Hidden Valley Hibiscus Forum

Charlie,

I would like your opinion on refrigerating pollen, I had a Key largo bloom and Rainbow Christie looked like it would bloom the next day, so I got some pollen on a paint brush and put it in a zip lock bag and placed it in the refrigerator, 4 days later Rainbow Christie finally bloom so I took out the pollen and used it.  It's been 2 weeks now and the pod hasn't fallen off. Do you think that it would have taken, just curious.

Patrick

There's a good chance that it worked. Drying out of the pollen seems to be the limiting factor. Some old timers used film canisters with a few drops of water in the bottom to store staminal columns with pollen sacs open until the seed setting flower was available. Chris was looking into freezing pollen which has been done successfully with other species.

Let us know if you get seeds from this pod!

Charlie

Patrick, did this ever work?

I hope Patrick sees this and answers. I notice that he posted at the end of May about this. If it was already hot where he lives that could spoil the experiment if the cross did not take. It would be worth doing again when conditions are cooler.

Charlie

I tried refrigerating the pollen but it did not work this was in the beginning of summer it was in the fridge for 3 days. I tried again like last week.. and it was only in fridge for one day so far the seed pod is ripening. I will let you know if i get any seeds from it.

I also have SEVERAL uknown seeds I think Mr hummingbird in my area pollinated them for me lol cause I did not pollinate anything for months.  So its likely that these unknowns could be self crosses from the hummers getting the pollen on them and it rubbing off on the stigmas