North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["tanis cuff" <tanistanis@hotmail.com>]

I'm not coming up with other techniques, but it occurs to me to ask if 
pollination would be more effective in the morning or evening.  Time of day 
sometimes makes a difference.


----Original Message Follows----
From: Jwlehman
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] pollinate chestnut using pole?
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 08:01:41 EDT

In a message dated 7/14/2004 1:40:54 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
machelp writes:

> I have a grafted Luvall's Monster chestnut.  Big [say 1.5" round] blooms
> are evident on laternal branches just out of reach of step ladder.  But I 
can
> reach it with a tree pruner or stick.  What are the chances I could tape 
some
> female bloom of a different variety to a stick and reach up to the bloom 
on
> the Monster, shake some pollen onto the bloom and increase my chances of 
a set
> on those particular blooms on the Monster?
>

Hello,

Wouldn't help at all.

You would need to use catkins which are the male (staminate) flower where
pollen is developed. Another point, chestnuts are mostly air pollinated, but 
some
insects help also. You might collect a large amount of pollen from the donor
tree, easy to do,  then using a leaf blower at low speed blow it up into the
tree when no more than a light breeze is blowing.  Or after collecting the
pollen hand apply it to the female (pistillate) flowers using a small paint 
brush
or Q-tip.

Anyone else?

Jerry

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