Citrus pollen preservation

[Zaubergau]

Does anyone have any suggestions for an inexpensive method for short term citrus pollen preservation for a couple of months?  I would like to preserve some of the earlier cold hardier pollen types to cross with later blooming varieties.  Thanks in advance.

[Ilya11]

You can collect pollen directly or collect pollen containing flower stamens, dry them at around 30C (putting for example under a lamp).
Stamens than are gently grinded by forceps, debris is removed and pollen  be put in a small envelope made from paper. You can  put several grains of rice to enhance drying.
The envelope  should be put in hermetically closed vial with a small packet of silicagel (these packets are often delivered with new electronic devices and even shoes).
 Silicagel before the use should be dehydrated  by heating in a microwave oven for 5 minutes and cooled to room temperature.
The vials are secured with plastic films  used in grafting like Parafilm or Buddy-tape.
You can store the vial with pollen for up to three months in a refrigerator or up for one year at -20C freezer.
Before the opening vials should be equilibrated at room temperature to prevent pollen wetting.

[Millet]

Excellent post Ilya11

[Zaubergau]

Thanks llya!  That's just the info I hoped for, short of making friends with someone with a liquid nitrogen tank .  I tried crossing Morton citrange and NC grapefruit (citrumelo) with various kumquat hybrids, but the fruits abort with new bloom flushes.  Hopefully this will extend my envelope.

[Ilya11]

I can also share a tip how to make such hybrids with fresh pollen.
I have grafted poncirus and citrumelo onto several branches of Clemenules tree in a South of France. When I removed the flowers from the first spring flowering, they started to flower almost continuously until the middle of August, overlapping with  kumquat flowers.