I've only been messing around with it for a short time too, but I've found that using a bloom for a pod parent seems to work best when it's a fresh bloom, and often the later blooms work better then the first ones.
I always check for pollen, some just don't seem to have any.
Keep good records, and set some kind of goal for what you want to accomplish.
Have fun, and beware that this can become addicting!