Steve...so good to see you on ATP. Big welcome. This topic is interesting for those of us who hybridize. For me, I dab pollen in the late afternoon around 4ish or later. Great success with pod formation this past summer. Like Kidfishing stated, I will use older plants that I love with the new genetics from plants purchased more recently. Since I don't have a green house, my biggest headache living in Vermont is the length of time it takes to get a seed, to a sdlg., to a plant, to a flower to make those crosses. Seedlings can take a year or four in the worse case scenario. This past summer was the best one for me for pod formation. Even first year sdlgs. that bloomed for the first time produced pods for me well into September. 'Four Eyes' is not sterile, Steve. Try dabbing pollen much later in the day or perhaps moving the plant to a new location in your garden. Or as Char states, as a last resort, threaten to cull it to the compost heap.
