Collecting pollen for hand pollination

Juliarugula

I had a favorite variety in a bouquet that was making a lot of pollen indoors, so I collected it but had to wait out a possibility of rain before I could take it outside to try some hand pollinating. Which got me thinking…

Is it possible to store collected pollen for later use? I know it’s a pretty common practice in hosta hybridizing, as they are much more tied to a short and specific bloom time. So, for example, your chosen pod parent might be blooming while zero other hostas are. So a lot of hybridizers will collect pollen from the pollen parents and store it in the freezer until the seed parent is blooming. Does anybody know if dahlia pollen can be stored this way? (Or another way?)

Bessie

Juliarugula I believe Dahlia pollen can be dried and stored, just like other pollen. I wish I had enough pollen to experiment. When I collect pollen and can't use it right away I dry it at room temperature, in my not very humid house( 35%). Use of silica gel is recommended for drying. I've found these little plastic containers that I purchased from Amazon to be ideal for the collection and holding of pollen.
36 Pieces Rectangle Clear Plastic Containers Storage Box Case with Hinged Lid (1.3 x 1.3 x 0.7 Inches) https://a.co/d/02vtpma

And I'm case you missed my previous recommendation from last year, these brushes are incredible for pollination. I use the bristle end for collecting pollen and the little angled brush end for applying pollen.
wet n wild Eyebrow and Liner Brush, Dual-Ended Angled Bristles with Ergonomic Handle for Comfortable Precision Control https://a.co/d/9OpqviA

DarcyD

Juliarugula Yes, I’ve heard of dahlia hybridizers that store pollen in the freezer. I feel sure I heard about this years ago from Ted. Hopefully he comes up for air soon and will respond.

Bessie

Bessie I have purchased even more containers(besides what's shown here) to hold pollen! The open containers are to dry the pollen recently collected. Yesterday I found that small dry twigs work well to knock the pollen off the stigmas and into the little containers. I'm not a purist, but I was trying to reduce cross contamination of pollen, since I only have about 10 brush applicators.

Teddahlia

Ted and Margaret do not save pollen and Margaret uses the pod with the pollen on it to brush the flowers. She saves the pollen pods indoors away from bees and they only last a few days. I have read about freezing pollen for many years. I have not read where someone bragged that they had used it successfully. It is probably a lot of work and you need some small vials and a desiccant and labeling and harvesting the pods and then shaking out the pollen and writing labels. And on the pollinating side you have to find the right one in the freezer, let it thaw as it cannot be used frozen and cannot be exposed to warm air(it attracts water when cold ) and then use a good brush to pollinate and of course you need several brushes. Margaret's method is crude but easy and works.

Teddahlia

Ken Greenway had a fly fisherman's vest with bazillion little pockets where he stashed brushes to be used once. No brushes required for Margaret but she generally runs out of pollen before the flower is done accepting pollen and she has to have back ups ready. Historically, I help locate pollen flowers to take inside to further ripen. However, you do the pollinating, covering the mother pod is essential and harvesting the pollen flower before pollen appears and is contaminated by bees, is essential. It sounds so easy but having tried it one year , it is not easy for me so I do no hand pollinating. However, I did learn how and have a medal to prove it.
Hollyhill Chloe