STEP-BY-STEP POLLINATE & PROPAGATE ANTHURIUMS

Follow these steps to pollinate your favourite anthurium species, or cross with another one to create your own hybrid, then use the seed to raise new plants.

1 FIND a spadix (floral spike) that’s shedding pollen and use a soft artist’s brush to sweep some onto a piece of aluminium foil. If you’re not using the pollen immediately, fold up the aluminium foil, seal it, place it in a ziplock bag and pop it in the freezer.

2 LOOK for a receptive spadix – it will be glistening with small sticky wet droplets that are being released by the female flowers. Using the same brush, apply pollen evenly all over the spadix.

3 WAIT for berries to form. This may take anywhere from one to 18 months. If pollination is not successful, the spadix will shrivel and brown within weeks.

4 PLACE a mesh bag over the ripening berries to collect them as they fall. They will fall at different times. Remove and process them as they fall, rather than waiting for them all to drop.

5 STERILISE a stainless steel tray with surface spray and dry with a paper towel.

6 LINE the tray with a paper towel and carefully tip ripened berries onto the towel. Remove the fleshy skin to reveal the seed. Use tweezers and a steel loop (Alicia uses a blackhead extractor) to assist. Otherwise, you can use a gloved hand.

7 FILL a bowl with clean water and soak the seeds for 30 minutes.

8 REMOVE the seeds from the bowl and use tweezers to carefully remove the gel-like casing around each one.

9 PLACE seeds on a fresh paper towel and moisten with water. Fold the towel over the seeds, slip the package into a ziplock bag (to retain moisture), then label and place in a warm spot. Seeds should germinate in 7–14 days. Check them after one week, remove any rotting seeds, and place back into position if more time is needed for germination.

10 USE tweezers to carefully pick out the seedlings for transplanting. If needed, mist the paper towel thoroughly to make it easier to remove them.

11 PLANT the seedlings into a plastic container (no drainage holes) filled with a 50:50 mix of moistened coir peat and perlite. Use a knitting needle or similar to make deep planting holes. Carefully insert each plant, ensuring the roots are covered.

12 PLACE the container into a large plastic storage container or mini-greenhouse and position in a warm, brightly lit spot, out of direct sunlight. Water or mist regularly to keep the mix moist and maintain humidity. Once the seedlings become crowded, it’s time to transplant.

13 PLANT established seedlings into individual pots filled with fine orchid bark, water well and position in a warm, bright spot indoors to grow on.