PalmsNorth.com

That's really funny about getting some business out of doing a nice thing.

Barb,

I recommend using the pollen in a 3-4 different applications a couple hours apart. Plants and tree's are most open first thing in the morning right as the sun is coming up, I'm sure John sent you way more pollen then you needed anyways.

Does that sound about right to you John?

Bill

using the pollen in a 3-4 different applications a couple hours apart

Bill, "using the pollen" is a bit confusing to me.
You mean to use a brush and sprinkle it over the female flowers?

I thought you just hang the pollen branch above the female flowers and let the breezes do the work.

Glad we're discussing this, so that I don't screw it up.

John, no sweat about Monday.
I'm sure "it" will still be good.
After all, old men can do it.

Barb

Hey Barb,

I'm glad my hearing was postponed and I was able to see this post and help you. This is a big deal to have one of your babies make babies right? Lame Joke

Anyways, I thought I didn't pollinate the waggies properly but it did work. The trachies out front definitely worked.

All I did was gently tap on them first over the top of the stalks all around then I rubbed the through the stalks gently as well. After I thought I did that enough I grinded the remaining pollen in my hands over the rest of the stalks. If you have enough from John I would do this a few times. I don't think the wind will do it alone when the tree is not blowing the pollen from close by. My yard is full off palms pollinating and I don't think it worked for the ones I didn't hand pollinate a few times. Trust me I had some huge male pollen stalks to work with.

I only say this because I really want it to work for you. Seeds are fun, especially if there in your own yard This will be my first year too other then needle and sabals.

Keep me posted.

Bill

Thanks, Bill.
Appreciate the intricacies of this process.

Will do as you suggest.

But

I grinded the remaining pollen in my hands over the rest of the stalks

Eeeeeeuuuuw!
You mean I have to touch it?

huge male pollen stalks

This may be too personal, but I believe John's will be huge.

Gawd....

Barb

Wow!

I'm that easy

I'm sure John will agree the biggest males pollinate the best!

Geez, looks like it's time to get your hands dirty

Enjoy!

Bill

LOL don`t know how we got off track here Barb I think both Bill`s method should work well for you as well as placing it in the crown of your trachy. One way or another Trachy seeds.

John

Who's off track?

Thanks guys...will do!
Seem to be opening a bit now, so the pollen timing for Monday is perfect I think:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5818365065/" title="DSC04769 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2764/581 ... 9ae5f1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04769"></a>

Oh...and look how it's growing!
3 spears pushing and 2 just opened, with the trunk really stretching up fast.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5818365057/" title="DSC04773 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/581 ... 51933b.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04773"></a>

Life is good...

Barb

Bill it worked out well with the worker from UPS. He bought two palms. Barb here`s a thought about trying some pollen in a spray bottle mixed well with water? It should provide even coverage and you`ll still have plenty left over for all the methods Bill and I suggested. They pollinate lots of plants this way. Here is an example.
http://www.imagestate.com/Preview/Previ ... nseType=RM

John

the worker from UPS. He bought two palms

Great! Congrats.
Do you know where he lives so you can keep an eye on whether he's doing a good job?
You can already tell, I bet, that there'll be a four-page "parent aptitude" Questionnaire for anyone wanting seeds of my/our Trachy

Maybe he'll join PN...

John, thanks for that spray bottle pollination link...but I thought pollen was a dry powder?

Doesn't it get all gummy and plug up the sprayer when mixed with water?

I'll try each of the 3 methods...hopefully the flowers will be wide open by Monday.

Barb

Barb you should be able to crush it enough that it will flow through the spray nozzle? I think you will be able to tell when you get the pollen on Monday. LOL an aptitude test to see if they are fit for adopting trachy`s seeds


John

That's cool about the palm sales John. That's interesting about pollinating the palms that way with spray bottle.

Those flowers are looking like Monday will work out just fine for you. It's really cool to watch the the seeds develop, I gives us something else fun to watch in the garden.

Bill

Monday will work out just fine

Great!
I'm watering the Trachy heavily today so I don't risk washing pollen off after Monday's application.

Thanks!
Barb

Barb,

Been following along here, looking forward to seeing the results!

