pollen sources?

[Douglas1]

Is there anywhere you can buy individual strains of cannibis pollen? I think it would be a cool way to make some interesting blends if you had a mother plant you really liked and think a strain sounds appealing for a mix :)

you could paint a little sour diesel pollen on a ww bud, and keep clones of the strains you end up with in the next gen that exhibit the characteristics you desired :)

[GetThisOrDie]

Thats a good question..

That would be cool to have like a pollen bank that you could order small packets.

[Douglas1]

It would make breeding a hell of alot easier, anyone know if sharing pollen with other growers would be legal provided your already a medical caregiver?

[bigsby]

This thought has crossed my mind a few times.

[WashougalWonder]

Same here, but folks are out to lunch on how long it is viable.

Best shot is to get the strains you want to cross and if no males, then stress a female and cross from that pollen. I think Rusty has the most knowledge regarding this type of gardening

[bigsby]

Pollen is viable for years if it is dried and stored properly.

[ZZTops]

Pollen is viable for years if it is dried and stored properly.

Do Tell...?

[GetThisOrDie]

I collect my pollen on wax paper and let it dry 24 hours then store it in the freezer. I used pollen collected and stored this way to make a strain of mine. Pollen was still viable after 4-5 months when I used it. Gave some to a friend awhile back too and it was still good.

Im sure theres other methods that can keep it viable for longer.

[bigsby]

Do Tell...?The pollen needs to be dried out. Kept dry and kept cool and preferable kept cold. Collect it on a piece of paper. Put the paper on top of a radiator, refrigerator, or some other mild heat source. After and hour or two put it into small baggies (you know the kind...). Place in freezer. It will keep for years.

[Douglas1]

would pollen be legal to sell to other growers? sort of like seeds? would you even have to be a medical grower? or is that treading a damn thin line? :)

[bigsby]

Also note that you can dry and keep the entire pollen sack. No need for it to reach full bloom. Just dry it out in the same way just before peak ripeness. That would make packaging, shipping, and selling considerably easier. Not sure about the legalities but I can't see why it would be different than selling seeds. I don't see a huge market, though I would certainly like to have some around so that I could reap seeds from a few buds on each grow.

[Douglas1]

It just seems like a good thing to have sitting around, If you dont want to mess with clones for some strange reason, or if your going to take a break on growing for a little while, just dab some pollen on a few buds and you'll have seeds for whenever you grow next :)

would be nice for outdoor too.. if you were careful with it, no buying seeds or clones every season..

[ZZTops]

Great Info...:thumbsup:

I'm seeding out my favorite strains now, within the year or so I should be off the grid and set for life. My goal is 10 stable strains and from that the end is up to my imagination...

A Pollen Bank is a killer idea, unlike seeds it would be very hard to say where the Pollen came from or what plant it belongs to...

Bigsby... I can just collect the flower heads before they open and dry/store them...?

[bigsby]

Bigsby... I can just collect the flower heads before they open and dry/store them...?

Yes, so long as they are near peak ripeness. They are at or near peak ripeness once they are fully formed. When you want to use the pollen, cut that calyxes open with a razor and extract/apply the pollen with a Q-tip. Note that I have not done this myself but I have seen this applied by someone else.

[ZZTops]

Thanks Bigs...

Makes since, once they start dropping pollen cut the Flower Head and keep the best...

Be a lot cleaner as well, collecting pollen can be dirty work...

[Douglas1]

I don't see why pollen would be any harder to keep track of than seeds for selling.. Seeds could get mixed up just as easily :)

at a point, what sort of pollen it is wouldn't even matter all that much if all it was used for was producing a few seeds of a good strain every harvest or so.. as long as the pollen plant was quality..

I think this next grow if I get a few males I'll set up another room for them, and see about producing some pollen to trade around locally with other growers if its legal..

[WashougalWonder]

Pollen is viable for years if it is dried and stored properly.

I have been told otherwise...actually I have been told both.

Just recently I took some 2 year old pollen and tried to fert one in flower. It came out yesterday. After it is cured I will look more closely for seeds, but for now, it does not look so good. The pollen was in a cool dry airtight dark place for over a year, maybe two.

[bigsby]

If dried and stored properly it can remain viable for several years. I'm basing this bit on research, not experience though.

When drying for long term storage (more than a few months) use a glass container. Plastic can breath / leak. Harvest, dry, and refrigerate within a few hours. Place in refrigerator for a few days with desiccant to ensure that any residual moisture is removed. Then move to the freezer. So long as the pollen does not rehydrate it will remain viable. Any moisture will explode the pollen cells in the freezer. When ready to use, remove from freezer and use within a few hours. Preferably right away.

The problem with shipping pollen around is that it quickly degrades at room temperature. At room temperature pollen remains viable for 24 - 48 hours maximum.

[GetThisOrDie]

Didnt know its lifespan was so short at room temperature.