Aloe Pollination Method
Compared to the content about succulents like aloe for most people, the method of pollinating aloe is a very nice piece of knowledge, recommended for collection!
Just after the beginning of autumn, with a few weeks of cloudy and rainy weather, I believe both aloe and Haworthia will produce some flower spikes. Today, while discussing aloe experiences with a friend, I found that some aloe players refer to the pollination experience of Haworthia (Sedum) when pollinating aloe. There are not a few fine posts on pollination of Haworthia in forums, with various methods available, and everyone can choose according to their preferences for reference and practice. However, aloe and Shark's Fin are not the mainstream of the Asphodelaceae family now, and there is relatively less information available.
Alright, let's start introducing the pollination method of the aloe genus. If there are any mistakes, please point them out by the great masters. Certainly, some friends will ask why aloe pollination cannot refer to the Haworthia pollination method. The answer is simple: Haworthia is pollinated by hummingbirds, while aloe is pollinated by insects.
The aloe genus relies on insect pollination, so the stamens mature first, extending from the petals. (Here I have to say that compared to Haworthia, most aloe species have much more pollen, of course, there are many aloe varieties, and it cannot be generalized, perhaps there are also varieties with smaller stamens.) After the stamens mature, after a period of time, the pistils will mature, and the pistils will also extend out from the petals, indicating that pollination can take place. This is not like Haworthia, which is pollinated within 2-3 days after flowering, because Haworthia is pollinated by hummingbirds, so neither the pistils nor the stamens extend out of the petals after maturing. Aloe relies on insect pollination, and both the stamens and pistils extend out of the petals after maturing, facilitating insect pollination.
Of course, aloe and Haworthia have the same characteristic of not being able to self-pollinate, which is what we often call self-pollination. Because most aloe varieties have abundant pollen in the stamens, and the pistils actively extend out of the petals, we do not need to remove the petals and then pollinate the pistils as with Haworthia. When the pistil of aloe extends, we can collect pollen from the stamens with a small brush and pollinate the pistil, or we can directly hold the aloe flower and align the stamens and pistils. The specific method depends on personal preference. About three days after successful pollination, unsuccessful flowers will wither, and the ovary of successfully pollinated flowers will start to swell. It takes about one to two weeks for the seed pod to break through the petals. Personally, I feel that the maturity of aloe seed pods is relatively slower than that of Haworthia. I confirmed the successful pollination of an aloe seed pod on the 31st of last month, and it still hasn't cracked open, almost two weeks now. It might be because of the frequent cloudy and rainy weather these weeks and the relatively low temperature, so the seed pods mature slowly. I wouldn't dare to speculate on the specific reasons.
I will briefly talk about sowing. I think aloe genus sowing can refer to Haworthia, and there are also not a few fine posts on Haworthia sowing in forums. I think on the basis of Haworthia sowing and soil preparation, you can add a little more peat or other fertile substrates. Personally, I think that compared to Haworthia, aloe does not have such high requirements for root air circulation, so you can add a bit more peat to increase the growth speed of aloe seedlings.
In conclusion, here are the differences between Haworthia and aloe in flowering and pollination:
1. Haworthia is pollinated by hummingbirds, and neither the stamens nor the pistils extend from the petals after maturing. Aloe relies on insect pollination, with the stamens maturing first and extending from the petals, followed by the pistils maturing and also extending from the petals.
2. Compared to Haworthia, aloe has relatively more pollen and can use small brushes or other tools, of course, you can also directly align the points.
3. Haworthia flowers form a single flower from a flower bud, with the top flower bud of the flower spike slowly forming. Most aloe genera first form many flower buds, even the whole flower spike, and then bloom in sequence.
4. Haworthia varieties have a general flowering pattern each year, for example, the earliest flowering variety, Keping, flowers around April, while the relatively late ones like Xie, Wanshi, are about two months apart from Keping, mostly flowering in spring. Some aloe varieties bloom mostly depending on the environment, and can bloom several times a year as long as the environment is suitable, whether in spring or autumn. An aloe I cultivated bloomed twice last autumn and once this spring.
Welcome to add more.
Because the flowering and pollination process was forgotten by the楼主, a picture of the seed pod is attached for everyone's understanding.
This article shares the specific introduction of the pollination method of aloe (experience of flower friends) for reference by netizens.