Lorn, where's your spirit of scientific adventure? Don't you want to see how many times the same pollen sample from the other side of the world can be refrozen and still set seed? I don't doubt that lily pollen is tougher than I used to think, but I want to find out
how tough.
Hi Ed! Nice to see you here. I'm learning from the daylily experiences of others and it's opening my ideas about breeding with lilium. A bit of cross fertilisation is a good thing!
Thanks for the info Joe. I find it interesting that Mcrae suggests thawing and refreezing pollen as a method of killing it for mentoring. I'm with Lorn on that count... I don't see any reason for mentor pollen to be disabled. I don't want to kill mentor pollen! If Mcrae has some experience of freeze-thawing being detrimental to fertility, but the daylily experience is contrary, and we know lily pollen is damn tough stuff anyway, then it's worth testing out for myself to find out what the facts, for lilium, really are.
I'm just kind of impatient now that I have to wait for next summer!
I have some of this season's pollen already in the freezer, but I always rush getting a bit out on a cotton bud, in case I defrost the whole sample. Next year I'll pick a couple for extended use over the season and deliberately let each sample defrost each time.
Just generally, I think pollen trade is a good way to expand our breeding endeavours. I really hope the pollen I sent you, Joe, makes it.
