Veilchenblau pollen?

General Discussion
1

Does anyone have ‘Veilchenblau’ about to bloom in the next two weeks or so? I’d be happy to pay postage if you are willing to collect some about-to-open buds and mail 'em to me. Let me know if there is any pollen I can offer in exchange. Thanks.

Paul

2

I don’t have it, but one of my fellow CRs does. I’ll check with him.

3

Thanks Jim!

I do have it out in my garden, but mine won’t be in bloom for four weeks and I have a plant ready very soon, so I need to locate someone in a warmer climate than mine to obtain some pollen.

Thanks,

Paul

4

Paul,

Consider mine a back up. Depending on temperatures.

Ann

5

Alas, the week of spring weather followed by a week of deep-freeze in January killed mine almost down to the roots. And just when it was beginning to cover the trellis…

Speaking of pollen and such, how long does pollen keep, generally? If one dries it out and stores it in the freezer, say?

6

Fa,

Pollen keeps well, in my experience, at room temp for up to two weeks. It varies from variety to variety. However, if you thoroughly dry pollen and then freeze it, it can live for a year, easily. I routinely save pollen in the Fall and freeze it for use the following May and June.

Paul

7

I checked with Otto who has an enormous Veilchenblau planted by his great-grandmother nearly 100 years ago. I’ve got lots of roses blooming at my place, but he lives in a different microclimate than I do. He said, “With this weather, not sure that there would be much of a chance for any flowers to be opening. Awful weather for roses, one week blazing hot and driving the roses to bloom very quickly, the next frost on the roof for three mornings in a row and very windy afternoons. On the Veilchenblau pollen, about one to two weeks more if we have decent weather. If it stays like this, maybe three.”