Pollen storage
 

How do you store pollen and for how long?
I had mixed results in storing pollen at 40 F (4 C) over a saturated calcium chloride solution.

Make a simple dessicator out of a wide-mouthed jar and use CaCl (DAMP-RID) as a dehydration medium with water. This will dry the seeds safely, then store in the refrigerator for as much as a year. Same with seeds.

A pouch of silica gel (in candy jars and electronic parts) can absorb moisture. No solution, no mess up. :twocents:

I agree, silica gel is a good way. And here's my :twocents: Last year during my internship at a seed company, we would dehydrate pollen by putting them in the oven for 2 hours at 37°C. After that we would freeze it in liquid nitrogen or a -80°C freezer, but I think a normal freezer would work just fine, or even the fridge. The viability of the pollen is still quite good after this. I don't know how long it can be kept.

Be careful with some of these driers. You want to maintain a certain moisture in the seeds. Supersaturated CaCl in water gives the optimum result - so long as the area temperature is around 70 degrees F. The vegetable crisper in the frig is perfect for storage for a year (or more?).

70 F ??? That's the temperature in my house. I kept the pollen in a desiccator over saturated Ca Cl solution in a small refrigerator (I have a small 2.5 cft refrigerator that I use to keep my seeds, media and other orchid related stuff) at 40 F. For most species that's fine, but for some the results are not that great. Specially when I tap into the 1 year mark(the plant that I want to be the pod parent just misses the blooming of the plant that I want to be the pollen parent)

You will do better to put the dessicated seed in a sealed vial. I don't recommend leaving it with CaCl solution. I've saved pollen for more than 18 months with good "take" - and some not.I dessicate the pollen and wrap it in toilet paper, then put it in the vial for refrigeration.

It looks like you had mixed results to. Maybe not all kinds of pollen can be stored for so long.