Anthurium seeds, including from China: how do they look in the photo, what you need to know about flower propagation in order to grow at home, how to plant?

Anthurium is an evergreen plant of the Aroid family, which is famous for its original beauty. Its bright and unusual flowers resemble artificial ones in appearance. Anthurium is quite finicky in care, therefore it is most often grown in greenhouses, but an experienced florist can cope with it at home.

It is customary to give this flower to men, so it received the unofficial name of Male happiness. Anthurium is also often called the Flamingo Flower. Next, we will tell you how to grow and plant anthurium at home, including if the seeds were brought from China.

Advantages and disadvantages of the method

The advantages of growing a flower at home from seeds include the fact that this is the only propagation method that allows you to grow more than a dozen plants at the same time. For those who want to try their hand at the role of a breeder, this method is more suitable than the others, since the grown plant is likely to be unlike the "parent".

Of the minuses, we can distinguish that such a method of growing will be fraught with certain difficulties. For example, you will have to pollinate a flower to obtain seeds on your own, and the characteristics of the plant grown can be unpredictable. Anthurium seed has a short shelf life of less than 6 months, it makes no sense to plant after its expiration.

Reference. Seed propagation is suitable for varietal species of anthurium, for hybrids it is better to use vegetative methods.

Home breeding time

The best time of the year for planting seeds (as well as for other methods of reproduction) is spring, namely the period from mid-April to mid-May. Landing at the beginning of summer is also considered acceptable.

Planting in the winter is undesirable, however, it will also be effective with proper care. For winter sowing, it is better to choose the second half of February. Sprouts need to provide an ambient temperature of at least 22-25 degrees Celsius and additional lighting.

Soil preparation

For anthurium, light and loose soil is best suited. As components for the soil mixture, vermiculite, perlite and turf soil can be used in a ratio of 1: 1: 2. Another scheme is also widespread: humus, peat, sheet land and coarse sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 0.5. It is useful to add pieces of charcoal and sphagnum moss to the substrate.

Capacity selection

Anthurium has a superficial root system, therefore, a shallow and wide tank is well suited for it. It is better to use a pot made of natural materials, such as clay. In such dishes, the plant will feel more comfortable than in plastic.

Anthurium seeds are first sown in small containers, which are then covered with a film for seed germination.
Then, 1-2 weeks after emergence, the plant, along with the soil, is transplanted into a more spacious pot.

If you use too spacious dishes for seeds at once, the plant will grow much more slowly.

Work with seed

Sowing material can be obtained both independently (by pollinating a flower), and you can get ready-made.

Reference. Healthy seeds of the plant are small in size, have an oblong-rounded shape, fresh - orange-brown, dried - dark brown.

Get it yourself

Work with fruits and seeds is strongly recommended with gloves, since direct contact with the skin can cause irritation or allergies.

To obtain seeds, the flower must be pollinated manually, choosing a sunny day for this. It will take at least two plants.
Next, you need to prepare a small soft brush.
With a brush, it is necessary to collect pollen from the inflorescence of one plant and transfer it to the inflorescence of the second.
The pollination process is repeated for 5-7 days.
Fruit ripening occurs in 10-12 months.
Ripe berries are removed, the shell is removed.
The resulting seeds must be dried in the open air (no more than 1-2 days), and then prepared for planting.

Photo

And here is how the seeds of anthurium look in the photo

Buying from China

Reviews about the seeds of anthurium, which were brought from China, vary greatly. Some consider such a purchase as risky, as they encountered dishonest sellers who gave out the seeds of another plant as anthurium, or provided false information about the timing of the collection of seeds. However, there are relatively few such reviews.

When ordering seed, preference should be given to trusted sellers. with a good reputation (you can find out about it by customer reviews). Next, you need to contact the supplier and inquire about the quality of the seeds, the features of the selected variety and the timing of collection.

Attention! It must be remembered that the sowing material of Anthurium does not retain its viability for a short time, so it is worthwhile to purchase only those seeds that have been recently collected.

Preliminary processing

Immediately before planting, the seeds must be soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 15 minutes, then put on a napkin or soft cloth to remove excess moisture. This procedure is necessary for the disinfection of seed.

How to plant?

Pour the prepared substrate into the container, pour it over and allow the water to soak.
Spread the seeds on the surface of the soil, sprinkle it a little on top.
Cover the container with polyethylene or glass.
It is important to provide future plants with lower heating and bright lighting. The temperature in the room should not be lower than 25 degrees.
Every day you need to open a container with seeds for ventilation for 7-10 minutes.
Soil should be sprayed with water as it dries.
The first seedlings can be seen a week after planting the seeds, the main - in 10-15 days. At the stage of forming the first real leaf, polyethylene (glass) can be removed.
Further, the anthurium can be transplanted into the pot (in addition to the soil, the pot must have drainage, for example, from crushed stone or river sand).

Follow-up care

The plant prefers warm and humid air, but it should be protected from scorching sunlight. Before flowering, anthurium is fertilized monthly with a complex mineral fertilizer (preferably for flowering plants).

Watering is carried out regularly, about 2-3 times a week. Drying of the soil should not be allowed. It will not be superfluous to periodically spray the foliage of the plant with water at room temperature.

If you put sphagnum moss near the base of the stem, the moisture in the soil will last longer.

When to wait for flowering?

Anthurium grown from seeds usually blooms no earlier than four years after germination of seedlings.

If "Male Happiness" does not take root

Cold. If the temperature in the room drops below 16 degrees, this can adversely affect the tropical plant. It is necessary to take care of a warmer room for growing.
Lack of moisture in the air. Dry air can also lead to a deterioration in the condition of anthurium - this problem can be solved by spraying the leaves and air around the plant.
Drafts as well as sudden changes in temperature, adversely affect the anthurium.
Violation of the irrigation regime. Too frequent or, conversely, insufficient watering can destroy the plant. It is necessary to water anthurium regularly and moderately.
Pests may cause the death of the flower. It is important once every 2 months, and also, as necessary, to carry out treatment against parasites.
Lack of light It will provoke withering of the plant, and being in direct sunlight - its drying. It is important to maintain a healthy balance of lighting.
Nutrient soil. Anthurium, like many other indoor plants, needs regular additional nutrition, it should not be neglected.

The homeland of the anthurium is the tropics, and this is why there is some difficulty in caring for the plant for residents of temperate and northern latitudes. However, this does not stop gardeners impressed by the exotic beauty of the capricious flower. It has become popular both for horticultural and indoor cultivation in many countries of the world. With proper, conscientious care, the anthurium will delight its owner with a long and bright flowering. Now you know how to plant seeds and grow “Male Happiness” from them.