The ARS Power Point states “Remove the petals and stamens – wait until the next morning to pollinate her.” Can someone explain why the waiting period is necessary?
Impatient Steve
I don’t wait.
Steve,
We don’t wait either. We emasculate and pollinate in one ‘fell swoop’!
Depending on the rose, the receptive period of a stigma may vary from one plant to another with regards to the degree of opening of the flower. Premature emasculation (pardon me) helps to prevent self-fertilization, and the removal of petals may make the rose less inviting to other pollinators should it pop open. Generally, pollinating field roses is best done in the morning. Stigmas are usually a little shiny/sticky looking when they are receptive. Normally nature would see to it that this would be when the flower first opens, but I’ve had some roses whose stigmas are already shot by then.
The waiting period is completely unnecessary, unless you are emasculating immature blooms.
Great info + help! One other ARS method is to repeat pollination after 3 days. Seems a bit laborious.
Repeating was something Ralph suggested for difficult crosses. He found many of the Rugosa crosses were pretty much straight selfs. He said the results were better when the stigma were “flooded with pollen” and repeated once to thrice, particularly for Rugosa crosses. Not necessary for the vast majority, but for the weird stuff when you find them not working, he felt it of value. I’m too lazy and I forget to reapply, always running off in another direction. When pollinating, I sometimes feel like Hammy from Over the Hedge! LOL!
If you have pollens saved AND if the receptive bloom is ready, you can, of course pollinate the same time. But if you are planning a cross, you will be emasculating the male and will need to wait until the pollen is released, generally by the next morning. That is why the waiting period is mentioned in the presentation.
Remember, this is a presentation for beginners.
I occasionally reapply pollen. However, it will only happen if I’m in the midst of pollination and I happen across another pollination I did earlier (with the same pollen). -And of course the stigmas sill look receptive. However, I never go out of my way to reapply pollen to an already pollinated rose.
The weather is so strange here now. I can collect the pollen from a bud and emasculate it at the same time. It will take several days for the pollen to dry and release from the anthers. The stigma is fried within a day or two. Humidity in the air, temps which are rather cool in the shade and the breeze but intense sun which fries anything (including YOU) in short order. Pots dry out in two days, even with moisture control soil. Not that many flowers on anything other than the few species.