A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Cross-Pollination and Seed Sowing

Has anyone been successful in cross-pollinating any cacti/succulents, or any plants for that matter. Are there specific plants which are easier to cross-pollinate than others?

Could anyone share their experiences with sowing and growing cacti seeds? I've read that it can take years for proper germination/growth...

cheers...

Most of my aloe will cross with each other, however, the veriagata, which will polinate everyone, will set no seed and I don't have 2 of that species. Aloe and gasteria will cross (I have 2 A. Bellatula x G. "Little Warty" - one looks like the aloe with thicker leaves, the other like the gasteria with thinner leaves. They came from the same seed pod on the aloe, the gasteria did not set seed.) I rarely have 2 cacti blooming at the same time, unfortunately, but I have crossed 2 rebutia and 1 echinocereus pentalophus in all combinations. The plants are about 1/4 inch tall right now. I can't wait to see their flowers, but I'll have to! One thing I know, when you write your cross, the seed parent goes first. plants within the same genus usually will cross, a little farther appart sometimes works, but you'll never get a maple tree and a begonia to have babies without some very fancy lab work.

Ha ha tell me about it...I had attempted to cross a Star Gazer lily and a Red Hibiscus lol Lets just say the pods fell off before the seeds could become ready for harvest...it was a sad day for me...but then I had crossed an Easter lily with my Star Gazer lily...I am anctiously awaiting to see what color flowers come out most likely a nice pink...but who would know?