About the Pollination Method of Cacti
If you want to learn about the cultivation of succulent cacti, the pollination method of cacti will be introduced by the editor next.
For most cacti enthusiasts, it is not enough to purchase finished cacti, seedlings, or seeds from the market for maintenance and propagation. Only by achieving sexual reproduction or creating new hybrid varieties can they get more fun. For beginners, they must first understand the flowering time, flower structure, pollination methods, and practical aspects of each type of cacti before engaging in pollination and reproduction to increase the success rate of pollination.
Flowering Time: divided into day-blooming varieties and night-blooming varieties. The duration of the flowers varies, with some cacti blooming for only one day (night-blooming), most varieties having a flowering period of 3 days, blooming during the day and closing at night, and some varieties blooming for more than ten days, with some species in the Echinopsis genus having a flowering period of about 15 days.
Pollination Time: Choose a short flowering period for pollination, observe whether the pollen on the stamens of the flowers is mature and whether the pistil is open and sticky. When all these conditions are met, it is a good time for pollination. Most varieties choose around 2 pm in the afternoon. For example, the flowering period of 'Wuyu Yu' is 3 days, and the best time for pollination is at 2 pm the next day.
Pollination Conditions: Closed flower pollination (pollination without flowering, represented by the "Coryphantha" genus), self-pollination (Lophophora and Mammillaria genera), and cross-pollination (pollination between flowers of different mother plants). Most cacti varieties require cross-pollination, which is the most charming aspect. New varieties can be selected through hybridization between different varieties.
Flower Structure: Petals, pistil, stamens (pollen), and ovary (the thick stem part below the petals).
Maturity Time: After successful pollination, the petals quickly wither, and the ovary gradually swells. The maturity time of seeds varies depending on the variety. When the seed pod's skin turns yellow, the pod sags, or it cracks open, it indicates that the seeds are mature.
Pollination Method: Use forceps to remove the stamens (containing mature pollen) and gently touch the pistil of another flower. If the pollen sticks to the pistil, it indicates successful pollination. The amount of pollen for pollination does not need to be large.
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