What if the pollen is left on a paper plate inside in A/C for several days? Is the pollen still good? I have a really hard time with chilling or freezing the pollen. I have those small centrifuge tubes and have been trying to use them, but so far ..... no pods formed using any of such stored pollen. I do let the pollen defrost or warm to room temp before using it. But figured I either did something wrong or the pollen was no good. (Though I did use the pollen from the same flower to fertilize pods on another cultivar the same day I collected the chilled pollen.)

I tried the tubes and had little success as well. I think if you would dry the pollen for a day and then put in the tube and make sure you have no plant matter, it will work.
I think the match box is easy and works even if you take the full pollen head and is more able to dry even if you have a little plant matter.

Terry - Thanks! I typically let the pollen dry on a paper plate for a day or two. I use a small artist's paint brush to extract the pollen and shake it off into the tubes for freezing or chilling. I do not give up easily though. There are so many cultivars that I would like to cross that do not bloom at the same time. I am determined to get some viable pollen eventually. I will check into the matchboxes.

I'm not gathering pollen...yet, but where can one get matchboxes?

97 cents at Walmart and almost all grocery stores sell the small 10 count boxes in the charcoal and grilling area.
Here are photos for cheap easy effective pollen storage.




In the freezer

Thanks, Kidfishing!

I will add that Becky has the key to success! Persistence where you don't give up easily.
Bad pollen is just that. Some Daylilies do not produce good pollen and easy to see.
I have set pods on more than one Daylily registered as not pod fertile.
Since this is seedlings, here is a seeding pic.
One of these is very fragrant. I wonder which one it is.

Terry - Wonderfully descriptive photos of the match box idea. I may try that.

It really irks me that I will have a cultivar that I really want to use as a parent .... yet no other daylilies are blooming that day. Grrrrr !

Terry - Wonderfully descriptive photos of the match box idea. I may try that. Love all those blooms, too! Daylily Fragrance seems to elude me.

It really irks me that I will have a cultivar that I really want to use as a parent .... yet no other daylilies are blooming that day. Grrrrr !

Great bud counts, Kid; wish I could do better on that score. Lovely orange-red, too.

Terry, thanks for the matchbox idea. I tried round plastic pill cases one year, but never had any success with frozen pollen. Maybe, as you and Fred both mentioned, the pollen was bad...

I have a fridge in the garage that I fill with paper bowls, one for each pollen I use. I use the pollen for several days, and keep adding more pollen as I can. I am sure that I have used pollen that is too old at times...but I have also gotten pods using pollen that has been stored this way for over a week. Not all pollen is the same.

I have such a glut of pollen and pods I have a hard time changing my ways....plus...it's fast....perfect for somebody with a full time job.


Seedling today:

Second seedling out of HIGH WATER MARK X TETRFKXVICKI grayylw

Others today:

SUE'S CHOICE X KING CRAB





SHALOTT kid




And one of my original TET ROSE F KENNEDY seedlings. Over 200 pods from her the last two years!

Only one seedling pic today

PASTEL PALETTE X OPEN HEARTH (my garden name is Lighthouse Caramel Galaxy)

Correction: No More Tears (not Cerise Masterpiece) x Natalie Grace, 2nd bloom on this new seedling this year

Ahead said:
I have such a glut of pollen and pods I have a hard time changing my ways....plus...it's fast....perfect for somebody with a full time job.

I resemble that remark.
I just started freezing pollen this year again after skipping the past couple.
100 pods per year on one plant! I thought it was bad when I had 60 pods on a couple. Or when I have 2500 seeds from three pollen parents.
I think the key with tet conversions is to create something from them that you can use since they are so difficult. I am thinking the ones I bought are a waste of money and mostly still diploid. We have one pod on Tet Super Fancy Face and it is a test from putting the diploid Visionaire pollen. We have one tetraploid with a pod from using Tet Texas Kaleidoscope. Also Ashton had tried getting something from Tet Elfin Etchings for a few years. This year he told me has never got a pod on it or a pod from the pollen. On the last two bloom I used diploid Blue Buzz and diploid Gizmo and have two pods on it. The seedlings from Tet Texas Kaleidoscope x Tet Super Fancy Face which are two years old look like they are going to die. They are in a bed with 200 great looking seedling plants and their 8 inch tall brown and yellow leaves show up like a sore spot.

Tet Texas Kaleidoscope x Tet Super Fancy Face which are two years old look like they are going to die oh man that's sad news I'm so sorry to hear that.

Spending the 4th at my in-laws. My father-in-law brought this bloom to me. This is what he considers his best seedling so far. Out of Chang Dynasty and an unknown (he hybridizes as a hobby so doesn't keep close records). The bloom is almost 8" across! It has a nice melony-pink color, teeth, and a good fragrance. I told him this was a keeper!

Very pretty!!!!

Tell him to name and register it (for $20) and name it after his favorite daughter-in-law.

kidfishing said:

I resemble that remark.
I just started freezing pollen this year again after skipping the past couple.
100 pods per year on one plant! I thought it was bad when I had 60 pods on a couple. Or when I have 2500 seeds from three pollen parents.
I think the key with tet conversions is to create something from them that you can use since they are so difficult. I am thinking the ones I bought are a waste of money and mostly still diploid. We have one pod on Tet Super Fancy Face and it is a test from putting the diploid Visionaire pollen. We have one tetraploid with a pod from using Tet Texas Kaleidoscope. Also Ashton had tried getting something from Tet Elfin Etchings for a few years. This year he told me has never got a pod on it or a pod from the pollen. On the last two bloom I used diploid Blue Buzz and diploid Gizmo and have two pods on it. The seedlings from Tet Texas Kaleidoscope x Tet Super Fancy Face which are two years old look like they are going to die. They are in a bed with 200 great looking seedling plants and their 8 inch tall brown and yellow leaves show up like a sore spot.

Conversions can be tricky to use. Generally, I stick with using the pollen - unless someone tells me they know it to be pod fertile. The other thing I would mention is to try and use pollen from multiple blooms. Not necessarily together, but over time you may find a decent batch. I had several blooms on Tet Almira Buffalo Bone Jackson last year and the middle blooms gave me the best luck. Now if only they would bloom...looks like only a new Tet RFK, from Steve, and Tet Emerald Starburst are going to bloom this year. C'est la vie!