Try a google.com search on pollen germination. You don't need to use
agar. Usually just a sugar solution is used.

This page describes how to use an onion epidermis:
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/.../jgpollen.html

Here's another set of instructions for a hanging drop slide:
http://fastplants.org/pdf/reproducti...ermination.pdf

I remember American Biology Teacher journal had an article on
germinating pollen a few years back.


David R. Hershey


(Mandy) wrote in message . com...
I would like to collect pollen from flowers, germinate it on slides,
and then measure the length of the pollen tubes under a microscope. I
have the recipe that I would like to use for my germination formula.
My question is about the technique. I am looking for a way to evenly
distribute my pollen germinatnio sol'n onto a microscope slide.

I am going to do a run through tomorrow by actually putting my
microscope slides in a plastic container and pouring the agar over
them. When the medium cools and solidifies I am going to use a razor
to cut the slides out.

My problem is that the medium does not want to stay on the slides, and
I cannot figure out how to keep the media on the slides, and once I do
that how do I keep it equally distributed on the slides?

Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you.

Mandy