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Heli pollen help!

Jcal

Decumbent Fanatic
This is my 3rd attempt to get Heli pollen but it still eludes me. What am I doing wrong? I really need Heli pollen!!!

 
Thanks butch. After drying for 2 days I was able to get alittle pollen out of the flower yesterday.
 
jcal,

it looks too ripe as well....probably several days past prime
I think if you get your humidity more favorable and timing down, you will solve your issues.
 
Rather glad this thread appeared as both my H. nutans and heterodoxa x minor are preparing to flower, and the last time the nutans bloomed I failed to get pollen.
 
I think I let my first flower go too long before attempting to extract pollen as well. I gather that the anthers need to turn yellow, but not as far as orange, when extracting pollen. Can it be done repeatedly if you don't remove the anthers from the flower?
 
I thought I had caught this flower early. I waited until right after they went from green to yellow. Next time I will try to harvest earlier.
 
I think I let my first flower go too long before attempting to extract pollen as well. I gather that the anthers need to turn yellow, but not as far as orange, when extracting pollen. Can it be done repeatedly if you don't remove the anthers from the flower?

after you have success once its a no-brainer.
by not cutting the flower there is no harm in trying early and repeatedly until you get pollen
(as a learning technique anyways)

Compare the two pics, the one of jcals and the one of mine (fig. 3) on my webpage.
The pollen you see harvested on my webpage was from that exact flower.
(images were taken withing minutes of each other)

when the anthers are more cinnamon like in color and no longer form a conical shape, that is over ripe.

if you still have no luck, then excessive humidity is the next variable to look at
 
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These are anthers from my het x ionasi that I've been drying out since yesterday. I removed the anthers when they were a nice banana yellow color. Since drying, they've darkened a bit.
Anyhow, I was never able to get the pollen to release while the anthers were still on the flower (requires too much coordination) so that's why I remove mine. But when you remove them, you have to make sure the "right" end is pointing downward since the pollen only releases out of the end that was attached to the filaments. Hope this makes sense, I have a terrible time explaining stuff haha!
DSC03571.JPG
 
  • #10
ok,
I believe I successfully pollinated a flower!!! Do the flowers behave differently after they have accepted pollen? The flower seemed to open up more than usual a few days after I pollinated it...or is that just in my head?
 
  • #11
You will know if your flower pollinated if there is a big green bulb after the petals fall off..

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  • #12
The petals on my H. minor flowers didn't fall off. They turned green with a bit of a pink flush.

What I was told is that the tip of the stigma turns black when pollination is successful. It can be quite difficult to see though.
 
  • #13
39ca78a4f4a7def958923cf2136543f9.jpg
This thing should look big and bulbous.

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  • #14
The petals on my H. minor flowers didn't fall off. They turned green with a bit of a pink flush.

What I was told is that the tip of the stigma turns black when pollination is successful. It can be quite difficult to see though.
Yes, that is true.

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  • #15
Heliamphora don't have petals, just tepals, and they never fall off. The "bulb" is always there, but if it starts swelling after the anthers fall away then you know for certain it's pollinated.
 
  • #16
if the stigma tip is brownish, congrats, you will be a father :)

Hint: the stigma's tip will turn brown a couple minutes after a succesful pollination.


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  • #17
Thanks for all of your info. It's brown so fingers crossed
 
  • #18
Heliamphora don't have petals, just tepals, and they never fall off. The "bulb" is always there, but if it starts swelling after the anthers fall away then you know for certain it's pollinated.

+1

other's experiences may vary, but in my experience the only sure way is the development of the ovary...

I have photographed the process in this thread: http://www.terraforums.com/forums/pitcher-plants-sarracenia-heliamphora-darlingtonia-cephalotus-/139396-heliamphora-pollination-101-a.html

The tip of the stigma is still green 5 days after pollination in the photo timeline shown.
Conversely, I have had the stigma turn brown after pollination attempts that were unsuccessful.
Early on, I thought it was an indicator as well, but no longer put much faith in it one way or the other.

I would not give up on a pollination attempt until I was satisfied the ovary was not going to develop.
 
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  • #19
if your stigmas tips dont turn brown after throwing your pollen on them, its because they dont want to show you their love!

each grower have his own experience :)
 
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  • #20
My 2 cents for what it's worth....... in the 4 times I've been successful with pollination this year, what I observe turning a darker color first is the outline of the "warty" bumps on the tip of the stigma. Even then, on small flowers such as minor, I can only see the change in color using a 15x watch makers magnifying lens. The rest of the interior of the warty bump becomes darker over the course of several hours or even a day or so.
As Butch suggested, don't give up till the fat lady sings.
 
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