Your reputation as a competent hobby gardener will take on a new shine if you manage to grow magnificent amaryllis from seeds. The following step-by-step instructions explain why this form of propagation is not a closed book.
How do I propagate amaryllis by seeds?
To grow amaryllis from seeds, you should support pollination manually, then harvest the seeds, sow them on growing substrate and raise the seedlings at room temperature in partial shade until they are large enough to prick out.
Pollination better not left to chance
Hopes for numerous seeds remain unfulfilled if pollination does not occur within a Ritterstern flower. Instead of relying on your gardening luck, simply ensure fertilization. To do this, take a fine-haired, clean brush or a cotton swab from the third day after the flowers open. Use this tool to transport the yellow pollen onto the narrow, straight pistil in the center of the flower.
This is how you harvest the seeds in an exemplary manner
Following pollination, 6 to 8 weeks pass while the ovaries swell and the seeds inside ripen. Therefore, do not cut off the withered flowers and continue care unabated. If the fruit capsules are almost completely open and the black seeds are clearly visible, the seeds can be harvested. This is how it works:
- Knock off the opening seed capsules on the former flower stalk
- Carefully remove the seeds from the capsules without putting pressure on the seed leaves
- Let the seeds dry on a plate for 1 to 2 days
The fresher the seeds are when sown, the better the chances of success. Freshly harvested seeds score points with a germination rate of up to 80 percent.
Sowing instructions – How to do it right
Before you fill the growing substrate into the seed tray, spread expanded clay or seramis over the water drain as drainage. Follow these steps:
- Make 0.5-1.0 cm deep furrows in the substrate using a ruler
- Insert the seeds into it at short distances using blunt tweezers
- Close the furrows and water with a fine spray
- Cover the seed container with foil (€8.00 on Amazon) and place it in a partially shaded location at room temperature
The warm, humid microclimate under the transparent hood promotes germination. The first cotyledons will sprout within 2 to 3 weeks, so the film can be removed.
Pricking at the right time – this is how it works
If there is a tight space in the propagation box, isolation is on the agenda. To do this, select the strongest Ritterstern seedlings, because only they have the potential to bloom for the first time after 3 to 4 years. The young plants are transplanted into small individual pots filled with a mix of standard and cactus soil. In the following month, start nutrient supply by administering a liquid fertilizer with the NPK formulation 6+4+6 every 14 days.
Tip
Would you like to create a horticultural monument for yourself with a new Ritterstern variety? Then use a brush to transfer the pollen from one hybrid to the pistil of the other and be surprised by the result of the crossing.