Hidden Valley Hibiscus Forum

  Hello everyone,
I just did my first cross today. I read to keep the flower that was crossed in the shade so the pollen does not dry put before it can be absorbed? by the ovary.  How long do I need to keep it in the shade?  It was 91 today in San Jose.
thanks
Norm

Hi Norm,

Congratulations on making a cross. It is not the right season for success but with shade you might get some seeds. I would leave it in the shade for a week or so and then you can move it to more sun if you want. It's the heat that knocks the would-be pods off the plants. The best season is Oct through March although you can get seeds any time of year if you can create milder conditions in a shady place or in the house.

Charlie

 Hi Norm ,

If you let the plants get some morning sun and some evening sun they should set seed. I have over 200 seeds now and I pollinated them all this summer.
If the pads are not stick, you will have less of a chance of the cross taking.

Once the flowers closes and fall off , I give it about 1 week to see if it took. Some times if a CV gives false pods then its hard to tell if they took or not. For example Creole Lady makes false pods. I tried pollinating this numerous times with only one seed that was produced. I wouldn't say its infertile just reluctant to set seed.  I have a Cv called Antique treasure and it has about 5 pods left on it. It had 10 before September hit.

Pod pics :) ( one of creole lady's false pods)

This is what it would look like after the flower comes off
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v24/p963872568-5.jpg)

Receptacles start to fold in
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v25/p993704207-5.jpg)
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v21/p928884604-5.jpg)

Pod getting bigger
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v19/p1023968721-5.jpg)
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v20/p1025519266-5.jpg)

Pod turning brown and ready to open
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v11/p700563840-5.jpg)

open pod ( imagine seeds lol )
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v26/p575597268-5.jpg)

 Thanks Charlie & Kerry for the information and pics. I read that higher levels of humidity help the crosses take better. Is that true?  Here in San Jose the humidity is low, especially now. Charlie do you do most of your crosses in the greenhouse where humidity is higher?
thanks as always
Norm

Norm I am in Los Angeles so our humidity is not that high. I had my plants on my balcony they would get sun from sunrise to about 8 am then again at 3pm to sunset. It hasn't been as humid as last summer. My plants created their own humidity from being high up and the water evaporating from the soil.  This year I got more seeds that last year so not sure if humidity is key.

Hi Norm,

Moderation is the key for hybridizing. Not too high, not too low for all factors. I've made many crosses in the greenhouse and many in our house and office where we have 100 or so hibiscus. If you think its too low you can spray a fine mist of water on the pads after you make the cross.

Charlie

To get my pods I needed to bring the cv into a colder shady doorway, now I have many pods [2 have allready developed 16 seeds from 1 and 6 from the other] will it help ripen the pods better if I put it back in the sun, or should I just leave it in the shade till they all develop.

David, about the quickest I have seen seeds pods develop and crack open with ripe seeds is 6 weeks. If you get that in the shadier place then there's probably not much to gain by moving the plant back into the sun. In places like TX where they hybridize in winter and early spring but the pods finish ropening in early summer the pods usually ripen in the heat and do fine. Same with my greenhouse  - once a good pod has set it usually makes it to the end of the process although I have seen very cold nights cause them to fall.

Charlie