How to Breed or Cross Plants
- 1). Select a a pair of plants that would be ideal for breeding purposes. When you are looking for parent plants you need to remember that you are looking for healthy plants that are ideal examples of their breed of plant. Don't select parent plants that are in poor health or don't measure up to horticultural standards. Make sure that the parent plant you are considering has a thick layer of pollen.
- 2). Using a piece of thread, mark which plant you want to use for seeds, and which plant you want to use for pollen.
- 3). Pick a time to breed your parent plants. The ideal time to breed plants is just before the plant blooms. If you wait until the parent plant is in full bloom the plant will be bred artificially and you will have lost your chance to create a better or crossbred plant.
- 4). Prevent your seed-bearing plant from self-pollinating by removing its stamens. The best way to remove a plant's stamens is to use a small pair of sharp scissors and cut them off. The best time to remove a parent plant's stamens is just as the top of the stamen starts to open. This is when the pollen is ready to fertilize a seed.
- 5). Using tweezers, gently rub the freshly cut stamen against the seed plant's stigma, dusting the stigma with pollen.
- 6). Use your fingers to gently fold the flower's petals over the stigma, this will give a the pollen a chance to fertilized the seed before wind or insects disturb the pollen.
- 7). Attach a label to the seed parent. On the label you should have recorded the type of plant, what type of pollen was used to fertilize it and what date the plant was fertilized.
- 8). Once the seeds have matured they will be ready for planting.
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