STS Treated-They've Got Balls- Where's The Pollen

[Morrow]

Hi Everyone,
I'm at the moment of truth with my little Selfing project and have hit a problem, No pollen.... yet.
Just for background I'm strictly a residential Outdoor grower. I don't have the ability to secure my pollen first and then put the mother into flower. Both parents are synched the same "season" of there lives. I'm trying to create S1's of all six plants that I have outdoors. I used STS to induce first treatment in the middle of July. I have used a 3 week interval for first two follow up treatments, then followed up with my recent last application at a two week interval. Most of the female plants mature on or after Oct, 15th.
The Problem: NO POLLEN!
There have been multiple waves of maturing pollen sacks that I've been collecting in wax paper envelopes. I can't see any pollen collecting. I've read and can confirm that the majority of sacks don't open on their own, but they do lighten in color and almost fall off the plant. What's going on? There are some sacks that I've just let hang, just in case I'm harvesting them too soon. From my estimations I probably have 1-2 more weeks before I'll miss the window needed to mature seeds and I'll just have to just try and pollinate hoping for a little something.
Here are two picture of some pollen sacks that are at about the stage that I'll clip them off and dry.




Appreciate your reply's, as many outdoor growers know, projects like these take a long time to prepare for and when they fail it's a big let-down.

 

[Adze]

I think they need longer, perhaps only a few days.. Can you try leaving them on the plant till you see some pollen? Or cut of a branch, 6 or 8 inches long and leave it in a glass of water. I'd keep up with the sts.

 

[Useful Idiot]

Some strains will do that. Produce sacks...then no pollen. Ask me how I know. I hope this is not your case. Also it has only happened to me on 1 strain. I thought I was doing something wrong. Did another cut of same strain......no pollen. Other strains were just fine, PLENTY of pollen. I hope you get some pollen real soon.

 

[mofeta]

Yeah this can be a problem.

I have found though, that a lot of them that you can't see any pollen can still be used. Pick the flowers late, like right before they fall off. Pick some at other times too, just to be thorough. Dry them out real well. Crush them to a powder when dry. Use this on your seed parents. I have never had a plant that produced zero usable pollen, but have friends that say they have.

Good luck!

Hi Useful Idiot

Hows it going? Hope your CBD search is going well.

What was the variety that you had probs with being staminate sterile?

thanks

mofeta

 

[Morrow]

I'll hold tight and update in a few weeks. Thanks everyone

 

[sourpuss]

Did they open yet? No pollen till those balls open like a flower....

 

[Morrow]

Hello Again, following up with an update here for continuity. I waited another 7 days from the OP and tried again. There were many more dried on the plant, wouldn't say they were open, but when rolled between my fingers produced the tell tale yellow staining of pollen. I gathered a dozen or so of those for each clone, chopped them up and applied to appropriate Momma. Interesting note my C99 x Blueberry cut showed NO signs of reversing. Even to this day there are no balls on her. Her stability is pretty impressive. Now I wait. I was hoping to self all 6 of my outdoor plants but have now decided to ignore three of them.

C99 f5 "Smalls": That has been my real casual attempt to bring down the lankiness of C99 pheno. I had an exceptionally short squat C99 f2 a few years back, that I've been trying to increase the expression of. I have had some success, about 1:5, but figured there's no need to self something so unstable at this point.

C99 f2 x Blueberry: As noted above this little bugger refused to be reversed. Pretty bummed too as she's super tropical sweet and berry flavored w/ the Cindy's racy high. I'm half tempted to go out and find this cross from a reputable seed dealer. Any suggestions as to who carries a good version?

C99f2 x White Widow: While the final product on this girl is solid, she is so high maintenance that, especially when grown outdoors it is just not worth it. I've given her three seasons to perform and I'm done.

The s1's that I have attempted are:

C99f2-s1
White Rhino-s1
Big Bang-s1
C99f2 x White Rhino-s1
C99f2 x Big Bang-s1 (I'm excited for this one)

Well, that's about it when it's definitive whether this final pollen chuck worked I'll give one last update.
Thanks for the support.

 

[Momerath]

In my S1 making experience, almost none of the balls on my reversed plants opened on their own. I have to take the largest healthiest balls off by hand, break them open, and apply the fresh pollen immediately. It is a tedious task but well worth the time spent. Sometimes waiting until they are dry is too late.

 

[Morrow]

Hi all, this is the last post fr this thread. Just going to wrap this up with the results. I cut the seeded limbs 7 weeks after the last applications of STS induced female pollen. The results for some were a bit disappointing but the worst pollination results at least got me one seed to continue with. For me the moral of the story is chuck, chuck and chuck as it seems even when pollen is detected it might not be viable.