Propagation help

[el48tel]

If I have two plants grown from the same batch of seed, and they are able to flower, and they are pollinated from each other, will the seed be viable? Or does there need to be another plant of the same species from a different seed batch?

[Chris L]

The seed should be viable.

[BrianMc]

If I have two plants grown from the same batch of seed, and they are able to flower, and they are pollinated from each other, will the seed be viable? Or does there need to be another plant of the same species from a different seed batch?

In theory all will be good if the two plants are not genetically/clonally identical, so siblings germinated from the same batch of seed will be different clones.

Some species of cacti are self fertile and don't need a second partner, so even if two plants have been vegetatively reproduced and are the same clone they could still pollinate each other

Some hybrid plants can be infertile ( especially if they are intergeneric hybrids) in which case they will never produce seed themselves, whether the other plant is from the same batch or different batch of seed.

- so it depends on what species/plants you are talking about

[el48tel]

ChrisL and BrianMc
thanks
Yes I did follow the most comprehensive explanation - my question was to address some Gymnocalycium and Lobivia plants I have acquired in duplication, some seeds from self-fertiles like Setiechinopsis and in anticipation of some seeds which will be collected hopefully from own Echinopsis hybrids. And yes I have one hybrid known to be a producer of pollen but not seeds.

[Terry S.]

Certainly not a silly question because in many plant genera there is a barrier to siblings being able to pollinate each other; it is mechanism to protect genetic diversity and hence survival in the long term. So we are very lucky that such mechanisms do not seem to act within succulent plants in a wide range of genera and it is fairly easy for us to produce seeds irrespective of how genetically close the prospective parents are. I wonder why? Is it a reaction to arid habitats? Is it that many populations are quite isolated on individual hills and have arisen from a few chance seeds that have got there by whatever mechanism?

[el48tel]

Certainly not a silly question because in many plant genera there is a barrier to siblings being able to pollinate each other; it is mechanism to protect genetic diversity and hence survival in the long term. So we are very lucky that such mechanisms do not seem to act within succulent plants in a wide range of genera and it is fairly easy for us to produce seeds irrespective of how genetically close the prospective parents are. I wonder why? Is it a reaction to arid habitats? Is it that many populations are quite isolated on individual hills and have arisen from a few chance seeds that have got there by whatever mechanism?

Thanks
I posed the question because as a newbie I had been told on numerous occasions that I needed to buy multiples from numerous sources should I want to have successful pollination. Reliable growers provide much data about their plants .... that's when possible seed origin of the plants came to mind. Unreliable growers provide no information about origin .... that's when offsets versus seed origin becomes the question. My own inadequate database and failing memory and growing collection add to the problem!

[Chris L]

You need two of the same species of plants to produce seed that is true, and that means you have to have them both flower at the same time and have them quarantined to make sure insects don't interfere when you aren't looking.

Also you would need to be sure that the parent plants are actually what they claim to be, and that is something that isn't always the case, especially if buying from more than one source.

The plants I sell always have the seed supplier built into the label code and use the stock number from that supplier. That way everyone knows where it has come from and it can be traced back.

For instance:
Haworthia springbok vlakensis : 2019_HAW_193 (Haworthia Society)
Fenestraria rhopalophylla : 2018_MSG_3302 (Mesemb Study Group)
Gymnocalycium gertii STO521 : 2018_SCS_6703 Loma Bola, Cordoba, Arg (Succseed)

It is possible to get seed to set using different species. Sometimes it comes true, sometimes it results in hybrids, sometimes the seed doesn't germinate. Often you need the plants to be in the same seed group (i.e. Gymnocalycium)

Very often your own plants produce seeds with a good germination rate and you are left with dozens of plants you can't get rid of......