Collecting Seeds

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:25 pm

How do you know when the seeds are ready to collect?

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 6:11 pm

Most fruit will split open in some form or another when ripe. Another indicator is color. Most will change color (generally redish) when ripe.

If the fruit falls off the plant, it's probably ripe

If you gently tug at it, and it comes off the plant easily, it's probably ripe.

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 6:44 pm

Do cross pollinate the flower immediatly after it flowers?

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:07 pm

Wait for the stigma to open it's fingers and that the stamens are spread apart, full of pollen.

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:31 pm

Very cool example. Thanks Darryl

Post by **daiv** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:24 pm

Nice illustration Darryl - great "before and after" all in one shot!

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:58 am

Good one Dude.

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 4:31 pm

The funny thing is, i had taken that shot bearly 10 mins before i logged onto the forum

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:33 pm

How do you cross pollinate a flower?

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:41 pm

With another flower!

Using a small paint brush, or a Q-tip or your finger. Swish it around the stamens to collect the pollen, then paint the stigma fingers with the pollen.

and repeat

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:43 pm

CoronaCactus wrote:then paint the stigma fingers with the pollen.

At the other flower?

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:48 pm

If it's self-fertile, you can use the same flower. but otherwise, yes, pollen from one flower to the stigma of another.

The flower you paint the stigma with will be the one to (hopefully) produce the fruit/seeds. (ie: the mother) the flower that provided the pollen is the father. Doesn't really matter with same species, but does when crossing different species.

You can still do both to both flowers. Pollen from one to the other and then vice-versa to increase the fruit/seed production.

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 12:13 am

Very helpful.

Thanks Darryl.

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:50 am

No problem, Byron

Remember to clean off the brush before moving to a different specie!

Unless you want hybrids.

dustin0352 · Post by **dustin0352** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 1:47 pm

This might be a stupid question but its my first time trying to pollinate.. If I have one cactus, that is not self fertile, with say 3 flowers I can pollinate them with each other and eventualy get seed? or do I need 2 of the same cacti and take pollin from one to the other??