Hi Shadowgirl,

If there were such a thing as a "Hybridz R Us" shop, it would be one of my favorite places, but I haven't seen any. The first stop would be an art supply store to pick up some camel hair brushes for pollen transfer. The are also online scientific supply houses that offer vials and silicon gel that would work for pollen and seed collection and storage. Then there's the office supply store for coin envelopes to store seeds, permanent markers, tags for pollinations and stickers and labels (labels are a must). Don't forget the local garden center for row markers and such. I've even hit the pet department for flea combs to harvest anthers. There are some seed savers links that are a great help, but I'll look those up tomorrow (ZZZZZ). All it takes is some ingenuity to figure out what you need to do, what will work to do it and where you can find what you need to make it work... unless I've missed something. Hey out there; anybody got a "Hybridz R Us" shop?

Thanks agrinerd for the reply,
I did find this. Is it a good deal? Will it work or am I better off just putting my own together?

Loretta

Here is a link that might be useful: Hybridizing kit

Wow, that's cool, but expensive! You'd probably do better on your own. That way you can customize it to what you're working with and how you like to do things. The tote looks good and sturdy, but I just use a cheap fishing-tackle box. One item you can put on your Christmas list is a waitress apron (from a restaurant supply). They have lots of pockets for tags, brushes, bottles, and even a little one for your marker. Southern Exposure Seed Co. has seed saving supplies that could be useful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Seed Saving Supplies

I just thought of another gift for the list. If you are dealing with larger flowers and need to keep bees out, a box of curl clips from the beauty supply shop is in order. Depending on the flower, they clip on easily to keep it shut. That should do it. Sometimes getting all the supplies you need is like going on a scavenger hunt.

You can also find suppliers by going to www.google.com (or your prefered search engine> and searching for biological or scientific supply catalogs. A lot of what they'll have to offer is expensive but fun to drool over/dream about. If you search around the catalogs you can find all kinds of things you'll want, even some that are affordable. :-)

Take care, Penny