Astrophytum myriostiga pollen

[Jox]

Hi all,

Just wondering if there anyone out there that grows these & has access to pollen?

I have an A.myriostiga (quad) that's just started to flower like crazy & would like to trade some pollen, I would prefer to get pollen from another quad form but it doesn't really matter, I would just love to get some seeds!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Cheers

jox

[Evil Genius]

I have some...will contact you later today when im back...

[Stillman]

I grow a heap of these they are probably due to flower this summer but no buds at the moment if you needed it Asap.

[Jox]

Thanks guys,

What is the best way to store pollen? how long will it stay viable?

@Stillman do you have any quads at your place? Would you like me to get any pollen for you?

Mine had three flowers open today & has more buds developing, I was amazed how quickly these dried dead looking buds that have looked the same for the last month or two, in the last few days they've filled out & flowered.

[Stillman]

No quads I think most of mine have 5 ribs I'll have to check, I'm more keen on the A asterias. When I get some flowers I'll pm you if you like but nothing here looks like flowering yet.

[mutant]

I could too. I am not sure if my quads and 3rib ones will flower again though... I think they will

[zelly]

What is the best way to store pollen? how long will it stay viable?

 

Auxin made a really fine post on pollen collection & storage on another board:

http://forums.botanicalswap.org/index.php?topic=2507.0

[Jox]

@ mutant, thanks for your offer mate, I'm hoping to get some but if I have no luck I'll send you a PM, thanks mate.

@ zelly, thanks for the link, I was keen to have a look at that but I had to register to become a member before they will let me look & the section were you have to register is down , Thanks anyway mate.

[zelly]

excerpt from the link:

Pollen storage and trading needs a few things, the minimum of which is:

Pollen

Tweezers

Containers

Labels

Desiccant

Tweezers should be cleaned between each different species being handled.

Containers can be anything that seals well. I've seen anything from film canisters to flame sealed glass ampules used, microcentrifuge tubes seem to be a good middle ground for the amateur wanting to build an actual collection. For short term situations where the pollen is desiccated but stored under a month small ziplock bags can even be used, they can be propped open with a paperclip while in the desiccator.

Labels should be sufficient for writing the contents and collection date on.

With a few exceptions, such as orchids and camellias, pollen should be desiccated immediately on collection. Silica gel desiccant can be bought in hobby supply stores in the dried flower department or one can collect a dozen or more of those little packets that come in shoes and computer equipment and empty them into a jar and recharge them to make a little desiccator. Best is the desiccant with little blue bits in, that blue is cobaltous chloride which turns pink when the desiccant is no longer working and needs to be recharged- its best to recharge before the indicator turns pink. Dont get the desiccant on the pollen, and dont get the pollen on the desiccant. A pollen sample can be desiccated to extreme dryness in 1 to 3 days and should be stored away immediately after that period.

Recharging desiccants is easy, just put in a jar and bake at 425° for several hours, then upon turning off the heat cover the jar with a glass or ceramic plate you had in the oven and when the jar cools enough put the normal cap on.

That heat should accommodate all normally used desiccants, but beware that water soluble desiccants such as magnesium sulfate or calcium chloride may liquify and boil and make a mess.

Silica gel is the most frequently used in pollen drying because its easy to recharge, has a large water holding capacity, is commonly available, and dries the air quite well.

Calcium sulfate is another desiccant of note- it is easy to recharge using a high temp, its not rare or expensive, and it is very powerful and draws out more water than any other commonly available desiccant. Its drawback is its low water holding capacity. Calcium sulfate is used for the last phase of drying after using silica gel when the goal is to store the pollen for several years or longer in sub-freezing temperatures.

For storage, moisture getting in the container must be avoided and temperature fluctuations should be minimized. Storing a few containers is easy, just put them in the fridge or freezer. Putting the containers in a larger glass or thick plastic container (with or without desiccant) reduces temperature fluctuations. Let containers warm to room temperature before opening them or water will condense inside.

As I use microcentrifuge tubes and a freezer my current tactic for my newly rebuilt collection is to have a container in which I put sand to stabilize the temperature, covered by a sheet of material with holes and a grid to stick the tubes in. The grid lets me keep an inventory and grab the right tube very fast to minimize exposure of the collection to room temperature. This system could be improved by the use of a better sealing container and inclusion of a easily replaced tray of desiccant inside.

[bogfrog]

Hey thanks for providing that info from the other forum zelly, i've been wondering the best way to go about saving pollen.

I have a 3 rib and a 5 rib I am hoping to cross this summer but they never seem to flower in sync.

Can't wait to start producing my own hybrid seed.