Can someone tell me how you go about hand pollinating aroids. The only one I currently have blooming is Variegated Wentii but wondered how I would cross pollinate it with another. Also, can you hand pollinate it to itself?
Pollinating Aroids.
I had the regular Wentii and it never produced any pollen. Without pollen, you cannot do the pollination. I tried bringing in pollen from others and it didn't work. I have been doing aroid hybridization since the late 1970s.
The inflorescences are receptive to pollen first, when the spathe just begins to open. The pistillate area is inside the lower, closed part of the spathe. Usually you need to cut away a portion to gain access. After the spathe has been fully open for a day or two (depending on ambient temperature), pollen, if any, will drop. You would have to collect this pollen in a little vial and keep it dry and cool (refrigerate) until your next inflorescence is receptive if you want to try selfing a plant.
LariAnn
Aroidia Research
Thanks, it may be too late for this bloom but I saw another forming.
once you collect the pollen then what? sorry for dumb question.
Check out Pollinations 101
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/548300/
ROX
Another good method is to flush the pollen down the inflorescence with water and then recollect the water, then either preserve this water, or ideally put it to use right away. It would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the appearance of the male and female parts of the pistillate area. They do change sex parts as the spadix ages. The receptivity of pollen in the first few days of opening is the mechanism to avoid self pollination, giving other individuals a chance before the last resort of self fertilization. Gotta keep the old gene pool fresh eh!!! Mother Nature is such a foxy ingenious lady.
ok awesome got one to pollinate now have a red seeds? when can they be planted?
Abraham
The red "seeds" are berries that have one or more seeds inside. You need to squeeze the berries out on a piece of paper towel and get the seeds out. I then put the seeds into some distilled water in a little cup overnight. Next day, I'll rinse them and plant them on well draining media in a container with a cover so they don't dry out. They will sprout in a week or two.
LariAnn
Aroidia Research
excellent. I will try that. How long do I have to remove them from the Plant? Is there a time line before the go "bad".
If the seeds dry out, game over. The berries must be juicy; once they dry up, you're out of luck. Dried Alocasia seeds have no viability, period.
LariAnn
Aroidia Research
Ok I will do it tonight.
well almost three weeks no plants came up. N.ot sure what i did wrong. Can the seeds be bad?
If you have been keeping the soil moist and the seeds never dried out from squishy berry to moist soil in pot, they should come up. I usually sow mine on the surface so I see when germination starts, but if you buried yours, you might not see anything for another week or so.
You are so right! I moved my plats to a shaded irrigated area of my yard. Today I noticed a number of seedlings. I'm excited. Thanks