Seed Germination

Let us assume you have a mature plant that is starting to flower. As the flower opens you will see the stigma and normally 6 anthers, the stigma is the longer one of the seven, and has has three sticky projections. Successfull pollination can only take place when the flower is mature, this can be seen when the stigma becomes sticky. At this stage the flower is receptive and you can comence with your breeding.

When you have determined that the stigma is receptive, you can gently pinch off an anther from the plant you want to breed to it. I then take the anther and rub it over the 3 tips of the stigma, you will find that the pollin sticks to it readily. If you find that the stigma is dry and the pollen does not stick, you can make up a sugar water solution and put a little bit onto the stigma, wait a few minutes and then rub the anther over it again, you will find that it should stick. Once I have pollinated the flower I use a peice of masking tape to document the cross and the date of the cross and I then stick this onto the little stalk of the particular flower.

Storing pollen for later use
Sometimes you will want to save some pollen for another plant which may not be open yet. In this case you can pinch off several anthers and drop them into a gelatin capsule, microcentifuge tube or a small glass/plastic container. Leave it in a cool dry place for a day and then it can be put into the fridge or deep freezer. It can be stored at -18 to -20 C for about 3 to 4 years. To see how to make a simple pollen storage case, click here.

After your successful pollination, the berries will start to swell and ripen, as it ripens it will change colour from green to red, in the case of reds and oranges, yellow in the yellow and peach plants. Once it is mature (8 to 12 months), the berries can be harvested, always rememering to mark the seeds so that you know which crosses they are.

To remove the seeds from the berry, I have found that by putting them into the fridge for a day or two, really helps, the outer skin and pulp becomes easier to remove. After you have removed the seeds, it is advisable to wash them in water and an anti bacterial dish washing liquid, in case there are any fungal spores on them.

At this stage they are ready to be planted. There are many different mediums you can use, and most of them work, some better than others, I mainly use either Coco peat or washed silica/river sand, this is placed into the seed tray (deeper is better). I then push the seeds (if they have not started germinating yet) slightly into the medium, about half the depth of the seed. I keep my medium moist from here on (not soggy). On top of this I sprinkle a layer of pine wood shavings, I find it retains moisture better and it is easier when watering, because the seeds do no get disturbed.

Within 3 weeks you will see some changes, sometimes the new root pushes against the medium and the seed is lifted out , then you will have to make a small hole (using a pencil or screwdriver) and reinserting the root into the medium. Very soon you will see very nice little green faces peeping though the wood shavings. Some grow faster than others.

I leave them in the planting tray for about 6 months before planting them out into individual pots or bags. And within 3 years you will lots of flowering Clivia, and you can start all over again.