How/when to cross?

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

It took three years from seed to this first bloom.

It's source was a bulb that my mother grew from seed herself approximately 25 years ago. On a whim I let that scape develop seed.

Now that I'm "experienced" (ha!) I'm considering trying to be a bit more deliberate and try to cross the original seed donor bulb (beautiful, dark rose) with another bulb (large, red) that I have. I'm not sure of the process. Can anyone help me out?

I currently have blooms in various stages of opening on both of the varieties that I'd like to cross.

Featured Answer

dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Itsmce,

You must have the chosen pollen before hand. Fresh pollen if you happen to have it or frozen pollen (thawed out for an hour or so) will do nicely also.

When you've selected the flower you wish to bear a seedpod, wait until the style with the stigma on the very end ( stigma with the 3 prongs) curls up and the 3 prongs at the end will open wide and this is when you dab on your pollen. The tip of the stigma should be moist but most often you can't tell and don't touch it so you don't contaminate it. Dab the pollen on several times a day for a few days, using a Q-tip is the easiest I find but a clean finger will work too.

Also, you should remove the pollen from the flower you wish to pollinate before the pollen sacs open if possible so to not contaminate the stigma and create a self. Just put the unopened sacs in a dish and they will open in a few days and then you can store the pollen if you wish to keep it after it has dried out for several days in one of those little plastic baggies.

The above picture of your pink flower should have had the pollen removed before the sacs opened but you can snip a piece of straw (about 4") and carefully cover your stigma (which is not currently ready to receive pollen as it is straight) being extremely careful not to send any of the pollen air-borne (sometimes a third hand is handy to keep the straw in place ) and wait an hour or so after you have removed your pollen just to make sure none is flying around in the air and then remove the straw and wait for the stigma to curl up, which might take several days.

I know my explanation isn't the best but it's really easy to do. Good Luck!

And by the way, from seed to bloom in just 3 years is really good!! I have some up to 5 years and am still waiting for a bloom!!!

Donna

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

itsmce (zone 6b, Kansas)
Original Author
9 years ago
Dondeldux,

Your explanation was very easy to follow. Thank you! I am confident that I can pull this off. One question: how do you decide which of the two to use the flower and which to use the pollen? As far as I know, I could use either of both. I still have unopened scrapes of each bulb variety that I'm wanting to mate.

Thanks!
Related Professionals
Tallahassee Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Gaithersburg Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Saint Cloud Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Eugene Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Spokane Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Middlesboro Landscape Contractors · Spanish Fork Landscape Contractors · Amherstburg Landscape Contractors · Jonesboro Architects & Building Designers · Valdosta Architects & Building Designers · Vincennes Architects & Building Designers · Hannibal Architects & Building Designers · Fort Worth Architects & Building Designers · Worthington Architects & Building Designers · New York City Architects & Building Designers
dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
9 years ago
Itsmce,

It's just a matter of preference on your part.

Not knowing which variety your dark red is, some reds such as my Red Pearl won't set seeds but my Benfica will. I haven't had a Red Lion in years but I'd guess that she will set seeds so I'd do it both ways to at least double your chances of getting viable seeds.

Donna
itsmce (zone 6b, Kansas)
Original Author
9 years ago
Dondeldux,

I've been snipping off the pollen sacs from one of the two bulbs I'm wanting to cross as the flowers are open enough for me to get in and do so. It will be a few days before the other bulb's flowers start to open and a few more before the stigma is ready to be pollinated. In your wonderful description of how to do the cross pollination you mentioned using "fresh" pollen. Would the pollen I'm collecting now still be considered fresh a week from now? At this point, it is sitting in a zip top baggie. Would it be better to stash it in the freezer until time to use it?

Another question: The source of the blooming seedling in the picture was just an accident. When I noticed (3 years ago) that the bulge behind the blossom was getting fat, I decided to let it mature. I am guessing that it was self pollinated. I didn't really know until this one opened and it is very nearly the same as the donor bulb. If it WAS self pollinated, can I assume that all the bulbs will be identical once they get to the bloom stage?

One more: The scape on the blooming bulb in the picture is only about 6-8" tall. Another seedling bulb sibling has a scape that is starting to open and it's just barely out of the bulb. Is this typical for 1st year blooming? Or, do I have something else going on that is causing them to be so short? As a side, I have been fighting "red blotch" for several years in my amaryllis herd. When I dug these seedling bulbs at the end of last summer, I was sad to see that some of them had red coloration in the papery layers.
dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Itsmce,

When I remove the pollen from a flower, you should keep it in a cup or something with an open top to let the air dry it out. If you close it up too soon any moisture that is in the pollen might cause the pollen to spoil. You want the pollen sacs to totally open and be able to dry. Don't be afraid to let you pollen sit in an open cup for 2 weeks or more before you close it up. (at least this is what I do)

Fresh pollen is just pollen from this blooming season, it can be several month old and still be fresh pollen, it is basically this year's pollen. Sometime I don't even freeze my pollen until fall but keep it in the fridge. You only need to freeze it if you think that you'd use it again next year.

If a seedpod is self pollinated it still contains all the genes that went into making that particular flower. The resulting seedlings can be very different or quite similar!

From time to time, most all of us here on the forum come across flowers that barely if at all make it out of the bulb before they bloom. I wouldn't use this flower for hybridizing only because I wouldn't think that it would be able to bring a seedpod to fruition. If it has a short stem, a few inches then you could try but not if part of the flower is still stuck in the bulb. I had this happen to one of my prize flowers this year Madame Butterfly but I was able to gather some fresh pollen from the flowers that never made it out of the neck. I never really did know why this happened!

As far as red blotch, luckily I haven't had to deal with this for about 8 years!! Keeping them high and dry is the best way to avoid it but sometimes if your weather Is really wet and you're bulbs are outside, it comes with the territory! When I had it on some gold ball sized seedlings, I dipped them in a really weak bleach solution and let them dry for a few weeks before I replanted them. Several folks on this forum have battled red blotch so if you put it in the search box at the top of the page, you might get some better hints from others.

Donna
itsmce (zone 6b, Kansas)
Original Author
9 years ago
Donna,

Thanks, again for all the info. I was not planning to use my seedling (with short scape) for pollinating. I have another bulb from the same rose-colored "bloodline" that has a nice tall scape and is about to open. The nice, big red one that I'm wanting to cross with has 2 flowers open/opening as of this morning with 2 more to go. These bulbs both seem to be in good shape. If for no other reason, I figured I wouldn't use my new babies to try to create seed because I think they don't need to be wasting any energy in trying to create seed. I want their efforts to go towards bulb growth!