Delayed Pollination

Here is a situation that you may have to meet. You have a plant you want to cross with another, but the early-flowering one threatens to be devoid of bloom before the second plant comes into flower. You can deal with this by storing pollen for a few days in a cool, dry room. I have kept amaryllis and gloxinia pollen for 5 days in a drugstore vial kept in the refrigerator.

A surer method is this:

1. Place several grains of calcium chloride in a glass vial.

2. Make a wad of non-waxed paper and stuff it in the vial

directly above the calcium chloride.

3. Wrap the pollen in plain, non-waxed paper.

4. Place the pollen packet in the vial on top of the wad of

paper, thus preventing direct contact with the chemical.

5. Store in a refrigerator.

Although you need but a few granules of calcium chloride, you may have to purchase it in half-pound lots. The cost however is low, about 75 cents for this amount. Pollen thus stored keeps from 1 to 3 months, depending on type.

One grain of pollen makes but one seed, so whenever possible, give the stigma a thorough coating of pollen to encourage heavy seed bearing.

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