: HYB: freezing pollen question
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: HYB: freezing pollen question
  • From: A* C* <a*@yahoo.com>
  • Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 17:46:10 -0700 (PDT)
Hi Linda, Bill, and others,

I'm glad you mentioned this topic, Linda.  I have an MTB guest seedling with Aphylla in it's parentage that is coming into rebloom.  The hybridizer of it sent it so I can use it in my median crosses, and highly recommended freezing the pollen from this fall so I can use it in the spring, especially if the plant decides it needs to wait another year before blooming.  

I currently have frozen pollen in snap-top vials that used to contain diabetic test strips.  I have used some of them this summer in crosses, mostly SDB pollens on TB plants for some intermediate seedlings to work with.  I haven't yet completed my notes on the pod harvest to see if it worked though.

I'd be interested in reading other success stories.  

Adam~

President, Mio Irisarians
Region 6
Zone 4 (and a half...)
Michigan

--------------------------------------------
On Wed, 10/23/13, Bill Chaney <billchaney@ymail.com> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [iris] HYB: freezing pollen question
 To: iris@hort.net
 Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2013, 12:16 AM
 
 I have great success freezing pollen
 and have several takes from pollen that has been frozen for
 two years, and I will try three year old pollen this next
 year.
 
 Contrary to what many people say, I feel over drying is a
 problem.  I take fresh anthers with nice fluffy pollen
 and place them into small glassine envelopes and place them
 directly into the freezer in a sealed container (think small
 Tupperware box).  I think it is best if the freezer is
 NOT frost-free.  I only place 6 to 9 anthers in an
 envelope so that the number of times the pollen is taken out
 and returned to to freezer is minimized.
 
 Glassine envelopes will adsorb some moisture if there should
 there be any excess.  The other nice thing about these
 envelopes is that you can recover loose pollen from the
 envelope with forceps.  If you what to try some, I
 would be glad to and you a few if you request
 off-list.  I buy them in bulk from a company called
 Bio-quip, but shipping small quants is expensive.  They
 also have great forceps in their catalog.
 
 Please let me know if you have questions or need anything
 else.
 
 Bill
 
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