Storing Boophone pollen

[Leo]

I have flowering for the first time two bulbs of Boophone haemanthoides ssp. ernesti-ruschii from Silverhill seed I received Spring 2000. I'll post photos later.

For now, I'm asking about storing pollen. One has had open flowers for some days, and the other is still in bud. I want to store pollen in case they don't overlap. Does the method on Jim Shield's Web page work as well for Boophone as for other amaryllids? I have a -10 F freezer.

A search of the List archives confirms others think this plant not self-fertile. Does anybody have other knowledge? I would rather not waste pollen if so.

These three survivors share a pot. It goes outside when it begins growing in late Summer/early Fall. I bring it into the house when the leaves die back in Spring or early Summer. I keep it in a room with the air conditioning vent shut. The room is warm but never over 95 F. I went in there for something else and noticed a strong sweet scent. I didn't expect any to flower yet because I thought the pot too small. I've been meaning to separate to very large pots for some years but haven't gotten a round tuit.

[mrhomick]

I store pollen from the geophytes I grow in empty gelatin capsules. I can write on the gelatin capsule with an extra fine sharpie. I place removed dehisced anthers inside the capsule and then toss the labeled capsules in a small jar with silica gel. The silica gel will draw the moisture out of the anthers through the capsule wall. I can then when required used the capsule ends to assist in pollenating the stigma of plants latter on. If the pollen will be used within the same growing season they are refrigerated, otherwise for long term storage the pollen is frozen after drying. I have some Boophone disticha (pink) pollen (collected May 2022) if interested.

[Leo]

Thank you for the information and the offer. I'm going to pollinate the second one with the pollen from the first.

[Leo]

Thank you. I wound up with only four seeds total, which I am now attempting to sprout.

[Leo]

Follow-up: The 4 seeds never sprouted. The parents are growing strongly this season. A few people requested pollen; it was already too late.

If I get the opportunity again I will pay closer attention and try to pollinate them earlier.