QuestionI have 3 flowers I have recently cross pollinated. An S. "Hank", S. 'Adrian Slack Imposter' and S. 'Snowflake'. Of the 3, 2 are older flowers that are no longer producing pollen, but still have their petals. I was wondering how receptive flowers are to being pollinated when they themselves are no longer dropping pollen? Also, what is the likelihood of just one pollination taking? Im running low on pollen from the "father plant"(S. Leah Wilkerson) and doubt i'll have enough to do all 3 plants, 3 times like i've read about. But if the two older flowers aren't going to be receptive to it anyway, I can just stop wasting it on them and concentrate on the one that is still fresh. Thanks so much for your answer!
AnswerI've noticed that the pistils, the portion that receives the pollen, are still receptive for a couple days after the plant has stopped producing pollen. This is to ensure genetic diversity. However, there really isn't any magic bullet schedule. I generally pollinate flowers once daily for three days in a row. That way I'm certain that I hit the window of opportunity. Most times I'm lucky and hit the jackpot. There have been a few instances in which I got very few seeds. It's just a matter of technique and timing, and these things come with practice.
Good growing!
Jacob Farin
