I've done it. It isn't hard to do and very worthwhile, if just for the learning experience. First study the flowers. That is always the case with any plant you wish to pollinate. All gesneriads seem to operate the same way. When the flowers open you will see inside the anthers, which are fused together with lots of nice fluffy yellow pollen where they are fused. This is the best time to harvest pollen. I use any number of tools, though I frequently use my trusty finger nail. But a steak knife works well, or a tooth pick, or a pencil, etc. This is the male phase. In a few days the anthers with pollen will retract and the pollen eventually becomes unusable. At this point the stigma exerts itself by growing out and then flaring open at the receptive tip. This is the time to pollinate it. You could use pollen stored from the same flower but it is easier to just transfer pollen from a new flower to an older one.

Next, grow the plant in good light, as it has been all along, and watch the flower. It should wither pretty quickly after pollinating--about a day. Then, slowly a green berry will form. The berry is roundish oval. It stays on the plant for a period that I have forgotten--I think about two months MOL. At the end it becomes soft and olive brown. Then you harvest the seeds by picking the berry (it should come off with the slightest touch) and smearing the whole mess onto a regular sheet of white paper, spreading the pulp with tiny seeds all over. Let the sheet dry for a day, and then the seeds will flake off and can be collected in a very clean state. Don't plant all your seeds at the same time in the same pot. You may discover that you then will get a solid carpet of seedlings. It is better to lightly plant a few seeds. Never cover gesneriad seed. First thoroughly wet the seed starting medium and then scatter the seeds over the premoistened surface, enclose the pot in a ziplock bag and put in good indirect light. Fresh seed germinates very quickly, though gesneriad seed can take up to three weeks. You will see tiny tiny green seedlings. These grow quickly and stay green for quite a while. When grown on, they will begin to show hints of their future colors and patterns as new leaves emerge. Its a great project. But, I would encourage you to at least think about putting up a light stand to grow them and your other plants. You needn't purchase and expensive light stand unit--you can put one together easily from metro style shelving and lights + timer from a hardware store.

Jon

PS. Episcias can be more difficult to set seed on than other gesneriads. I don't know why, but I had good luck here in dry California. I think the plant needs to be in good light and be a healthy plant. Not every flower that is pollinated will set a berry so try it over and over again.

Thank you John for this explanation. I'm glad it's here so I can read through it again, since we had that discussion over on the hybridizing forum. New flower pollen on older flower stigma, got it.

Old, old post but still good to read, thank you.

I love Jon Dixon, he knows everything. If you try to pollinate Episcias or Petrocosmeas - get them under the domes after pollination. The high humidity helps set the seeds.

I've got that covered, although what amounts to 'high' humidity I haven't found yet. But it's episcia in my 75 gallon terrarium that I'm working with. The reds specifically like Red Gator and Looking Glass so far. It averages 50 to 70% humidity in there right now and is apt to go up higher as our temperatures continue to warm. So far the flowers I attempted to pollinate then wilted within 12 to 24 hours so I am inclined to take that as a good sign.

Hope to see a pic of your Episcia berries. Thad Scaggs says that you need to grow seedlings to maturity - because they change so much from the young plantlets. He showed me pics of some unbeleivably iridescent young plants... that matured to be quite boring...

Yes, 18 months is suggested. I have been doing a lot of reading. -If- I get any berries I'll be happy to share photos and what I learn from it.

I would like to know how to make my episcia leaves grow larger. What is the fertilizer I should use

Ruzaina

You are limited by genetics - if it is a small leaf Episcia - you won't convert it into rhubarb. Otherwise - do not give it too much light - probably something you can get from 2 T12 fluorescent is correct. I use AV fertilizer on everything 1/8 -1/4 of a teaspoon per gallon - but supposedly Episcia is a heavy feeder - so I wouldn't increase mineral fertilizer but probably add a weak fish emulsion. Fresh soil is good, but the most important - remove stolons and buds. I would say the best way will be start from fresh - root 3 cuttings in a 5" bulb pot, cover them with a baggie for a week - and then just observe them growing, turn the pot every week and do not let them spend energy on stolons and buds - pinch-pinch- pinch. You will get a full pot of 3 vigorous big leaf plants - and at some point - you stop pinching flowers and may be let a stolon on each to grow to finish it.

Episcia is such a fast growing plant - that the whole project will take 3-4 months - ad at 6 months it will be overgrown - and you need to restart it.

I have berries! I'm taking down my terrarium for our summer relocation but I'll try to get photos as they get larger.

First episcia berry collected and laid out to dry. You can see the seeds ripened here still on and inside of the fruit. I will smear it over a paper plate and let it dry a few days before I break it apart, sow some of it, and store the rest in the refrigerator in low humidity.

Great news, have not heard about episcia berries. Have to look for them in my plants. We have to let the flower dry on the plant for some time I suppose. Pls let us know when the seedlings begin to grow

The important thing with cross pollinating them that I've read and been told is that a berry will not form unless humidity is high. For me that's not a problem this time of the year but if your humidity isn't well over 50% you may have to put yours into a terrarium to get berries to ripen.

If you do get seed, Dale Martens warns that it takes an average of 1.5 /years/ for the plants to mature enough to show what the adult leaf coloring will stabilize as - young plant leaf colors apparently are very unstable and highly changeable. So you'll need a lot of space, time and patience.