How to pollinate succulents

1. Preparation before pollination

First, select two flower buds that bloom almost at the same time, and be careful to distinguish between stamens and pistils. The part where it spits out small dewdrops is the stigma of the pistil, through which the pollen is transported to the ovary to complete the pollination process.

On the second or third day after the bud is fully open, small dewdrops will appear on the stigma, just like the sap has burst. It is best to pollinate at this time. Pollination too early or too late will result in pollination failure. The yellow exploding heads on the outer circle of the flower are stamens. You must wait until they explode before collecting pollen.

2. Pollination steps

Some flowers have relatively small openings. In order to facilitate pollination, the sepals and petals on the outside of the flower need to be cut off. At the same time, in order to prevent its own pollen from being transferred to its own stigma, the stamens also need to be cut off and put aside for later use. Without the obstruction of sepals, the success rate of pollination is greatly improved, and impurities on the calyx will not affect the collection of seeds.

Most succulents cannot self-pollinate, so the stamens cut from the two flowers should be numbered to prevent confusion. Stamen No. 1 pollinates style No. 2, and stamen No. 2 pollinates style No. 1. Wipe the cut stamen No. 1 on the stigma of flower No. 2, so that the pollen is evenly covered on it until the presence of pollen can be clearly seen. If there is honey on the stigma, remove the honey before pollination. After completing these steps, the pollination process is basically completed.

3. Wait for the seeds to mature

After pollination, all you can do is wait for the seeds to mature. After successful pollination, the seed pod will slowly crack as it matures, and the seeds will be exposed to a certain extent. When the time comes, they will fall off naturally. You can place a box under the seed pod to collect the fallen seeds.