Pollinating phrags

[ScientistKen]

It seems like there is a small window of opportunity to grab the pollen off a phragmipedium bloom or it will fail to pollinate. Does that work the other way? If I pollinate a bloom that has been open for almost a week am I wasting my pollen?

I have a bloom that will be open tomorrow and want to pollinate a bloom on my Phragmipedium Cardinal that has been open for a week. I'm wondering if I would be better off saving the pollen in the fridge for a few weeks waiting on the next bloom to open on the planned pod parent?

I damaged the petal on the pod parent (plant in the pic) the other day pulling pollen out but it still looks pretty nice.

 

[ScientistKen]

I should point out that Cardinal is not a typo. It is Andean Fire x d'lessandroi. So basically the d'lessandroi version of Inca Fire.