Aquatic Plant Central - View Single Post - Anyone know how to extract seeds from crypts?

954baby · 12-01-2011, 05:04 PM

Really the luck of the draw. I had success this past flowering season with naturally pollinating my crypts. I left my vents open on my humidity domes on my outside set ups. I would try to put all of the flowering plants into the same setup to increase the odds of pollination. I had 4 see pods out of hundreds of flowers. I know there are ways to artificially do it. You can research it but it's very difficult. You have to catch the flower on the exact right time to pollinate. I know it takes a day or 2 for the flower to mature to where they can be pollinated. What the flower does is it attracts the bugs into the flower and when they are able to be pollinated they close off from the inside and do not allow the bugs to escape and if they have pollen on them from other crypts then pollination occurs. When my plants flower there are swarms of bugs. I have a seed pod on my C. becketti right now that I know was likely pollinated by a C. spirialis. Time will tell on what that plant is going to look like.

I tried to pollinate a few flowers with no success. I saw a blog about how to do it and they said you have to catch the flowers at the right time and then you can cut the side of the spaeth you want to flower and insert the pollen from another plant into that hole. I tried, no luck. I know that window is very small like only a few hours. If you find anything make sure to post a link.

12-01-2011, 05:04 PM	#2 (permalink)
954baby Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft.Lauderdale,Florida Posts: 382 iTrader Ratings: 59 iTrader Positive Rating: 100% Plant Points:	Re: Anyone know how to extract seeds from crypts? Really the luck of the draw. I had success this past flowering season with naturally pollinating my crypts. I left my vents open on my humidity domes on my outside set ups. I would try to put all of the flowering plants into the same setup to increase the odds of pollination. I had 4 see pods out of hundreds of flowers. I know there are ways to artificially do it. You can research it but it's very difficult. You have to catch the flower on the exact right time to pollinate. I know it takes a day or 2 for the flower to mature to where they can be pollinated. What the flower does is it attracts the bugs into the flower and when they are able to be pollinated they close off from the inside and do not allow the bugs to escape and if they have pollen on them from other crypts then pollination occurs. When my plants flower there are swarms of bugs. I have a seed pod on my C. becketti right now that I know was likely pollinated by a C. spirialis. Time will tell on what that plant is going to look like. I tried to pollinate a few flowers with no success. I saw a blog about how to do it and they said you have to catch the flowers at the right time and then you can cut the side of the spaeth you want to flower and insert the pollen from another plant into that hole. I tried, no luck. I know that window is very small like only a few hours. If you find anything make sure to post a link.