Collecting, Storing, and Mailing Pollen

[Blazeee]

So should I thaw the frozen pollen prior to use or just use it straight out of the freezer?

I have also been curious about this.

Ive got some pollen stored that is nearly 2 years old now. When I harvested it, I made sure to dry it out for a day, cut it with flower, added some grains of rice, then separated it in to 5 individual plastic seed vials, I have 4 in the freezer and 1 left in the fridge.

I sent a vial from the freezer to a friend last year, however he waited a few days before using it, and sprayed his plants down less than 24 hours after pollination, from what he said he didnt get any seeds from it. I suspect this is due to him waiting a few days before using it.

Im just wondering what are the chances it is still viable, and would I be ok to use it immediately out of the freezer? Also what about the vial in the fridge, what are the chances that its still viable after 2 years?

 

[Nexus7]

Immediately out of the freezer worked fine for me.

 

[TexasTea]

If a male is placed in a tent and allowed to open pollinate the room, how long will that pollen remain viable once he is removed? A few days or weeks? Any idea?

 

[flylowgethigh]

Good question, and I will be scrubbing my tent, lights, washing the outer filter cover, maybe stir up the SIP bed perlite. Washing the fan blades, net...

What'da you make? I have some SKOHLP going. Wanna run some?

 

[mojave green]

A good misting with water will kill that left over pollen.

 

[Stonerbudz]

Appreciate the information on what you do to get the best results out of your pollen I’ll take some of your tricks and use them in the future forsure

 

[IamN2pot]

I have also been curious about this.

Ive got some pollen stored that is nearly 2 years old now. When I harvested it, I made sure to dry it out for a day, cut it with flower, added some grains of rice, then separated it in to 5 individual plastic seed vials, I have 4 in the freezer and 1 left in the fridge.

I sent a vial from the freezer to a friend last year, however he waited a few days before using it, and sprayed his plants down less than 24 hours after pollination, from what he said he didnt get any seeds from it. I suspect this is due to him waiting a few days before using it.

Im just wondering what are the chances it is still viable, and would I be ok to use it immediately out of the freezer? Also what about the vial in the fridge, what are the chances that its still viable after 2 years?

Moisture is your pollen's worst enemy. If you remove it from the freezer and mmediately open it, condensation will form on the pollen and damp pollen will die very quickly. Please wait for the packet to warm to room temp before opening it to use it.
Keep seeding.

 

[propellerhead]

What I’ve learned about pollin storage

What I’ve learned about pollin storage

1 I don’t pollinate with pure pollin
2 store with 1 part pollin 9 flower
3 bake flower for 30 min to remove moisture. Then store in store in air tight jar
4 I collect pollin by pulling unopened male calyx off and put in small glass dish. This can take 1 to two weeks.
5 sift with 110 micron screen. Add flower and mix. Store in 8 dram medicine bottles. Then deep freeze @ -17 F.
6 I have also used the paper packet method. Keeps pollin viable longer.
7 I have pollin that was stored in a regular freezer since ‘14 that is semi viable.
8 do not thaw and freeze. Learned this from Verdant Green.
9 Take container from freezer and put some in a different container. Apply with paint brush
10 I’ve had problems with the paint brush method. I noticed this year that the bristles would stick together. I washed with iso. Then I noticed that sometimes I would get a lot of seeds on the bottom of the branch. Since I start at the bottom of the branch I figured that the resin was sticking to the brush rather than the plant. I will try using air to disperse next year
11 this is just like cloning. Do it and eventually it will work. Took me over a year of continuous cloning to get it. I learned one thing from the grodan rep. Use thick stems with a short cutting and few leaves.
I didn’t edit. Final thought pay attention to everything your brain will then guide your actions. Works for me.

Hey,
"3 bake flower for 30 min to remove"
Which tempratur?



moistur

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Historically, I have lived in very dry RH environments for decades. Pollen dropping dries quickly after dropping.
Pollen collected in higher RH environments should be actively dried quickly, within at least 18hrs, for best long term storage results.

Oven dried rice works better than regular rice. 170F - 200F is fine for drying the rice.
I personally use a minimum of 24hrs of dry time for 1 tablespoon of pollen per quart of oven dried rice.
Only use a few grains of oven dried rice in each pure pollen packet.
I do not store pollen mixed with 'flour' any longer. I store pure pollen and mix with flour afterward. Saves significant space and allows custom mixing after years of storage.

Good times.

 

[propellerhead]

Thank you

 

[moose/MI]

I just found this thread.
Thought I would throw a couple pictures up in case someone finds it like I did.

I picked the first round of nanners off my males and waited until they grew another set.
I cut the top and moved it to a jar of water tilted over a mirror.
Some I cut with baked rice flour.
Some I left pure and added some dessicant beads.

I made a little drying chamber with dessicant. I'll let them dry a few days then put the vials in a jar of baked rice and into the freezer.

 

[•Moby•]

Is the info presented in this thread still up to date or are there better methods out there?

I didn't read it yet but will eventually, just hesitant to read when there are potentially more updated versions out there

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Very much spot on info and very effective.