Atemoya flowers growing different time, how do I save pollen?

[smartdriver]

Hi my wife's Atamoya tree is growing flowers but at different speeds, where the male flower has died before there were female flowers.
What is the proper way to store pollen to pollinate the female flowers?
Photos were taken by my wife.
Thank you pros!

[vincenton]

You can store pollen inside a small plastic container with lid or plastic wrap and keep in frig. They can keep about 24 hours, they start to go down from there. Dark container is better so you can see the pollen.

Vincent.

[So_Cal_Mike]

This video should help...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YTaBVR-YrQc

[smartdriver]

It’s it possible to freeze the pollen and keep it longer than 24 hours?

[vincenton]

x

[sunworshiper]

I think it lasts longer than 24 hours. I just keep adding fresh pollen to the same container whenever there is a bloom with some and then using when I need it. I just keep it at room temp, and at the end of the bloom season I toss the container (a takeout condiment container). I get close to 100% pollination take rate, and I know that quite often the pollen is several days old. being super precise doesn't seem necessary for me.

[smartdriver]

I think it lasts longer than 24 hours. I just keep adding fresh pollen to the same container whenever there is a bloom with some and then using when I need it. I just keep it at room temp, and at the end of the bloom season I toss the container (a takeout condiment container). I get close to 100% pollination take rate, and I know that quite often the pollen is several days old. being super precise doesn't seem necessary for me.

Thank you, we just have 1 flower right now and can’t really do much. Thanks for the great insight.

[smartdriver]

Freezing will kill the pollen.

Vincent.

Alright We won’t freeze it. We reading so many different methods and trying to Pollinate that one flower we have, we desperate to save pollen.

[smartdriver]

Hi my wife's Atamoya tree is growing flowers but at different speeds, where the male flower has died before there were female flowers.
What is the proper way to store pollen to pollinate the female flowers?
Photos were taken by my wife.
Thank you pros!

[TheDom]

Freezing will kill the pollen.

Vincent.

This is inaccurate. As long as pollen is dried for approx 90mins it can be frozen for months and still be viable.

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304423805003717

That said I wouldn't recommend letting this plant set fruit, it's still a little small to hold much of anything.

[Seanny]

Ask neighbor for pollen.

[vincenton]

Thanks for the correct information, it's good to know that it can be done.

Vincent.

[smartdriver]

Freezing will kill the pollen.

Vincent.

This is inaccurate. As long as pollen is dried for approx 90mins it can be frozen for months and still be viable.

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304423805003717

That said I wouldn't recommend letting this plant set fruit, it's still a little small to hold much of anything.

Thank you thank you.

What if I use individual stakes to support a few fruits =D should I try to bear some tasty fruit?

[MangoCountry]

Id prune those branches and remove some leaves so it branches out. Its very leggy to be supporting any fruit.

[TheDom]

Freezing will kill the pollen.

Vincent.

This is inaccurate. As long as pollen is dried for approx 90mins it can be frozen for months and still be viable.

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304423805003717

That said I wouldn't recommend letting this plant set fruit, it's still a little small to hold much of anything.

Thank you thank you.

What if I use individual stakes to support a few fruits =D should I try to bear some tasty fruit?

It's not a physical support issue it is an issue of how much energy/nutrients it will take the plant to grow those one or two fruit. With a plant this young that energy should be put into vegetative growth. I agree with MangoCountry, it needs pruned back so it grows more bushy.

[sunworshiper]

I agree with the advice to let it get stronger score allowing fruit. You have a nice central leader trained upright. I'd top it at about 2' shorter than the ultimate tree height you want to encourage side branches. I'd prune about 1/3 off the side shoot to promote branching on it too.

[sunworshiper]

Not the best pic but you can see the upright central leader on mine and the primary scaffold  branches I selected. The top of the trunk is 4'. This tree has fruited for 4 years. It will double in size from each growing tip by end of season, each spring I prune it back to this. Keeps overall tree to under 6' so I can polinate easily.  BTW the stake is no longer needed normally but I will leave it for hurricane reinforcement until the trunk is as thick as my wrist. When I got this tree the trunk was the size of a pencil.

[MangoCountry]

Here's my Geffner atemoya in its 2nd year in the ground. Topped the central leader at 5 feet. First time fruiting through hand pollination currently holding 3 fruit.