hey,

I would aso like to know how and how long you can save pollen?

Thanks,
Melissa

Tulips take 7 years to grow from seed to bloom . When the blossom opens by itself the pollen is ready .

Actually with my tulips the pollen has seemed to take a few days after the flower opens to ripen. The anthers start out smooth on the outside, there's no pollen in that stage, then they kind of split open and get gritty/dusty, that's the pollen.

Time to mature can also be reduced to about 5 years if you raise them indoors the whole time, with only 2-3 month dormancy periods.