Pollen collection

[Lloyd Gordon]

I may have a variant of the usual method.
I took a fine forceps and pulled off an anther taking the green filament with it. Maneuver the filament in the forceps so you're holding it just above the cut end. You hold it so the loose end of the anther is up and the other end is just above the wax paper. Then touch a 512 Hz tuning fork to the loose end of the anther and the pollen pours out. Not too high or it blows away.
Repeat 16 times for all the anthers.
I found it much easier. No more fussing with odd positions or holding the wax paper in your third hand. No wasted pollen. Worked great! The "T" is where you touch the tuning fork.

 

[Apoplast]

As the recipiant of a bunch of new helis, this is going to come in handy. Thanks, Lloyd!

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

As the recipiant of a bunch of new helis, this is going to come in handy. Thanks, Lloyd!

"In terms of plants I want... I absolutely do not need any more plants whatsoever! I am full up and have too many to deal with as it is.'

So much for New Years Resolutions

 

[Apoplast]

I'm happy to give away seeds! I already have the helis. That's part of my "no more plants" resolution.

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

Today my second flower was ready to pollinate. I tried something new again. I just took the flower and gently placed the stigma onto the waxed paper to carefully deposit some pollen on it. Seemed to work well. No need for brushes or toothpicks. The pollen seemed to hold to the wax paper so it didn't slip away.

 

[MimiStew24]

"In terms of plants I want... I absolutely do not need any more plants whatsoever! I am full up and have too many to deal with as it is.'

So much for New Years Resolutions

Very interesting. Hope I can get my Nep. Ventricosa to flower in years to come
get ready to off load them D Hams and U Gibba Lloyd CONNOR AT YOUR

 

[Avery]

Very cool, Lloyd. I’m waiting on a Heliamphora seed pod to ripen right now. What kind of Heliamphora is flowering for you?

 

[Apoplast]

I just checked (lights are on at night to reduce power costs - thanks, Lloyd!) and I have 4 new plants sending up flower stalks. This information has come just in time!

Avery - Could we talk pollen swaps sometime?

 

[Avery]

Avery - Could we talk pollen swaps sometime?

For sure! Send me a PM.

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

It's a heterodoxa. I could mail some pollen. Not sure about viability but probably winter is a better time to send.

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

Note the anthers have turned from a light yellow and a plump texture to a deeper almost brown yellow and are a little less plump. I've been trying an anther a night and tonight was the first time I got some pollen. I'm going to try again tomorrow. Before when the anthers were brown and thinner, the pollen really flowed out. I'm going to try to figure out the optimum anther qualities.

 

[Carson Hardy]

Looking good Lloyd!

Most of my flowers tend to not open fully, they go red, and seem a little 'dry' to me...

Would you share a photo of the plant?

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

This my heterodoxa (front). To get the flowers in, the picture makes the plant look smaller.

 

[Apoplast]

Looks great, Lloyd!

 

[Avery]

Wow, nice Heliamphora Lloyd! Is the plant pure heterodoxa or heterodoxa x minor?

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

Just heterodoxa. As I said the picture makes the pitchers look smaller.

 

[Peatmoss]

You really have a way with U. gibba Lloyd - best I've ever seen!

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

I can say with all modesty that I am the king of the U. gibba.

 

[Apoplast]

I think I need your U. gibba clone.

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

I'm not convinced my clone is particularly different or good. I just think that I accidentally created the perfect environment for it and just as accidentally introduced it.