Collection and storage of palmy pollen

[Phoenikakias]

I'd like to hear of practice and experience on above items regarding most possible palm genera. For Chamaedorea for example there is some information in the D Hodel's book. How about the Butiinae and Cocosoid genera? I have received an information about Rhapis from a professional grower, who put male flowers in the blender and then dilutes the mash in to water water and sprays with solution female flowers. As for the Phoenix genus, according to my limited experience any attempt of storage of the whole or partts of the inflorescence will lead quickly to rot mold and rot. Besides pollen is very volatile and any attempt to collect it right from the tree by using a white paper sheet ar an envelope is almost impossible. best method is therefore that inflorescences be removed and cut to smaller pieces and then latter be put in differnt kind of strains. Abigger on to allow also anthers pass through and a smaller one to exclude them afterwards. This is imo the most handy method, but again much pollen gets lost but anyway consirably fewer than by the application of Hodel's suggested method. I would like now to read posts from other members.

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

I have only harvested and stored cocosoid pollen. I remove the entire inflorescence and then hang to dry in my garage for a few days.   At that time the pollen is dry enough to harvest onto paper without molding.  Once it is on paper I use a sieve to screen the pollen and then place in a plastic container with a copious amount of desiccant into the fridge.  After a week I change the desiccant, leave another week then put in the freezer.

[ErikSJI]

Joseph about summed it up. If you are storing I would recommend vacuum sealing it and following the procedures he stated above.

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

I will have to look into the vacuum sealing.....