HYBRIDIZING THE EASY WAY

Visit the Seed Pod page

I get so many seed pods i give most away so if i lose some in germination its not a big concern to me,hence i dont sterilize the soil but transfer the small sproats soon after germination into fresh soil. Your odds will be higher with sterilized soil as you will remove many bateria that may affect seedlings during germination but most survive no matter what. Getting them past 2 years old is a bigger concern.


Below are step by step pictures for the Bag Method-1 thru 11 from top to the bottom, in order they show the tools needed,cutting the fruit or seed pod in half, squeezing out the pulp from both halfs to get the seeds, straining out large pieces of unwanted pulp-no worries you dont have to get them all just the bigger pieces, straining off the water into a 4 inch pot with soil mix, covering with a plastic bag leaving the end open. The last 5 pictures show what it looks like when you have a magenta colored seed pod. Many new seeds in there own mini greenhouse (platic bag)-note; leave one end partially open and each cross should be in separate containers dont co-mingle them for each group of cross made. some small babies germinated about 3 to 4 weeks old, a picture of a 2006 cross-3yr old not ready to bloom yet, but notice how the 3 yr old is spiny-usually the stems will become flat at the tips in its 2nd to 4th year.



















But you say WAIT A SECOND HOW DID YOU GET THIS SEED POD! Well you have to pollinate one Epi bloom with another by taking the pollen from the anthers of one and placing in the throat of the stigma on another. (SEE PICTURE BELOW). It easy to do as most Epis are very fertile, use a swab to collect or even your finger. Place the pollen you collect in the throat of the stigma. Shake it in upright position to be sure it slides downward.THAT'S IT ! EASY ! In a week or so you'll know if it worked. With a marker pen remember to write the cross on the stem, or use wrap around plastic tags but they always fall off-marker pen is best.