Pollinating Pachypodiums
Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 3:02 am
Well, finally I get to post something that Darryl hasn't beaten me to! 
Here's a quickie on me pollinating 2 Pachypodium brevicaule x densiflorum.
First, I had to cut open the flower to be able to get to the center easier. Pachypodium brevicaule x densiflorum have very tight flowers so its hard to get to the pollen and stuff.
Once the flower is cut back, I used a single boars hair bristle off of one of our unused painting brushes. I slipped it into the bottom of the flower and work it up into the slit (there are 5 I believe) and then lightly move it around to collect/distribute the pollen.
Once the pollen is on the bristle I do the exact same thing to the other plants flower and go back to the first one to make sure each flower gets pollen from the other.
After a month...both plants have the start of seed pods!
Here's a quickie on me pollinating 2 Pachypodium brevicaule x densiflorum.
First, I had to cut open the flower to be able to get to the center easier. Pachypodium brevicaule x densiflorum have very tight flowers so its hard to get to the pollen and stuff.
Once the flower is cut back, I used a single boars hair bristle off of one of our unused painting brushes. I slipped it into the bottom of the flower and work it up into the slit (there are 5 I believe) and then lightly move it around to collect/distribute the pollen.
Once the pollen is on the bristle I do the exact same thing to the other plants flower and go back to the first one to make sure each flower gets pollen from the other.
After a month...both plants have the start of seed pods!
Nice work Jenni! 
