Artificial pollination of Strelitzia reginae

Time for artificial pollination of Strelitzia

The best time for pollination is between 8 and 10 in the morning.

Preparations before pollination

Disinfect the small calligraphy brush with ethanol and let it dry. It is best to have several pots of Strelitzia for pollination.

Steps to pollination of Strelitzia reginae

After the Strelitzia flowers bloom, we first need to gently separate the bright blue inner petals on both sides from the center, then use a small calligraphy brush to dip the mature pollen in the middle onto the brush, and then pollinate the narrow and long stigma at the tip, pollinating two flowers in each inflorescence.

After an interval of 2 to 3 days, repeat the pollination once more using the same method as above.

In addition, when pollinating, we can use cross-pollination or self-pollination. However, the fruiting rate of cross-pollination is higher than that of self-pollination, so the editor recommends cross-pollination. After pollination, only the seeds will mature in 80 to 100 days and can be collected.

Seed collection of Strelitzia reginae

The best time to collect seeds is when the tip of the fruit shell just cracks. After collecting the seeds, we need to expose the fruits to the sun, thresh the seeds, and sow them in time after threshing. The seeds of Strelitzia reginae are not very suitable for preservation.