Pollen ripening

[savor]

Hi to Steve from Idaho, and everyone,
I stopped in to check for seed capsule ripening times, but I'll leave that to another thread. So here's my two cents...
As far as when to take pollen and when to place it on a bloom, the pollinia(male part) is ready before the stigma (female part). Once the bloom is open, wait 24 to 48 hours for the stigma to be more receptive. I have used pollinia from a bloom that is declining or even falling off the plant and saved the pollen for six months or more. It appears that any pollinia may be fertile. Of course the condition of the pod parent, the orchid as a whole as well as the bloom itself, is much more crucial. I like what was said earlier. If the bloom is fragrant, it is obviously 'open for business'. At first fragrance, the bloom is probably at its best time to both contribute pollen or accept it. For orchids that are not fragrant, the ideal time is two days after the bloom opens. I prefer to take pollinia from another orchid or bloom and place it on a bloom without disturbing its own pollinia.
The pollinia is generally orange or yellow often a hard 'kernel' or 'grain'. I do not try to crush or slice the pollinia since it is likely to be launched away like a watermelon seed at a picnic. So get a tiny amount of the tacky fluid from the pod parent's stigma with a toothpick and pick up the pollinia grain directly on the end of the toothpick. Here's a tip: If you are attempting a 'selfing' or retrying a cross that has previously not 'taken', you can increase your chances by wetting the pollinia with your saliva for 5 minutes or more. Yes, spit on it! Don't rinse it. I'll skip the scientific explanation. It works. Carefully place the pollinia in the lower center part of the stigma 'pocket'. Pressing it down gives the pollen tubes a shorter distance to grow down to the ovary. Actually anywhere in the moist sticky area of the stigma will work. One hybridizer reports taking the pollinia out the next day and using it to fertilize a second or third bloom with good pod results.
It is normal for the bloom to close in toward the column. In some species/hybrids the bloom may dry up. In some the bloom itself may thicken and turn green. If there is a "pregnancy", the short stem that connects the bloom to the inflorescence will remain green and begin to swell into a seed capsule. If the cross did not take, that stem may turn pale right away and fall away with the bloom. If it swells up, I tend to get excited and gather up the mason jars! However the seed capsules can recognize when there are no viable seeds. Or for other reasons the capsule will fail.
The capsule will yellow, maybe brown, shrivel in place or eventually fall away. Generally if the capsule grows green past the halfway mark, there will be the pitter patter of orchid feet in the greenhouse, well ... next year!

Lee

[IdahoOrchid]

Thanks Lee.

My first attempt failed. I have tried again with a new pollen and a newer flower.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

[moria0672]

Hi Steven,
you probably aready know, but there is also the possibility that one or both your plants are sterile, so in this case the pollination isn't possible.
If you will have success (my fingers are crossed too) there is also the probablity , once the seedlings will be adults, that they are sterile so the only system to have sons of the choosen plant (because probably all the seedling will be a little different both the former to the latter) is to clone the plant per meristem.
Ciao

[newflasker]

Some kinds of pollen are sterile. Pollen block is cover by a special protein which prevents self pollinating. In this case you can crush pollen block or deep into contact lens cleaner solution. The solution dissolves the cover which allows pollen to enter stigma system. Many people successfully pollinate using the solution. Some reports said that this case is rarely and only happen to self pollination.

[savor]

An orchid's bloom does recognize the protein covering on their own pollen and may resist a selfing. It is nature's way of selecting for more biodiversity. This also inhibits some crosses. However some crosses just are not meant to be. That is one reason why a pod begins to form until the orchid recognizes there are no viable seeds forming. Some hybridizers routinely place pollen in their saliva. The enzymes in spit will 'erase' the genetic imprinting in the protein covering. If you use contact lens cleaner, get the kind labeled enzymatic to remove protein deposits. Soaking in saliva or lens cleaner should be for 5 minutes stirring intermittently. Don't rinse. Place into the stigma.
Depending on the pollinia, you may find they are hard to slice or crush. Be prepared to catch it if it 'launches away'.
The goodies are inside that pollinia! As long as we 'fool' mother nature...er, give her a helping hand!
Announcing... <drumroll> Vandacatt Marvey Cute 'EyeDidIt!'
lee at classicorchid com

[Tindomul]

Wow, I had never heard of that method. Very intriguing!

[IdahoOrchid]

It looks like my second attempt is failing as well: yellow flower stem.

Can I remove the pollen, do the saliva soak and try again on the last flowers?

[newflasker]

If I was you I will not try saliva. There are a lot of bacteria in saliva such as gum disease bacteria. Wet your pollen by stigma fluid or contact lens cleaner. It may give you more chances.

[Prime]

I'm a beginner in phalaenopsis hand pollination and still hoping I can be able to come up with a good pod since I'm kind of desperate because I wanted to propagate two of my phals of different hybrids that I bought three weeks ago, though I tried hand pollinating my oncidium and dendro before, but with no luck. I wish from anybody to give me an advice on this. And I would like to know what might be the problem why I'm not having any success with pollinating.

[gixrj18]

Sometimes they just don't take. I would say only about 40%-50% of my pollenations actually end up successful. I don't know if you tried to cross the Dendro. and Onc., or just self-pollinate, but those two don't cross with eachother. Also, sometimes it is better to take pollen from one flower, and cross it with another flower on the same plant, instead of self-pollinating.