I don't mind using frozen pollen although I prefer fresh like everyone else. Sometimes frozen is the only way to go with the expensive, singe fan purchase that arrived in the spring. Plants purchased south of me bloom earlier than I would like or they only have a single scape that doesn't produce enough blooms for what I need. Anther timing issue is something I want to use that blooms later than the plants I want to put it on. Freezing the pollen allows me to use the pollen the next year before that plant is blooming. When tagging I always write a small "FR" after the pollen name. When lifting tags for no takes, I know if a particular pollen or even pod parent has a problem frozen or fresh.
I use about 30 different pollen parents too. Some registered cv's, many seedlings. Every spring while waiting for the weather to warm I make a breeder book in excel - small image, small box and then a large box to the right - of all plants I intend to use that year. I type plant name or number, foliage and parents in the small box, print the "book" and then fill in the large box with crosses for each plant that I want to make. It's fun to dream while sitting by the woodstove A look through in the evening before the next days pollinating reminds me of what I planned and also some of those easily forgotten oddball crosses.

Edit - should have said FR is for frozen pollen only.

I use contact lens cases. The cheap disposable kind. Bought a couple hundred of them from my eye doctor. They work GREAT! I collect the anthers and lay them in the case, with masking tape on the lid with name of plant. I let them dry overnight in the open case, then close and freeze. The contact lens case is air tight. When using the pollen, I turn the case upside down and tap it a couple times to get some pollen stuck to the lid, then turn it upright, open lid and you can flex the lid around to dab the pollen right from it.

Last year, I did some video of pollenating with these type cases, but never took the time to edit it into a real video.

When the pollen is used, or I won't be using that cultivar again, it is easy to remove the tape, wash out the case and start over with some other pollen.

The cases stack really well in a quart ziplock bag for freezing.

I use the pill boxes with 28 tiny compartments. Stackable, and requires little space.

Dry the anthers on slips of paper with labels, then take a toothpick to hold one end of the anther and scrape
the pollen off awhile later. Seems to dry faster for me to powder form that way. Air conditioning helps too.

Then fold the paper to form a makeshift funnel, and pour into pill boxes, labeled with tape on outside, or
sometimes with a piece of paper stuck to inside of lid for id. This year, I am going to put in fridge for
a few days, instead of freezing, unless I have some left over, then will freeze, and try it next spring.

Really depends on the bloom timing of the plants selected in the hybridizing. I am trying to stick
to 50 for pod and pollen, so I don't end up with so many again. May not cross all 50, that is just
the reserve. Keep telling self, don't look at others, just stick with the 50.

Have also laid anthers on paper on the counter, and used it the next day. Set a pod, so it worked.
I too, prefer to use fresh pollen, but sometimes, as has been mentioned before, have to save pollen.

Sure are a lot of pollen hoarders here. A lot of good information and looks like everything has been covered. I was one of those would collect and freeze pollen from a hundred different daylilies every year just to toss it out the next year because I would only use a few before I would start using fresh pollen. Now I save only a few for the next year, most of what I freeze now I will use this year. I never know what pollen I will use on a given day until I go see whats blooming that morning. I will only use one pollen for all the eye and edge, one for all the pinks, one for all the ufs and so on. I use more seedling pollen than anything else and pollinate many more seedling than these registered plants.

Fantastic reading and information.

This past bloom season I did not adhere to my previous pollen saving
agenda.

I bought 100 micro-centrifuge tubes, and stored only a small amount
of dry pollen in each one, and will only use it once, and not return to the
freezer. The micro-tubes fit nicely in their own small box (holds 90-100 tubes)
that takes hardly any space in the freezer. Before, I thought the idea of
numerous removal and returns to the freezer would make the pollen less
viable. So, I seldom relied on frozen pollen, and often waited to use fresh
pollen instead with whatever parents were in bloom on any given day.

Having several tubes of pollen from the same parent gives
me more applications if so desired.

Also, I saved some of them in match boxes for a day or so
in the refrigerator or until they were dry and fluffy, and then
transferred them to the freezer. I then placed the match boxes
in a zipped baggy for ease of storage. This worked really well
for drying to the visual fluffy stage.

The pollen will be used in the spring when plants are
just beginning to bloom.

