I finally decided to play w/ some seeds a friend gave me. I ended up w/ some males and want to do a cross. I am just curious as to what the best way to collect pollen for future use is.
I have already crossed the current females i want by tapping the open male flowers over the small buds and can see the pollen fall and stick. I am just wondering how to collect the rest. Do you have to wait till the flower opens and just collect pollen or can you collect the remaining male flowers just before they open and let them dry ect. for future use?
Sorry but us clone only guys are a bit spoiled and need to be brought up to speed.
I wouldn't pinch off male banana's that aren't finished. You'll run into this problem of wet pollen, and have to let it dry out (becomes clumpy). Wait, till the pollen pods are dried and shriveled up before collecting pollen. This makes collecting your male/female pollen easy, just tap the branch lightly or pick off the dried pollen sacks put in container and shake around.
Flower them like you would bud. Put a peice of white or black paper underneath the canopy. When the flowers come close to opening, pluck the big leaves (they'll get in the way). When they open, gently tap the pollen into the cup or whatever receptacle you're using. The scrape the paper to collect what has already fallen.
I may write up a technique for how I do it here. :)
Flower them like you would bud. Put a peice of white or black paper underneath the canopy. When the flowers come close to opening, pluck the big leaves (they'll get in the way). When they open, gently tap the pollen into the cup or whatever receptacle you're using. The scrape the paper to collect what has already fallen.
I may write up a technique for how I do it here. :)
i take my male that i would like to collect pollen from and bloom him as usual for about 14 days. some males will go longer and some shorter.... after that time i watch closely till i think he is at his peak.... at that point i tilt and rest the male on his side, and put a piece of plexiglass under him to collect the pollen. then i shut the lights down and keep him dark for 5 days. on the day of pollen harvest, i gently tap the plant to release the rest of the pollen onto the plexiglass. i then remove the plant with container, and use a card to collect pollen. i then store pollen in a breathable container in the fridge for later use!!!
i do all of this in a seperate room for males on a different floor of my growhouse so i dont have a distster on my hands. clean the room after every harvest!!!! seems to work for me.
i take my male that i would like to collect pollen from and bloom him as usual for about 14 days. some males will go longer and some shorter.... after that time i watch closely till i think he is at his peak.... at that point i tilt and rest the male on his side, and put a piece of plexiglass under him to collect the pollen. then i shut the lights down and keep him dark for 5 days. on the day of pollen harvest, i gently tap the plant to release the rest of the pollen onto the plexiglass. i then remove the plant with container, and use a card to collect pollen. i then store pollen in a breathable container in the fridge for later use!!!
i do all of this in a seperate room for males on a different floor of my growhouse so i dont have a distster on my hands. clean the room after every harvest!!!! seems to work for me.