Hey folks, quick question...
I stored pollen from my best males in ziplock baggies , sucked the air out and wrapped with folded paper-towel and then double-bagged that and sucked air. Then put in a yogurt container and deep-freezed undisturbed for 1 year. Any chance it will still be viable ? I'm going to give it a try but I was just curious what the shelf-life is on freezer-stored pollen.
Any help appreciated.

One Year Old Pollen - Stored In Freezer - Still Viable?
#1
Posted 25 July 2018 - 01:03 PM
#2
Posted 25 July 2018 - 04:44 PM
Pollen is [canna] viable for about six months tops without risk of any genetic anomolies. Any moisture will kill it so the key is to keep it with desiccants at as close to 0% humidity as possible in a zip lock snak bag at room temp in a darkened drawer. I like to store my pollen in a hand folded parchment paper sleeve and I apply it with a q-tip swab, you can hit 10 to 12 flowers with the same sweep and pollinate them all.
Peace.
K
- Myc likes this
#3
Posted 25 July 2018 - 04:49 PM
You've piqued my interest.
Only one way to find out if that pollen is still viable..............
Anxiously awaiting results. ;)
#4
Posted 25 July 2018 - 06:23 PM
oh yea fosure dust the hell outs them girls...if it isn't good it wont hurt them ;)
But if your specific breeding for a trait or a recessive expression of a trait you need to be on the ball with the dust. otherwise 6 months to a year and it should germ pretty reasonably.
#5
Posted 25 July 2018 - 07:32 PM
I am willing to bet you get seeds.
#6
Posted 25 July 2018 - 07:43 PM
Thanks for the replies. I'll dust some branches , mark them and then wait and see what happens. I was gong to use a small paint-brush but I think I'll try Kraven's Q-tip idea.
Edited by hyphaenation, 25 July 2018 - 07:45 PM.
#7
Posted 26 July 2018 - 07:00 AM
I have bumped the paint brush one to many times and accidentally dusted plants. Unless I'm doing a Fgen seed run I just hit the pre-flowers so my buds not all seeded since thats enough to net 20 - 25 beans easy. Remember ...a VERY little goes a very long way....one little tiny male can hit 12 -15 girls around him and seed them from stalk to cola right quick and with just a puff of breeze.
#8
Posted 26 July 2018 - 07:32 PM
Trying to figure out if I want to back-breed my #1 strain with its own father from last year (the pollen in the freezer) or use one its siblings (I started some #1 seedlings and will sex them early to get a good male). The crossed strain has more big budding genetics then the original which the year old pollen is from possibly , although original #1 mom had huge buds.
#9
Posted 31 July 2018 - 05:56 PM
I also took Poland from the lime skunk mail that I have off property, and tinkle that on my best lime skunk that's already flowering. Tomorrow I'm going to make a cross of the most sativa number one X lime skunk.
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#10
Posted 03 August 2018 - 01:57 AM
hope it works hyph. never used pollen older then week old so no idea. never did breeding, just some pollen chucking in my past. worked out ok, before i lost the seeds from that i wanted to learn better how to breed as i had a few that where keepers. be nice to learn more what needs be done, as would been nice to have had a stable version of that particular individual keeper plant.
#11
Posted 22 August 2018 - 03:27 PM
Year old frozen pollen failed to form any seeds ... I tried a few times. Maybe if it was mixed with flour before freeze storing? Anyhow now just using pollen from this year for micro-crosses (one or 2 small lower branches each). Those seeds took right away and are swelling large.
Edited by hyphaenation, 22 August 2018 - 03:28 PM.
#12
Posted 24 August 2018 - 10:12 PM
WIN SOME LOSE SOME, thanks for sharing