The Manual of Seed Saving by Andrea Heistinger

Author:Andrea Heistinger [Heistinger, Andrea]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Timber Press
Published: 2013-10-01T21:00:00+00:00

Day 3. This is when actual pollination takes place (F–H). The ideal time for pollination is late morning, when much pollen has collected in the bags. There should be no strong winds. Shake the tassel well while it is still in the bag to maximize pollen collection and minimize pollen that blows away from the tassel once the bag is off. Then remove the bag very carefully, pulling toward the side and down. Pollen is bright yellow and fine as flour. Filter all the pollen of a variety through a metal or porcelain colander and into a bowl. Remove the bag around the ear of each mother plant individually as you get to each plant. Silks should have grown to be about 1–1.5 in. (3–4 cm) long by now. Brush pollen onto the silks with your finger (pollen is accepted by the silks along their entire length, not just at the tip). You will need about a teaspoon of pollen per ear. Replace the bag over the ear immediately after pollinating and close well with tape (not so tight that growth is restricted, not so loose that wind can blow in pollen or blow the bag away). Leave the bags on the ears until they are ripe. This not only serves as a label for which ears were hand pollinated, it also protects the ear from herbivory by birds.

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