Easiest way to collect pollen from flowers?

[Capsacin-junkie]

I am currently trying to cross some peppers. I know how to cross them, i was just wandering whats the easiest way to obtain the pollen?

 

[cruzzfish]

Just take the whole flower off. Peppers make a lot of extra ones anyway.

 

[JDFan]

Q-tips (ie. cotton swabs) work well for collecting the pollen on and then using to pollinate - hard part is trying to keep the thing from self pollinating before you get to it. ( unless you remove the anthers before they become viable )
 
Could do it the way the Chile Pepper Institute does it using Bees (see around the 2 minute mark in the video )
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd2z6EPGVck

 

[dddd]

I use a small paint brush when I self pollinate my pepper plants.  Tends to work pretty good.

 

[mrgrowguy]

If you want to collect pollen for storage, you can use a flower sifter (link for pics) to seperate the pollen from flower. Then you can store pollen in these (link) for a long time if stored correctly (temps/humidity/etc). That's basically how I do it with canna pollen...
 
 

 
 

Flower sifter can be bought at Alberstons for $6 or so
 
 
 
 

I sift the pollen over a mirror and scrape up with a razor. They have funnels for those Boston Round bottles, but the pollen sticks tot he metal and you will lose a lot.
 
 
 
 

TIP: be SURE to label the bottles!!!
 
 
 
 
 

I like to dump more than a few grains of desiccant (Amazon link) in the bottle with the pollen as well
 
 
 
 
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[Capsacin-junkie]

Thanks guys!

 

[D3monic]

I just use mini centrifuge vials, I have a 100 count storage box, Just tap viable flowers over vial, freeze and store. I just recently used one year old pollen for a cross and it took. 
 
I number the vials and keep a spreadsheet indicating what pollen is in each vial. I also do a similar spreadsheet for crosses with the butterfly tags.