Steve

Thanks Steve...pretty exciting for me

Barb you could also try using a paint brush wet with water run it along the pollen and paint it on your flower pods. Steve thanks for following this experiment. Some seeds will be on there way to Kansas in the fall. Super cold hardy Trachy`s. How are those washy`s doing I sent you three years ago? Bill it is fun to watch our what shouldn`t grow here palms flourish!

try using a paint brush

I'd rather eat gravel than hold a paint brush

Will try all methods...OK, most of them.

UPS just arrived with the pollen!

Really busy today, so will get at it tomorrow morning and post pics.
Of what, I'm not sure.

Sounds like a mass of seeds inside a bag.
Maybe I should just THROW them at the female blossoms?

Barb

Drumroll....

The female blossoms appear to each have 3 little holes.
Hope that means they're receptive to male pollen.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5833073936/" title="DSC04777 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3559/583 ... 236e53.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04777"></a>

Used a small dampened paintbrush to disperse "stuff" from the bottom of UPS bag along each branch of flowers:
There wasn't any dry powdery stuff, and the "balls" wouldn't stick, so put them all over the place.
Then sprinkled "balls" (well, what would that be called?! LOL) on every branch above and beside the flower branches.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5833073978/" title="DSC04779 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5072/583 ... 692c12.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04779"></a>

Then I hung some of the male branches in the crown, as well as the inside out bag that held the pollen, and the paper towel.
Appropriate (I think, LOL) that John sent it in a liquor store plastic bag

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5833073944/" title="DSC04778 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5311/583 ... d49a0a.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04778"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5833073994/" title="DSC04780 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2422/583 ... 87e322.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04780"></a>

Didn't play any soft music...

Now it's up to Mom Nature...

Barb

Barb looks like the pollen dried out quite a bit waiting to get to you. Hopefully brushing it on will be good enough to fertilize them as well as leaving the pollen branch in the crown. It also looks like it is perfect timing as your female flowes are opening now. Go seeds.


John

John,
I expected to see yellow powder inside the envelope, but there wasn't any.
The inside was still damp, thanks to the paper towel you inserted in the bag.
But the little balls wouldn't stick to the female blossoms, even with a wet brush.

Hope that sprinkling the balance over adjacent fronds helps for when the wind blows.
Dead calm today...darn it.

Thanks again for sending the male branch, John.

Barb

Barb you may want to crush some of it into a powder and apply. That should help me thinks.

John

crush some of it into a powder

Excellent idea!

Now where's my mortar-n-pestle? (kidding)

Barb

While waiting ...

Look at how this ole Trachy is stretching, growing like crazy.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5853248135/" title="DSC04790 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3037/585 ... 50759b.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04790"></a>

Three long and thick spears

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5853248143/" title="DSC04791 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2696/585 ... d3e76d.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04791"></a>

Barb

Great progress pics so far, hopefully everything goes well!

Thanks, Cameron!

Any seeds on there Barb?

Mine look like small blue berries already!

Bill

Barb hopefully we got some seeds?

John

Think this is bad news folks:
There are NO berries, let alone BLUE ones.

BEFORE pic (mid-June)

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5892291678/" title="DSC04777 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6029/589 ... 34a1f6.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04777"></a>

TODAY'S pic

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5892291686/" title="DSC04821 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6033/589 ... 8c7418.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04821"></a>

I see about 5 or 6 that are "swollen", but still smaller than the June photo.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5892291658/" title="DSC04818 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6002/589 ... cd547b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04818"></a>

The male branch is still in the crown, but old and withered now.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5892291670/" title="DSC04820 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6040/589 ... 6f3100.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04820"></a>

On a brighter note, seems to be growing like mad.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5892291652/" title="DSC04815 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6060/589 ... fdd83b.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04815"></a>

Sorry folks to disappoint everyone.
Maybe it was too wet and cold?
Or is there an outside chance the male hasn't hit puberty?
Or maybe mine is too old...

Damn.
Barb

Barb it was worth a try. I have several more Trachy`s planted near the one that flowered this year. I am hoping that next year to see flowers on all my Trachy`s? Nice to see summer here near 90f tomorrow. It`s about time!!!

John

Sorry to disappoint you John.

I wonder why it didn't work...

Yup, here comes the heat (or have we said that before?)

Barb

Well lots of animals first try are bearing fails, can the same be said for plant seeds?

Jesse, would make for an interesting new discussion.
And probably a lot of good jokes.

Barb