In message
David Hill wrote:

On 06/03/2015 11:46, Michael Bell wrote:
I am going to start soon fertilising alders with their pollen. "With
an artist's paint brush" is the usual advice, but even though I am not
an artist, I know that there are many kinds of "artist's paint brush".
Which kind should I use?

Let me do a bit of start-up thinking. The pollen has to stick to the
bristles to a moderate extent; if the pollen doesn't stick at all,
then the paint brush won't carry the pollen and it won't be any use,
but I also want the pollen not to be held too firmly otherwise no
fertilisation will be achieved.

This has prompted me to think a little for myself. How useful is it
going to be to look at the bristle of the paint brush to check how
much pollen is on them, before and after?

Michael Bell


Depends how flushed you feel,
You could use sable or a cheepy "Kids" paintbrush, needs to be soft and
of a size to suit the flowers it will be used on (I know you wont be
using it on flowers but others may).
For tomatoes etc it used to be a rabbits tail (With the rabbit removed).
David @ spring like side of Swansea Bay.

I have gone with the suggestion of a woman's make-up brush. Pollen is
a powder and women's make-up brushes are designed for use with
powders, rather than liquids as paint brushes are, I think that is the
crucial difference. There are no rabbits in my garden, and this brush
seems to get fairly near to that quality of feel.

I must say I felt a little funny buying women's stuff, but all in the
name of science!


Michael Bell


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