Group Seed Swap Discussion 3

I didn't realize that the previous thread was over 200 posts! Sorry about that folks!

We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1072111/

I sent an artist's paint brush to each participant to use for hand-pollinating their blooms.

I don't do my hand-pollinating as meticulous as others might. I have little time most mornings because I work, so I have to do any pollinating really quick.

Here are a couple of photos to show how I do the hand-pollinating with a paint brush.

Picture 1. My trusty little artist's paint brush. You might be able to see the little bit of pollen on the brush?

This message was edited Jul 3, 2010 10:53 PM

The plant that I am going to hand-pollinate. In this case, it is the Blue Speckled I. nil vine.

Picture 3. I gently place my brush down into the throat of the bloom.

Picture 4. Close-up. I just do a gentle sweep over the anthers to collect any additional pollen and carefully sweep the pollen onto the stigma. The pollen will stick to the stigma if it is a viable stigma. Quick and simple!!!

If you want to cross cultivars, then just sweep the pollen onto the brush by dusting the anthers to loosen and gather pollen from your chosen "daddy" bloom. And then decide which bloom you want to cross with the pollen. Just dust the pollen off onto the stigma of the bloom of your choice! Easy peasy! :-)

I use masking tape (very small strip) to mark any special crosses. I fold the tape over the stem just below the bloom and stick it together around the stem like a little flag.

Here is a website link showing the reproductive parts of a flower:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/plantid2/drawings/flower.html

This will help you ID what is the stigma and what are the anthers.

So now I suggest that everyone "Go for it!" Anyone can do their own hand-pollinating. You may very well get some amazing crosses. :-)

If I want to up the odds on a cross...

I will use a small pair of sharp manicure scissors to cut the anthers off the "mother" bloom or you can use tweezers to pinch & cut them to remove them BEFORE hand-pollinating. The real trick is to beat the insects and/or hummers to the blooms in the morning. I don't have time to tie my blooms the evening before to keep them from opening before I get outside to make like a cupid, but I know that Karen (gardener2005) does that.

Or if you have partially sterile blooms (which I have some every year) that don't produce pollen, but have a viable stigma ... then it's real easy to just dust pollen on the lone reproductive part.

When's the next group seed swap? I'd really love to participate !
mj

Probably near the end of the year. :-) I'll let everyone know. :-)

Thank you Becky for starting me with these. This is the latest mailbox pictures. Front.

Back

Left side.

Right side. I started out the door with my coffee mug in hand, took one look and had to go back to get the camera. I love my terracotta flower pot mug.

Oh, I had not seen this thread, great photos regarding pollination. What a nice thought you had there sending everyone a painter's brush. It was almost like a little beginner's kit.

mittsy, your mailbox looks beautiful!

Mittsy - WOW! I agree with Nicole! What a wonderful way to display your Purple Flaked I. purpurea vines. Did those vines come from volunteers from last year's vines or were those from seeds in the seed swap?

Gourd - Yup! I hope everyone tries their hand at hand-pollinating! Some beauties are created by those of us right here on this forum! The artist's brush was to inspire others to try their hand at it!

I started 4 new seeds ( from the swap) in the house and transplanted to mailbox area when it warmed up. All the others, probably 10 to 15, just did their thing. I have no idea how many are there now. They've already dropped seeds because I am finding new plants outside the planter box close to the road. Will dig those out and pot up to take to FL for the winter.

I noticed that one of my vines, about five foot in length has no blooms, is this normal or a dud? It's growing on a length of fishing line up to the arm of the bird feeder.

Mittsy - Some vines take longer to bloom. Could be the soil. Or it could be that it is putting on more foliage growth right now. Most will bloom like crazy when the weather starts cooling because they are I. purpureas. The I. purps like cooler temps, whereas the I. nils prefer the hotter weather. Each species has it's own climate conditions. I must tell you ... your mailbox vines are outstanding! Beautiful! I bet your mailman loves it, too! :-)

mittsy, last year the i pur that I grew sprouted all spring and summer and then late July, early August it started blooming. I have some in the front that have not bloomed yet.

OK thanks for the input, I won't remove them just yet. I am collecting lots of seeds, usually put them in my pockets. I came in to take a shower and left them at the side of the bathroom sink, dh says oh no, the mice have started coming in already, must be we're gonna have an early winter. Too funny as we've had an unusually hotter than usual summer.

it's been a much hotter this summer too. Many of my plants suffered from it. I wonder how the butterfly gingers will do. The white butterfly gingers usually bloom by now but they haven't yet.

ok...I really need a helping hand here... a couple of my seeds that started last year, but got 'misplaced' and somehow MOVED over 3 feet from original planting spot...have TOOK OFF!!!(see pix)

they all appear this tiny... but where there were only two roots..now I have like 6 or 7. I'd really like to move some... BUT, when they came up, they came up thru an upside down iron scroll planter stand...it took it over with vines...and I added a trellis... so the help I need is ...can the roots be transplanted (yes, I'd have to cut them, no way to pull them thru the stand). AND... will it grow quickly enough to have blooms after transplant this year? or will it be next??

I'll leave that for Becky to answer because she is in your zone. In my zone, it may or may not flower again depending on how high up you have to cut. I would probably let it finish out the season and then cut it back. Don't forget to collect the seeds from the plant in case you don't have volunteers, but my guess is you will.

Mittsy - I do the same thing of putting seeds in my pockets! LOL!

Dirtygirl71 - Your vines are really lovely. Well established. My opinion is that if you try to dig them up now with them being so large, that you will probably kill them. The vines are large, so my guess would be that the roots are pretty extensive. Just leave them there if possible and collect seeds for next year! :-)

Do not dig them up, they won't transplant. I learned this the hard way. Let them finish setting seeds and collect the seeds, I'm sure you'll get some volunteers for next bloom season as I usually do. Do look around on the ground and see if there aren't any that have already started from dropped seeds this year. Those would be small enough to dig out with a trowel full of dirt to transplant.

here's the upside down planter stand that it took off thru

I took these this morning...it is sooo heavy, that when the wind blows or rains real hard, it knocks the trellis and the stand down... it hasn't upset the roots from that so far...so they must be really REALLY deep. the trellis is just leaving up against the house.

DG71 - Yes! It looks like a well rooted plant(s). I would expect you will get plenty of seeds. Is it blooming quite a bit? This is the vine that I think you have based on the size of the blooms and the color: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53528/

that sure does look like mine...but there's nothing to compair the size of bloom too ((which is why I always use my hand or yard stick))

In the past 3 days, I've been picking seed pods off the Morning Glory...and have shelled them all...I have filled 1/3 of a 2"X3" zipbag**WOW**

but I do have a question... is it a MUST to let the pods dry and get them before they start to open on the vine?? or can I pick when they start to turn brown, but before they actually open.... let them rest and dry in a spot THEN collect them???

I would strongly suggest you let them dry completely, otherwise they might not be viable. If they aren't ripe when you pick and sort them, you may notice that they will deflate and look more like the shell of seed instead of a healthy seed. Leave them until the pods turn crispy brown that crumble when touched.

Will do!!! Thanks Becky!!!

There are a couple of long fences here down the road from me with tons of Tri-colors that started blooming about a month ago. They grow there every year so I'm thinking they are reseeding on their own, or maybe they are being planted each year. Mostly Heavenly Blue and Flying Saucer's, they have mutated quite a bit, very nice flowers from a distance, they look lavender in color with yellow centers.

Pictures?

I posted several photos last year of this area.. haven't taken any this year, they are on private property, so I have to get permission.