Hand pollinating Jack-in-the-Pulpit
edlincoln(6A)
My parents have one small Jack-in-the-Pulpit. I think it is something I planted years ago and thought died. My friend has two big ones. All native species.
Could I try to pollinate them by running a Q-Tip around the flowers of his, putting the Q-tip in the fridge in a ziplock bag, then putting the Q-Tip in my parent's flower? Does that make sense? What should I know if I attempt this project? What does the male part of this flower look like? How long will pollen keep in the fridge?
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Some people use a soft paintbrush, but I think a q-tip should work. There is no harm in trying.I would google the plant blossoms and then google a pint anatomical drawing and make a guess. I live in a place where jack in the pulleys fear to tread so I will keep my mouth shut. I would look for stammers and pastels , however you spell it.
I have heard that pollen has a very short period of viability. That means that if you try to store it in the fridge, it won't be any good for pollinating by the time you get to your parents' plant.
I have heard of people freezing pollen and using it at a later date. This is how people will pollinate aloes that bloom at different times.