Question Pollen Collection for Open Pollination

Budwulf

In Bloom
Hello friends

I plan on starting some open pollination/seed increases sometime after the new year. I don't intend on letting all the males drop pollen all over the place as I am doing this in a less than ideal space. The question I have is, can you mix all the pollen from the males together and then paintbrush the selected sites on all the females? My thinking is why not? As long as you mix up the pollen so that when you dip your paintbrush you aren't getting more pollen from one male than the others. Has anyone tried this?

Thanks in advance for any input.
 

JL2G

Jesse Loves 2 Grow
Staff member
Moderator
Q-36 Space Modulator
Hello friends

I plan on starting some open pollination/seed increases sometime after the new year. I don't intend on letting all the males drop pollen all over the place as I am doing this in a less than ideal space. The question I have is, can you mix all the pollen from the males together and then paintbrush the selected sites on all the females? My thinking is why not? As long as you mix up the pollen so that when you dip your paintbrush you aren't getting more pollen from one male than the others. Has anyone tried this?

Thanks in advance for any input.
Yep, sure have done that. It's the preferred method imho, as it takes into account the fast dropping males, and the slow pollen droppers.
 

18B

In Bloom
Yes and it is what I often did for small sampling to look from F1s into F2s F3s etc...I used to be into that as I could do it on a larger scale...you get to see the familial expressions of both parents and select the traits you prefer to try for in your next progeny.
I have painted pollen on tiny lowers and I have ripped the male out of its pot by the roots and flogged the female plant with him...pollen is dangerous...it floats everywhere no matter how you do it...a little goes a loong way...unless it's a reversal...that can be more difficult and improves with experience!
I always isolate...pollenate...wait 24hrs...then spray with water before returning it to the flower room with any others.

EDIT::: yes, I ALWAYS flower out the males ahead of the females, to do exactly as stated...accommodate some of those late droppers or cryptorchids.. lol...I usually hit the females hard at about 20 days flower and you will have buds full of seeds.
 
Last edited:

HydroRed

3Thirteen Seeds
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Hello friends

I plan on starting some open pollination/seed increases sometime after the new year. I don't intend on letting all the males drop pollen all over the place as I am doing this in a less than ideal space. The question I have is, can you mix all the pollen from the males together and then paintbrush the selected sites on all the females? My thinking is why not? As long as you mix up the pollen so that when you dip your paintbrush you aren't getting more pollen from one male than the others. Has anyone tried this?

Thanks in advance for any input.
You can absolutely do this method and like others its one I prefer since you can make sure that all the male contributors are contributing to the gene pool equally. I refer to it as a controlled open pollination.

I collect the pollen from the males individually outside of the tent as they flower and once collected from all of the males I'll portion out equal parts from each vial (male) & mix it all up in one vial and then pollinate the girls manually with a paint brush using the final mix of the pollen. This is my reasoning for doing so:

If one male matures faster than the rest he will get first crack at pollinating ALL of the ladies. Though he was fastest , it doesnt necessarily mean hes the best or even carries any quality attributes at all. He may be lacking in literally every department except for flowering maturity speed. By the time the other more better suited males with the quality attributes catch up and begin spilling pollen it will be virtually too late as the less qualified but faster male will have already sealed the deal. By doing things in a "controlled" open pollination, I can help ensure that all of the males get even shot at the females and no one male (good or bad) can dominate the gene pool for the seeds being made. This works esecially well when creating new fillial generations and youre attempting to hold true to the prior fillial generation.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom