Keep male to pollinate or not ?

[highallthetime]

If you was to put a male plant in another cab in the same room. Could it still pollinate my other females. I would be using carbon filters on both cabs. Just curious anyone else had any success.

Me I thank it would just be easier to clone one you know will be female and have less down time. Waiting for the seedling to grow up.

 

[stinkyattic]

Yes. Carbon filters bind organic molecules through chemical bonds. Pollen is a larger particle and cannot bind in this way; you have to physically filter it out with something like a HEPA filter. I'd put your male cab in the opposite end of your house, still with a filter. Or let him flower and pollinate just a couple low buds on your intended female parent, and kill him immediately.

I keep my males in veg under 24/0 and they STILL produce enough pollen to knock up anything throwing pistils nearby. IMVHO, if you hare interested in keeping breeding stock around, plan it carefully, and keep your males as small clones, only growing them out when you actually need the baby batter.

 

[Kinderfeld]

I keep my males with my females until 3 weeks after flowering. The pollen balls are about the size of a pea maybe a little smaller. I chop the main cola off and chuck the rest of the plant. Put a 45 watt on 24/0 on that main cola in a glass of water over a smoother glass plate. Over the next couple weeks I go in and tap on the cola a little and pollen will fall right onto the plate, collect and there you go. Also, I do this with only one or two males as keeping all of them would deprive the females of room or light. I keep them outside my "light box" so they just hang around the sides. No lost space or light for females yet a good way to get quality pollen.

 

[highallthetime]

Only reason I would do is to get seed's of a nice strain. Too give to a friend or use my self later. Cloning can be aggravating at times.

On the other hand tho. I could collect pollen on some newspaper. Then bag or jar it.
Question should i get dry or fresh pollen could we put in freezer for later use ?

This way maybe we do not accidentally pollinating the whole crop..

 

[stinkyattic]

If you get pollen as Kinderfeld described, you can mix it into a bit of wheat flour in a glass vial and freeze it. The flour 'cuts' it and makes it go further, while also avoiding moisture. When you are ready to use it, take it out and bring it to room temp before opening, and brush a bit on the buds.

If you are just backing up genetics, pollinate a few lower buds, because in my experience, freezing pollen can be a bit of a crapshoot, ESPECIALLY if you don't have a non-defrosting deep freezer to keep it in.