I was about to cut the dead blooms from my Chinese evergreen and spotted these seeds. How do I know when they're ripe and how should I try to germinate them?
Chinese evergreen
I've searched the internet and can't find any information. Has any one ever tried these?
I was always taught that when a foliage plant developed flowers/seeds, the plant was telling you something like "I'm not happy w/your care/conditions/etc. so I am stressed and must propogate myself to keep me alive." Therefore, after the flowers/seeds are thru the plant can go into decline and in most cases die. Think of the bananas which dies after having bananas altho its pups survive.
Think of the coleus, caladiums, dusty millers. They put out insignificant and not-so-pretty flowers at the end of the season and if the flowers are not pinched off, the plant goes into decline, gets leggy and isn't at all pretty. Pretty soon the foliage dies and sometimes the root/bulb. Why is a house plant different? Inquiring minds would like to know....
Ann
Well, that's not good news. Mine also has been putting out flowers a lot that ive been pinching off. Ive been waiting also to find out if I can do anything with them. Maybe ill investigate the root system tonight and make sure its not in trouble. Ive been keeping mine well shaded in moist weld drained soil.
Interesting thoughts Ann, I do try to keep the flowers pinched off my coleus etc, and try to keep seed pods from forming on things that I do not intend to grow from seeds. This plant was on the deck for the summer and I didn't notice the flower, I guess some insects got to them and pollenated. I noticed them as I was taking things inside for the winter. I've been so interested in Brian's Alocasia seedlings that I just wondered if and how these could be germinated.
At this point, why not try? What could it hurt?
Ann
Linda
Here's great instructions for germinating aglaonema seeds
http://www.aroid.org/horticulture/araceae_seed_sowing.html
You should first see if they will rippen. Unless you had other similar plants near by I would think it self pollinated. Most plants try hard not to do this but it does happen from time to time. The berries should rippen up to a red or orange color and once they are rippened up you should remove the berries and squeeze out the seeds and clean them off. After this it would be planting then into a humidity dome to sprout.
Hi Brian, I was knew you would know the answer. They're still on the plant so I'll leave them alone and see if they turn red/orange. Thanks