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Post by amanitovirosa on Feb 2, 2016 20:57:24 GMT -5
...as a side project to my Winter 2014 project I will be trying to cross a bunch of different Dionaea cultivars (as well as my more interesting seedlings) this Spring. I have about forty different ones that I was able to acquire last year. Most grew out nicely and are now fast asleep, I am hoping for a forest of flower stalks in a few months. Is there any particular or better way to pollinate instead of just rubbing the flowers together? I know I can use a brush but has anyone here had better results using different methods? Any insight on Flytrap pollination would be greatly appreciated. If I am successful I should have tons of seed to share!
....on a side note, one of my seedling flowers (last year), did produce seed, six to be exact. I got five to pop but they soon shriveled up and died.
Thanks,
AV.
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Post by lloyd on Feb 2, 2016 21:24:42 GMT -5
If you leave them outside or open the windows, the bugs will look after it (and feed the plants).
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Post by amanitovirosa on Feb 2, 2016 21:35:24 GMT -5
...thanks Lloyd, but I didn't mean just random pollination. I want to cross particular cultivars with others, D. Bimbo x D. B52 for example. You know what I'm trying to do.
Cheers,
AV.
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Post by roraima on Feb 2, 2016 21:41:17 GMT -5
I second Lloyd on open pollination.
If you're attempting specific cross pollination or selfing with vft's is critical to know that after the flower opens the anthers and pollen are ripe and viable first but the stigma is not. Initially the anthers and filaments should be upright, fluffy, and clustered around the unripe/unreceptive stigma, this is the time to harvest pollen (I just pinch the base of the filament with tweezers and use the entire anther to pollinate ripe stigmas on other plants). After a day or so the anthers and filament will fall back away from the now ripe and receptive stigma.
Good luck!
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Post by amanitovirosa on Feb 2, 2016 21:59:11 GMT -5
...Thank You Roraima. No doubt I will have Flytraps outside, open pollinating but I will be trying to cross specific ones as well. Is it possible to store Flytrap pollen in case flowering occurs at different times? This will be a first for me.
Thanks.
AV.
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Post by lloyd on Feb 2, 2016 22:41:06 GMT -5
I thought you had magic ways of getting the bugs to pollinate the ones you want.
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Post by amanitovirosa on Feb 5, 2016 22:02:50 GMT -5
I thought you had magic ways of getting the bugs to pollinate the ones you want. ...haha, not yet Lloyd, still working on that. Proving to be very difficult though as I have directly contributed to the demise of a lot of their friends and relatives.  |
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Post by amanitovirosa on Jun 2, 2016 22:07:55 GMT -5
- Sexing Venus, Act I - Flaming Lips and Green Dragon ...These are Devon's plants currently in my possession. Both flowers opened today so I will be crossing them. Let the liaisons commence!!!  ...this will be my first attempt at crossing, I've already 'selfed' a few of my own. Cheers and thanks for looking. AV. |
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Post by sokkos on Jun 2, 2016 23:04:32 GMT -5
When I do crosses I usually have to emasculate the female parent to prevent it from selfing (guarantees a true cross). You may want to emasculate too considering flytraps can be selfed. This is my typical work flow: pick a mature flower bud that is still unopened on the female parent, open it up with a pair of forceps and remove the petals without damaging the stigma, pluck out the immature anthers (should not be releasing pollen yet), do the actual pollination by plucking a anther that is shedding pollen from the male parent and touching it to the stigma of the female parent, then bag and label the cross (convention for labeling is female x male).
Added note: pollen viability and storage varies from plant to plant, but from my experience with other plants dried pollen can be stored desiccated and frozen for a while. I can send you some small plastic tubes for pollen storage if you want.
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Post by amanitovirosa on Jun 4, 2016 7:25:14 GMT -5
...Thank You Sokkos for that very informative post!!! The way I have been doing it is, when a flower opens, before the stigma appears receptive, I pluck all anthers of and physically rub them onto a receptive stigma on a different flower. This way I think I minimize the chances of self pollination. Then, when the stigma of the plucked flower is ready I pollinate it with all anthers from another flower and so on. After this, the stigma looks so 'clogged' with pollen that I don't think any other pollen could get in. I won't be prying into unopened flowers, Mother Nature is smarter than I am so if she intends to self pollinate a flower before it opens so be it. Storing the anthers seems to me an iffy matter, I am trying it but they are so delicate that I think they will degrade and lose viability very quickly. We'll see. Thank You for your vial offer but I have all kinds of stuff here I can use. Hands on attempts will provide me with more knowledge and experience, this is my first time. Thanks again for your post! Cheers.
AV.
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Post by amanitovirosa on Jun 23, 2016 20:59:26 GMT -5
- Sexing Venus, Act II - Bimbo and Wacky Traps ...I will not be using any stored pollen or anthers for pollination, simultaneous flower openings will dictate my crosses.  ...that Wacky Traps is a nice clone, probably my POTM entry this month. Thanks for looking and Happy Growing! AV. |
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Post by amanitovirosa on Jun 24, 2016 17:47:31 GMT -5
- Sexing Venus, Act III - Zickzackkiefer and B52  ...I have other B52's that I will be crossing with other cultivars, thanks for looking! AV. |
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Post by lloyd on Jun 24, 2016 20:51:34 GMT -5
The ones you gave me are doing great. Big pitchers, divisions and flowers.
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Post by amanitovirosa on Jun 25, 2016 17:03:44 GMT -5
...great news Lloyd!!! Those are all seedlings from my 2014 Project, glad to know they're producing big pitchers for you......  , haha. Happy Growing!!! AV. EDIT - Please advise me immediately if you see any tomatoes developing from the flowers......Cheers! |
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Post by RuBisCO on Jun 25, 2016 18:02:54 GMT -5
How long have you been crossing plants like this? Any favourite offspring?
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, haha. Happy Growing!!!
