I have purchased about 20 different types of Hippeastrums in the last few weeks and i do not want them to cross-breed and create new hybrids.....does anyone know how far apart i should plant them.
Thanks,
Sandra :)
Different Varieties of Hippeastrum
Are you planning on saving the seed to make new bulbs? If you take off the spent flowers, like I do, and don't care about seed, you can plant them as close as you want. Most people wait for the mother bulb to produce baby bulbs, and use them to increase their collection.
I am going to try and save the seeds this year, right now i have them planted pretty close to each other.....I don't want the colors to mix..i love them how they are :)
Here are some of them on my flower/garden pictures.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.1504788239221.57705.1819714998&l=d9a88dc272
Thanks,
Sandra :)
I presume that you intend to multiply your stock through exclusively selfpollinating them, with the idea in mind, that the offspring will look like the respective parents iow: Show off the same "pure" colors. Instead, you will obtain different colors, since Hippeatrums, at least these with big blooms, are hybrids - their genetic makeup is "mixed" not "homozgous".
If you want to selfpollinate anyways, but with making sure that no crosspollination concours, then I would force the respective bulb(s) indoors. Out of one bulb, and the couple of florets it produces, respectively, you can obtain already more than enough seeds. Simply use a small soft paintbrush, and transfer some pollen (only minor amounts are needed) gently on the 3-branched stigma of each individual flower one or two day after it had opened.
I was trying to figure out how far away i needed to plant each different hybrid apart from each other so they don't all start mixing with each other.
Thanks,
Sandra :)