TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk
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Funny that you should ask this today as just yesterday I happened to be in an art supply store and got a paintbrush that I think will be just perfect for pollinating flowers. Its a super fine spot brush. Cost about 1.50. Its got just a few bristles and they are short and very soft. Should be ideal.
Steve hit the nail on the head pretty much, but I prefer to use the "poofy" painbrushes like what women use to put blush on thier faces. Once pollen is on it, you're almost guranteed a succesful reception of the stigma.
For Pinguicula flowers I find a cocktail stick easier to collect pollen on than a paintbrush. For added ease, I use a blue plastic one; the yellow pollen stands out very clearly against a blue background and is easy to see, even when you only have a v. small amount.
Quote[/b] (Vic Brown @ Feb. 20 2004,18:16)]For Pinguicula flowers I find a cocktail stick easier to collect pollen on than a paintbrush. For added ease, I use a blue plastic one; the yellow pollen stands out very clearly against a blue background and is easy to see, even when you only have a v. small amount.
...unless of course you are blue-yellow colorblind...
Uh yah, paint brush is old standby. For flowers with lots of twists and turns I would use a long flexable feather, and for super tiney amounts of pollin in an open flower, a plactic tooth pick works well... granted, I've not pollinated CP flowers yet because my plants are mostly babies, but I've transferd pollen from other plants before
.... no no wait, my origenal VFT is mature, I just didn't let it flower last year.
Quote[/b] (nepenthes gracilis @ Feb. 20 2004,14:52)]Steve hit the nail on the head pretty much, but I prefer to use the "poofy" painbrushes like what women use to put blush on thier faces. Once pollen is on it, you're almost guranteed a succesful reception of the stigma.
They had a selection of those in the store too and I was considering the ones that were smallish like the one I got only "poofy" like you said. I opted for the one with the very fine tip with the thinking that it would be easier to get the pollin exactly where I want it. I may go back and get the "poofy" tip one too and compare what works better.. For a buck fifty is a cheap enough experiment.. lol
well i went from no clue what works best to having several great ideals
thanks for the great post's after reading them all i went with the tooth pick because i had one around. If i did it properly i hope to get some seeds out of it witch i will put up for SASE if i get anything. first time pollinator here so i don't know if i botched the job =D
cross your fingers for seeds!
one last thing i also have a Venus flytrap dente sending up a flower bud and every day i look at it the thing gets noticeably taller, is there a better/different method for pollinating vft flowers?
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