I think it's worth a try, though I don't know how viable pollen is unless it's preserved in some way. I'm certainly going to have a try at hand pollination of any remaining flowers on the more vigorous vine.
@@TheKlink Well, old pollen is often used in archaeology but how long it stays viable is another matter. Akebia have separate male and female flowers, so I'll pay more attention to that next spring. I'd say the two varieties flower at a similar time though. Whether the males are produced first like they are on cucurbits and the females a bit later is something I'd like to check out. If the males on the less vogorous variety finish before the females are produced on the other, then that could be a reason the more vigorous variety doesn't fruit. They're both in similar microclimates, so that shouldn't be affecting flowering times.
@@LearnPermaculture Cactus breeders often freeze pollen for later use but you need to control the moisture content as well, I think. Tiny containers usually. Pollen does vary a lot so it might be different for other families.
Nice, I'd never heard of it.
"a book called 'plants for the future', which i bought many many years ago"👍
It's the future!
You're just over the border but I grew up a Devon lad and just that building and weather just screamed straight away that area.
Yes, the area has particular stones and climate!
Yummy, I wonder if you could save some pollen in the freezer for the other variety?
Certainly worth a try!
Would be nice if we can have this in the Philippines
It is originally from China, Japan and Korea, so it should grow well in the Philippines.
@@LearnPermaculture hope it can tolerate the heat down the equator
Looks like your growing bodily organs! Very interesting though. Thanks.
Yes, that had been noted. 😆
would you be able to harvest pollen from the less vigorous one and hand pollinate the larger plant the following year?
I think it's worth a try, though I don't know how viable pollen is unless it's preserved in some way. I'm certainly going to have a try at hand pollination of any remaining flowers on the more vigorous vine.
@LearnPermaculture I did a little looksie on pollen viability but I've not seen anything.
@@TheKlink Well, old pollen is often used in archaeology but how long it stays viable is another matter. Akebia have separate male and female flowers, so I'll pay more attention to that next spring. I'd say the two varieties flower at a similar time though. Whether the males are produced first like they are on cucurbits and the females a bit later is something I'd like to check out. If the males on the less vogorous variety finish before the females are produced on the other, then that could be a reason the more vigorous variety doesn't fruit. They're both in similar microclimates, so that shouldn't be affecting flowering times.
@@LearnPermaculture Cactus breeders often freeze pollen for later use but you need to control the moisture content as well, I think. Tiny containers usually. Pollen does vary a lot so it might be different for other families.