Re: Bloom Stalks
- To: <S*@yahoogroups.com>
- Subject: Re: [SpaceAgeRobin] Bloom Stalks
- From: &* O* <i*@msn.com>
- Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2004 14:55:26 -0700
- References: <MDEAJILKLGAJENIMLIGDEEDEDJAA.DanaBrown@peoplepc.com>
- Seal-send-time: Sun, 11 Apr 2004 14:55:27 -0700
|
It is difficult to use the anther at times, because there is ruffling in
the style arms or the lip is tight or whatever, and in those cases I have had
good luck using a toothpick. I suck on the pick until I go to use
it. Then I squeegee it dry with my lips (it is still moist but not wet),
and I roll the pollen up onto it and then apply it to the stigmatic lip. I
go at the lip sideways, never pointing the end of the toothpick down into the
lip for fear of damaging it. I do it horizontally and roll the pollen off
the pick onto the stigmatic lip. ...
If the toothpick is not moist, it will not pick up the pollen. The
pollen immediately touching it may get ruined from the moisture, I am not sure,
but the pollen that is on top of it remains dry and viable, and you can pick up
enough pollen to just pack the stigmatic lip with a ton of pollen!
When I am done, I wipe any pollen left on the pick onto my jeans and
then stick the pick back in my mouth. The saliva kills any pollen left on
the toothpick (or ruins it, more appropriately stated) and I never have to
worry about the next cross being contaminated with pollen from the last
cross.
However, you could simply throw away the toothpick and get another, they
are so cheap. Matter of fact, now that I am almost exclusively using the
anther to make my crosses, I rarely any more have to resort to using a
toothpick, and when I do, I just throw it away afterwards because I will
probably not need it again that day.
Sometimes there is only a very little pollen left on the anther. I
have had better luck picking it up on a toothpick than trying to pollinate with
the anther in this case.
I have heard one purist in the past say they used little camel-hair brushes
to pollinate with and then would dip the brush into alcohol right afterwards and
let completely dry before using again. He used to go out to the
garden with a tea tray, a bunch of camel-hair brushes, and a babyfood jar with
alcohol in it and a couple paper towels. That was great for him because
his hands would shake too much for him to be able to use the anther, but it is
just way too much work for me to deal with. He would also rip off the falls and
the standards of only newly opened or opening irises before pollinating.
Patrick Orr
Phoenix, AZ Zone 9
USA
Yahoo! Groups Links
|
- Follow-Ups:
- RE: Bloom Stalks
- From: &* B* &*
- RE: Bloom Stalks
- References:
- RE: Bloom Stalks
- From: &* B* &*
- RE: Bloom Stalks
- Prev by Date: Re: Bloom Stalks
- Next by Date: RE: Bloom Stalks
- Previous by thread: Re: Bloom Stalks
- Next by thread: RE: Bloom Stalks