Pollen's collecting
 

Hi,
I will like to share on how I collected and stored pollen, hope this will be useful.

1. male flower, how to tell if they are ready to be taken/'milked':biggrin::
- by sight - watch carefully as many insect will get around the ready
pollens (ripe), also the 'petal of the flower bud will fall back'
- by smell - they dispersed distinctive smell
- by touch - when you touch the tip, the yellow powdery pollens will stuck
on your finger

2. not all the flower buds ripen at the same time, so just take the ripe one.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...t/DSC00145.jpg
then I let them air dry in the tray, easier to collect the pollen this way,
let it stand for about half day.

3. Then using a tweezer try to rubbed slowly and the pollen will fall off, only
this powdery pollen stored.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...t/DSC00148.jpg

4. after that just put the pollens in a 'wax paper' then they are ready to be
stored in the fridge, they will stay fresh up to 6 months time.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...t/DSC00150.jpg

5. this is the tray, the tweezer and ready to stored pollen pack, remember
to put the name and date of collection.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...t/DSC00151.jpg

Ed

Re: Pollen's collecting
 

Really good of you for taking the effort to include pic illustration, thanks for sharing the tips. :1thumbup:

1 question, when you said to store the pollen in the fridge, you meant the lower compartment of the fridge, not the freezer, right?? Thanks again.

Re: Pollen's collecting
 

@cpnut: you 're welcome, always nice to be able to share. Yes not the freezer but the lower compartment.

Ed

Re: Pollen's collecting
 

Hi Wijaya

Nice thread you made here...........When you say you dry off the petals what do you mean??? Till they turb brown??????????????/

Ken

Re: Pollen's collecting
 

No Ken, the pollen when first cut from the flower will surely got some moisture on it, when wet the pollens are not easy to fall off, so in my case in the picture, I cut the buds in the morning and later at the evening I can rubbed the pollen off easily.

If they turned brown then it is ready to be throw away. :smile:

Ed

Re: Pollen's collecting
 

Hi wijaya

Okays thanks

Ken

Re: Pollen's collecting
 

Thanks wijaya. I'll archive this. I too never really knew the proper way to collect the pollen from Neps.

One question... After it is stored in the fridge, when I want to post it to someone, how long can the pollen last outside the fridge when in transaction in the parcel? Just want to find out in case in the future I need to mail pollen out. Also if I receive pollenm from mail, would it be ok for me to store them again in the fridge if I do not have a right planty flowering at that time?

Re: Pollen's collecting
 

Woah David, you asked so many questions urh? :laugh:
Hi Edy, very useful instruction with pictures!!! Me too don't really know the proper way to collect pollen, thanks for the tips :1thumbup::1thumbup::1thumbup:

Re: Pollen's collecting
 

One more person saying thanks for making the effort to put this thread together! We are slowly building a good little reference library of techniques for CP's!

Re: Pollen's collecting
 

Hi Shawn

Well this is place is definitly full of info for CPs...................Just a wild idea hehehehe

A pet pitcher book hahahaha....

Ken

Re: Pollen's collecting
 

Can't help it! Thirsty for knowledge and cultivation tips. :) By the way, I've already archive the article. Check the link below:
https://archive.petpitcher.net/nepenthes/pollen-collecting/

Edy,
Can I trouble you again (I'm being a "camel" here) to do a short write up on how to trasfer the pollen on the stigmen of the female flower? I want to archive this information as well.

Re: Pollen's collecting
 

I tried it with a brush, finger and toothpick. For me the toothpick was the very best solution. ... and you need good eyes ;) I think I need now also glasses for the short distance :°°(

Re: Pollen's collecting
 

To all: Thanks for seeing that this is usefull. I am only sharing what I did, and hopefully by the correct way of collecting and storing pollens, then we might have more of our own crossing; especially in South East Asian countries by exchanging pollen through air mail.

@David: I sent the pollen overseas with no problem, just took out from the fridge the night before and let it stand in room temperature, the next morning they are ready to be mailed. Also, the pollens can be stored back into fridge either from the mail or after used. Hope this explain. Just make sure you are using the right paper to store the pollen, I recommended the 'wax paper' that is the best so far.

As for pollinating process, I will try to do one thread on that :blush:, and Boris already gave a good start there, I used my fingers also just rubbed on the tips. Just one tiny grain is enough to pollinate the female flower. As far as I remembered Cindy already made one thread for pollination in GCS try search there for now.

Ed

Re: Pollen's collecting
 

thanks to Mr. ed advices i succesfully taken polen from my x gothica and cross it with my female Thor x tm... got advices about crossing the plant from him too... Thx Mr. Ed :)

Re: Pollen's collecting
 

No problem bro, glad can help. :smile:
Ed