How To: Long term pollen storage. Have some viable after 4 years

[Sour Wreck]

As the title says I have some very old viable pollen.

sour diesel and blue moonshine, collected, stored and froze in early 2014.

YMMV, but it is working for me. I have since frozen bogglegum and texas butter pollen. i also froze apollo 11 pollen that i was gifted. not sure on the viability of that one as it only produced a few seeds before i froze what was left.

anyway, this is my process.

1. i lay down black construction paper under my male plant(s) before the flowers open.
2. i collect the fallen pollen and tap on each stem with more black construction under each when i tap.
3. i spread the pollen out on black construction paper and let in dry for 24 hours. make sure you don't have fans blowing.
4. i then fold up individual black construction paper envelopes and fill each with enough pollen for individual future applications/use.
5. i place the 20-24 folded envelopes in a mason jar and seal it well.
6. i label the jar and stick it in my freezer.


to use:
1. i open the jar, retrieve the number of packets i need.
2. i quickly seal the jar and get it right back in the freezer.
3. i usually let the frozen pollen come up to room temp before using, 2-3 hours at the most.


here are a some pics to give you an idea of what i am talking about.

 

[Rob Roy]

As the title says I have some very old viable pollen.

sour diesel and blue moonshine, collected, stored and froze in early 2014.

YMMV, but it is working for me. I have since frozen bogglegum and texas butter pollen. i also froze apollo 11 pollen that i was gifted. not sure on the viability of that one as it only produced a few seeds before i froze what was left.

anyway, this is my process.

1. i lay down black construction paper under my male plant(s) before the flowers open.
2. i collect the fallen pollen and tap on each stem with more black construction under each when i tap.
3. i spread the pollen out on black construction paper and let in dry for 24 hours. make sure you don't have fans blowing.
4. i then fold up individual black construction paper envelopes and fill each with enough pollen for individual future applications/use.
5. i place the 20-24 folded envelopes in a mason jar and seal it well.
6. i label the jar and stick it in my freezer.


to use:
1. i open the jar, retrieve the number of packets i need.
2. i quickly seal the jar and get it right back in the freezer.
3. i usually let the frozen pollen come up to room temp before using, 2-3 hours at the most.


here are a some pics to give you an idea of what i am talking about.

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Great tips, thanks.

Although, for a minute when I had only looked at the pictures and saw the one with the pollen and the razor blade, I thought you might be snorting pollen.

 

[Sour Wreck]

Great tips, thanks.

Although, for a minute when I had only looked at the pictures and saw the one with the pollen and the razor blade, I thought you might be snorting pollen.

not unless you can get high that way, lol...

 

[Boatguy]

In case you ever return, thanks for this @Sour Wreck

Going to make this male into something other than a waste of my time and space.

 

[spek9]

In case you ever return, thanks for this @Sour Wreck

Going to make this male into something other than a waste of my time and space.
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Just a possible suggestion... I like to mix my pollen with baking flour. 1/3 pollen, 2/3 flour. The flour binds to the pollen, and significantly reduces its ability to float around everywhere. If the flour is slightly dried first, it also acts as a humidity buffer for storage.

 

[Boatguy]

Just a possible suggestion... I like to mix my pollen with baking flour. 1/3 pollen, 2/3 flour. The flour binds to the pollen, and significantly reduces its ability to float around everywhere. If the flour is slightly dried first, it also acts as a humidity buffer for storage.

I have read that, along with a bunch of ideas like desiccant packets, rice etc. Do like the sounds of dumbing down the pollen a bit so it isnt flying everywhere.
Have you ever stored pollen long term, and had it still be viable? Im a month or so away from using it so i was only planning on freezing some. Would be nice to have the stuff in the freezer still be usable in a year or so.

 

[spek9]

I have read that, along with a bunch of ideas like desiccant packets, rice etc. Do like the sounds of dumbing down the pollen a bit so it isnt flying everywhere.
Have you ever stored pollen long term, and had it still be viable? Im a month or so away from using it so i was only planning on freezing some. Would be nice to have the stuff in the freezer still be usable in a year or so.

I store my pollen in my seed box down in the cold cellar in the basement, not the fridge or freezer.

Late last year I did a test. I had pollen that was marginally older than I think 1-1/2 years that was viable, and got seeds from the pollinated plant. However, I also had pollen that I had saved from a little over five years previous, and it was not viable at all.

 

[Boatguy]

Was wondering if normal storage was adequate. Seems like alot of risk of condensation with the freezing and thawing method

 

[spek9]

Was wondering if normal storage was adequate. Seems like alot of risk of condensation with the freezing and thawing method

When I lived in Calgary, I was in an apartment with no basement, so I had to store in the freezer. I know for fact that I used pollen that was stored for just shy of six months (I dug up my notebooks from back then) that was viable. I moved out shortly thereafter so that's the only freezer experience I've got noted.

 

[Stoned Cold Bulldog]

Was wondering if normal storage was adequate. Seems like alot of risk of condensation with the freezing and thawing method

all 3 basic methods have worked well. store in a cool dry place with constant temps like the basement. store in the fridge. store in the freezer.
search the other spots to confirm all 3 cause it's been done for at least 16 yrs since over grow went down.

btw speaking of pollen i just finger pollinated a couple flowers on lower branches. sothey will stay quite a bit longer than the rest of the plant. i knocked pollen on a v-fold plasticized card type thing. barely any was able to go in the glass container, so i smudged my finger a couple times in it and rubbed on the inside lip of the container i had already baked a small amount of flour to use as an extender.

i also cut off a couple of male flower branches and put them in a sandwich bag to dry out. shake the pollen out tweeze the flowers and store. i hope that works cause i might like that method better. I've never stored pollen before. when i made beans i used the Que-tip method. THAT WAS ON MY LAST GROW IN 09. pollinated everything in the room to one extend or another. yES, I WAITED A COUPLE DAYS AND FORGOT what mom was what on at least 4 of them smdh. grrr lol

 

[spliffendz]

@Kalebaiden