Hopefully, both methods will work, and I will have more choices
with the early bloomers that I want to cross with later blooming
cultivars. At least these methods reduce my previous concerns.

Having said this, I continue to prefer fresh pollen when it is
an applicable choice.

Thanks for your ideas, Shirlee. I've almost given up on storing and using frozen pollen ... no luck over two summers of trying it. I think my troubles arise at the drying stage, and impatience (or lack of attention) in waiting on it to dry. No matter what I've tried all the crosses I did with frozen pollen resulted in no pod or pods that quickly turned black. So, maybe I will try out the refrigerator idea ... it sounds a lot easier to collect pollen and pop it right into the fridge, and maybe easier not to miss that crucial window of time when it dries and fluffs up? What would you say was the window of time from start to finish on having the pollen in the fridge?

Don't feel bad Tina. I haven't had any luck either with frozen pollen. I have been trying for 3 years and I don't think that I have set one pod with it yet.

I use centrifuge tubes
I stuff the tubes with cotton almost to the top.
I take ripe pollen and dust it off on the cotton, usually the 6 stamens from 1 bloom provide enough pollen to cover all the cotton.
I mark the tube for content, and store it plastic bags in the freezer.
When I need it I take out desired pollen for the day, let sit for about 10 minutes or so then it's ready for use, open the tube, brush the pistil, tag the cross and move on to the next flower.
When I'm done I put the tubes back in the freezer.
I found that this method will pollinate a lot of blooms.
What I see is the fluid from pistil mixed with pollen eventually gets to the point where it can't be used anymore.
I have some pollen stored that is over 4 years old that looks just as fluffy as the day I packed it.
I would estimate that at least 50% of the seeds I make comes from the use of frozen pollen, and it's the only way that some crosses can ever be made because of bloom time.
Ruffled Strawberry Parfait which starts blooming late August here is crossed with 90% frozen pollen, and the success rate is higher than that.

Thanks, Cindy, I'm glad I'm not alone and thanks Ed for a detailed explanation of how you use it. I'm afraid it may rather be that I'm not storing it at the right "fluffiness" point, however, as that likely renders the pollen unusable.

I wonder if people have pictures of pollen at the "right fluffiness" point ... or even the "wrong not-fluffy" point to show the difference?

I use empty prescription bottles. Cut the pollen sacks off, let them dry and pop them in the freezer. I used to use q-tips and dust pollen on them and then freeze in plastic bags. That didn't work either. When I take them out of the freezer, I usually wait 30 minutes to an hour before using. No luck at all.

chalyse said:Thanks, Cindy, I'm glad I'm not alone and thanks Ed for a detailed explanation of how you use it. I'm afraid it may rather be that I'm not storing it at the right "fluffiness" point, however, as that likely renders the pollen unusable.

I wonder if people have pictures of pollen at the "right fluffiness" point ... or even the "wrong not-fluffy" point to show the difference?

Chalyse
I found that if it brushes off easy it's right for freezing, if it doesn't I wait until it does.
After a few years it will be easy to tell by just looking at it
Ed

Thanks, Ed, that's an extremely helpful explanation!

This is something I've yet to try. I've been reading this thread with great interest! Thanks to all the hybridizers here who have chimed in with their ideas and methods! Bravo!

Picture's of seedlings with the antlers starting to open and fully open
First 2 pic's are the sac's partially opened, If I'm going to use fresh pollen I will use these if I need to as there is enough pollen showing to use.
Second 2 pic's, show the antlers fully open, I consider this to be the best time to harvest if I want to freeze the pollen.

What a bunch of extremely important information I just digested here!

Yes, DancingG - I have been on ATP for about 4 months and nearly every day has been a revelation. Go forth and absorb! Data mine the old threads too. Many of them are mother lodes.

I'm so glad you bumped this up - an excellent refresher right before blooming season here! Thanks :thumbsup:

12a Glen?! Is that like 130 degrees in the shade? :D

Sometimes it feels like it Tina. I just got my electricity bill today. Running my dalek, stand-alone, air conditioner is not cheap. Goodness I am trying to retire but everything keeps going up in cost. I wish I could send the cats out to work. At least Newyorkrita can tie Lily to a treadmill and run the power.

... hmmm ... don't you grow some daylilies up on your roof like all the other hobbit houses down under? ... eh?

shouldn't that keep the place cool enough? ...