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Heli pollen help!

  • #21
The anthers get freckles soon after as well.
I've always assumed this was the flower stopping anther/pollen development and dedicating its energy into being preggie
 
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  • #22
looking promising. Just have to wait and see if it plumps

 
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  • #24
I have a Heli that is flowering, the stalk came up a week or two ago. Nothing has opened yet, though it is on the way. How long do I have, give or take, till the flowers open, and might anyone have any spare pollen? Much obliged if so.
 
  • #25
I have a Heli that is flowering, the stalk came up a week or two ago. Nothing has opened yet, though it is on the way. How long do I have, give or take, till the flowers open, and might anyone have any spare pollen? Much obliged if so.

Pearl, the flowers (usually 5 or so) develop and open sequentially over a period of a couple months give or take, so you can harvest pollen from one flower to pollinate the next.
However, selfed pollination usually results in a high percentage of poor performing offspring, but it's a good way to learn the process.

Av
 
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  • #27
I have pollen from the last flower that was open on my H. nutans, and will be harvesting from the final flower here probably shortly (after having completed my own last attempt at pollination, we'll see how that goes what with the other attempts failed).
 
  • #28
Here is the plant, I have it under a glass dome for higher humidity.
 
  • #29
Here is the plant, I have it under a glass dome for higher humidity.

Pearl,

your dome will cause nothing but problems during the process.

1. The inflorescence typically gets about 12-24" tall, sometimes even more.
2. The mechanics of pollen release doesn't work during high humidity
3. The seed embryos will most likely rot inside the pod during development.

if the dome stays on, the game is over before it starts
 
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  • #30
Shoot! The plant being indoors under led light I fear if I remove the dome I will lose the whole plant. Ya think? Maybe a plastic drink cup with a lid with an opening at the top to let the stalk out...
 
  • #31
Pearl, honestly most heliamphora dont require that high of humidity, But some species will react negatively to a sudden drop.
Some of the higher altitude species will have a pitcher die back in reaction to a sudden drop. After they acclimate though they are ok with the lower humidity.

It can affect nectar spoon size more in some species,

a glass cylinderical vase without a top would be a good compromise for you, I would definitely transisition away from the dome.
Others may have a different opinion.... your call at the end of the day.
 
  • #32
I can tell you that my heterodoxa and minor grow just fine at ambient humidity (40-60% generally, closer to 40% most of the time,) though the minor does have nectar spoon issues on some pitchers.
 
  • #33
I disagree. Most heliamphora species actually needs a good amount of RH%

Not enough relative humidity, especially at night, will not only reduce the nectar spoon size. Over time the nectar spoons will disapear. Also, not enough RH% will bring spotted or rusted pitchers. This will, of course, affect the plants.

I grow all my helis at 85%(95% at night), and i never had any problem collecting pollen.

Another problem about too low RH%, is the anthers. If the nectar spoons are affected, all parts of the plant will also suffer from the low RH%. This will also affect the anthers. They will not be fully developped, so the pollen extraction will be very difficult, or impossible.

nimbulan this is a minor grown at 25%RH
9841625335_f82afe124b_o.jpg


This is a minor grown at 45%RH
7516240142_aeb982b362_o.jpg


And this is a minor grown with cold nights, and very high relative humidity(95%):
26688247140_bfa467f2e6_o.jpg
 
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  • #34
Thank you for the the picture comparison. I've always wondered why some pictures I've seen of H. minor online have such large nectar spoons - I had always assumed they were mislabeled plants or hybrids since I thought the name was supposed to refer to the small nectar spoons (maybe it's small pitcher size?)

One other thing I should note - both my minor and heterodoxa flowered last year and after all was said and done, not a single flower from either plant opened all the way and my pollination attempts completely failed. I'm curious if that's another side-effect from the lower humidity.
 
  • #35
Ok gentleman. I'm back at it again. This time I am working with Sarracenioides. I have both Sarracenioides and minor in flower at the moment but wanted to self Sarracenioides. Looks like I may have better timing this attempt.

I applied pollen right when the flower opened and I used fresh pollen from the first flower that opened about 5 days ago.

 
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  • #36
Sounds like your timing was just right. In the past, I have repeatedly applied pollen to the stigma, over the course of a couple of days. Good luck . . .
 
  • #37
Timing looks good to me too... hope it takes!
 
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