RESEARCH
Epipactis
- Pollen germination technique
Pollen may not always be viable. To test pollen germinability, I developed a ‘hanging drop' method where some pollen is removed to a small drop of sugar solution on the lid of a plastic petri dish. The lid is inverted over the base into which has been placed some of the same sugar solution. This ensures that the sugar concentration in the drop remains fairly constant. After 12 or more hours at room temperature, the pollen will germinate if it is viable. This method has been described in detail in the North American Native Terrestrial Orchid Propagation and Production Conference Proceedings, 1995.