Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Hand pollination

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: list@ginda.us
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Hand pollination
  • Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 06:49:39 -0400

On the topic of hand-pollination. . . I tried to hand pollinate some apple blossoms this year and I had trouble. I've hand-pollinated other stuff. I've always just taken a Q-tip and brushed it gently against the prospective father, and then against the prospective mother. Ordinarily, after the first step the end of the Q-tip is visibly yellow. I tried this with apple blossoms, and couldn't pick up any visible pollen. Some of the blossoms were older, and the anthers were brown. Other blossoms were younger and the anthers were pale yellow. (We had a cold snap between when the first blossoms opened, and when some other blossoms opened.)

Do apple blossoms stay on the tree for an extended non-fertile period? How does one recognize a "ripe" blossom?

(It looks like the "prospective mother" blossoms set, so either there was a little pollen, or the bees did the job for me.)

Thanks,
Ginda


On May 23, 2005, at 6:15 AM, Jason MacArthur wrote:

Due to the cool and rainy weather rut that we in New England are stuck in, I am going to try hand pollinating in my apple orchard this year. I got some good directions off of the Midwest Apple Improvement Association website, but I am left with one question. I have collected the anthers I wish to use for pollinating, and they are in storage. However, what I actually want to put on the flower is not anthers but pollen, correct? Do the anthers release pollen as they dry? Does anyone have any experience with this stage who can set me straight as to how to go from anther to pollen? Thank you, and I hope everyone else is getting better weather for pollination than we are!

Jason MacArthur
Marlboro, Vt.
Zone 4b





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page