24 Cent "Acid brush" For Pollinating

[jimscott]

A customer came to my line to buy an acid brush and it only cost 24 cents. It came from the plumbing section. It's about 3/8" wide. Whaddya think of it as a tool to hand pollinate Sarracenias?

 

[Not a Number]

I don't see why not. Some bumblebees are bigger than 3/8" and they get into the flowers without problem. You can always trim some of the bristles to make it thinner.

 

[jimscott]

My thoughts exactly! Darlingtonia soon to open up. Pollen on the way to the East Coast?

 

[Not a Number]

Yup, just clipped some anthers and will get in the mail tonight or tomorrow morning.

 

[jimscott]

Thought it got lost in the mail! My flower is still unopened, with the bud facing down.

 

[Not a Number]

Just back from the PO. Maybe Monday you should get it. Even though the flower opened last week the pollen took a while to ripen. I may have been off a day or two either way but it should either ripen in time or remain viable for a few weeks in the refrigerator.

 

[jimscott]

Do the flowers hang down when open or do they unfurl upwards? I can see the purple flower bulging out.

 

[Not a Number]

When it first starting coming up it the point or tip of the bud was almost perpendicular to the ground. The way a Sarracenia flower is after it has been sucessfully pollinated. Now it's hanging down like a lantern or how a Sarracenia flower looks before it is pollinated.

So it seems as it opens it hangs down.