Saving pollen

[gixergal]

hey boys and girls
I wonder if ya can help me with a wee question i need to ask... now thats a stupid thing to say.....OF COURSE you can help me...its IC . Ive just noticed that my NL has hermied very slightly and I wondered if i can save the pollen from the balls for future use?? Will it still be ok to use even though its from a hermi ( I wont be doing anyfin very professional with it but maybe LEARN some breeding methods )??
While i got your attention here im gonna ask ya another question. (what a surprise..lol) Is there anyway of diferentiating between hermi's balls and the female calyx early or do I just have to just wait til i see pistils or til the balls open slightly? Does anyone else get these mixed up or is it just me ? Thanx for your help AGAIN....
love
gix

 

[Mr Celsius]

Yes, you can save the pollen. Its only viable for 2 weeks, unless you stick it in the fridge for a day or two and then the freezer for storage.

 

[gixergal]

Mr Celcius
fanx very much for replying. So if i stick it in the freezer, how long will it be ok in there? Will it be months or years ?? I am presuming there is a reason for having to put it in the fridge before I stick it in the freezer but, Mr celcius, I cannot think what it might be...any more info....lol
love
gix

 

[icon]

this link will help answer your questions http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=1034

 

[gixergal]

Oh Icon
This all seems a bit complicated for a beginner like me!!! Maybe id be best just to put it in the bin and forget about pollenating plants. Can i just ask one thing about the thread you showed me?? Did they say you could pollenate just a few buds of a plant and keep the rest sensi?? Now that sounds interesting to me as ive just a wee grow, maybe four plants at the most, (not counting my moms). Thanx for taking the time to post the link...you are a star.
love
gix

 

[igrohydro]

Yeah u can tie a bag round a branch gix,after brushing pollin on for seed setting,keep the rest of the plant sensi.Its a good idea to put small holes in bag to let it breath.
Were you able to collect the pollin for a herm?

Hope to see ya in chat rm.
Peace...hydro..

 

[gixergal]

I'lll sssssseeee yooooo there hy, iii got sevvventy siiiix pooooosts (sung in a kinda sing song voice)
but yea hy..its froma hermi...is that bad??
love
gix

 

[SacredBreh]

gixer..... couple of thoughts and concepts in stoner terms....

gixer..... couple of thoughts and concepts in stoner terms....

Icon--that was a great thread... helped me awhile back.

gixer-- Hermie pollen is more likely to cause hermie plants but only a little more likely in my experience. There are those who say it is way more likely but I disagree due to my using quite a bit in my early days of producing femanized seeds which is what you are thinking of doing. Anyway....

Pollen needs to be dried before freezing it. I don't think the fridge would be a good place. Some warm, dry, clean place without circulating air would be best. In the past, I would select a nice male and pull off all the branches except the top male cola, leaving all the large leaves on the main stem to produce energy. Make sure no male flowers are left.. at the branch nodes too. Then, I would take a thin paper bag, like from a liquor store, and put it over the top and seal the bag around the stem with electrical tape. It would continue flowering and dropping pollen in the bag. I cut the whole plant after a couple of weeks with the bag still on the top like a "bag" head.

I would put a large mirror on the table and tap out the pollen. I use a comb to rake through it to separate the dried leaf and plant material out. Then scrapped small portions into separate black film containers. I then placed the open containers in a place like I described before to let any moisture evaporate. Then cap them and place them in a freezer. Use separate container because you will only use a tiny bit each time. If it is all in one, when you take it out moisture will condense inside the open container. I have used pollen saved this way, 8 years later and it worked. If it is still moist and you put in the freezer, it will damage the cell walls of the pollen.

For you, it is a problem. If the pollen pods open in the same room, you will not have sensi. The pollen is not ready before they open so you can't take them off and get it. If there is some on an end of a stem you could use the bag method I use but usually the first male flowers start at the base of the branch which makes it impossible. Maybe move it to an isolated closet or room.

Once you have pollen, you can take a paint brush like the kind for art, and dip it into the pollen and paint the hairs (pistils) of a bottom bud. You need very little pollen...you can barely see it if you have the right amount. Too much and it will fall of and may pollenize the rest of your young ladies. Let it sit that way for about 30-60 min. then spray it off with water, holding a rag underneath the branch. The pollen will have already moved down the pistil and fertilized the female calyx.

How to tell which is which. The female (pod) calyx will have a white hair sticking up. The male pod will be like a closed fist with a finger sticking up.... like flipping off except with the thumb holding down the other fingers.... do it and you won't forget it. LMAO... I always think of it like F#@K you for all your hard work.

Hope this helps...

Peace

 

[Kolobrzeski]

hmm yesterday I pick some pollen and put it to plastic bag, and then to freezer. Will it be ok? Cause I haven't dried it...

 

[SacredBreh]

Mmmmmmm......... Not likely.....

Mmmmmmm......... Not likely.....

Kolo.... anything is possible but what you are trying to do will not likely work. Pollen has liquid inside cell walls. When the liquid (mostly water) freezes it forms crystals similar to snow or other frozen liquid crystals. It also expands 10%. The crystals damage the cell walls and therefor make it unable to perform its function. Check out the posts above and the articles sited to verify this info. Hell try it... again anything is possible but this is almost completely unlikely.

Peace