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| Base of hibiscus flower |
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Top of a hibiscus flowerPlant Parts
Hybridizing
Hybridizing is the act of crossing a plant via its reproductive organs on the flower. Now that you know the flower parts and where they are located, next comes the fun part. The actual crossing of the flowers to obtain a seed pod. This creates seeds that are completely unique, and can be even more stunning than their parents.
Step 1: Picking a mother and father.
The first step of hybridizing is choosing the parent plants. Crossing at random may yield some great results but the real creativity in hybridizing is breeding for perfection. This consists of looking at the diverse traits of your plants, and deciding which traits are desirable and which traits can be improved upon. These can be traits like flower color, flower texture, plant growth, root growth, leaf shape, insect resistance, etc..
Next, it's time to pick a father. When picking a father you want to look at the flowers pollen. Healthy pollen is moist and is easily collected with the use of a q-tip or a small painters brush. This will be applied to the stigma or female reproductive organ of the flower.
Choosing a reliable mother can be a little trickier than picking a father as it requires some time and practice. A receptive ovary depends on the cultivar. Another factor one needs to consider is what season your crossing in. Hibiscus are more likely to produce seed during the winter season. In Hawaii the weather is perfect for many successful crosses.
**Important**
(Not all cultivars are reliable breeders. Some may have very healthy pollen, while others may be sterile. Some varieties may be excellent seed setters, while others may set seed occasionally, or not at all.)
Step 2: The cross.
The next step is usually done before noon. Pollen often doesn't remain viable for very long, and the heat of day causes the pollen to dry. In the morning the pollen caps of the flower will burst and the stigmas will become sticky and receptive. Take a q-tip and gently collect pollen from the father flower. While doing this examine the pollen, if it is rough and grainy it could be no good and the cross will have to take place another time. It is not uncommon for some pollen caps to be completely empty in some cultivars. If the pollen is moist and readily sticks to the q-tip it is ready to be put onto the stigmas of the mother flower.
The flowers stigmas are the most receptive in the morning. Make sure to apply pollen generously to the stigmas, and make sure to cover as much of them as possible. More pollen means more chance of success. If crossing in hot or dry places I recommend misting the flower with a spray bottle after crossing. This will keep your cross from drying out before the pollen has a chance to fertilize the ovule in the flower.
Lastly, and my least favorite part of crossing is labeling your new cross. In order to keep track of who the parents are one must label the peduncle (stem), of each cross. This can be done in many ways but I personally just use some masking tape and a permanent sharpie. Make sure each label contains the following information...
Mother X Father / Date of cross
Step 3: Seed pod maturation/Harvest & Seed Storage.
Seed pod Maturation/Harvest
After a day or two the flower will fall away leaving the crown behind. If the ovary was successfully fertilized, it will slowly swell over the next few weeks. Seed capsules will usually take anywhere from 50-90 days to mature. Many times the seed capsule will not develop to full maturity, instead it may abort the process completely. This can happen in any stage of the development process. Seed capsules may also be completely empty when harvested.
When the capsules begin to reach maturity they will yellow. It is very important to catch it in this stage. This means that in a short time your capsule will split open, dropping all of its seeds to the floor. If you are able, check your seed capsule daily. Once it begins to split open, the capsule can be collected and dried in a paper bag. After a few days the capsule will be dried out and the seeds can be collected and recorded
Seed Storage
If stored properly seeds can remain viable for a long time. When the seed capsule is collected some general information is recorded. This information includes the name of the mother and father, date of pollination, number of seeds in pod, date of collection, and the date seeds were planted, and the code you will use to identify the offspring.Keeping records of all crosses helps plant breeders to keep track of plants at a genetic level.
After the pod has been entered in the stud book, it can be dried and stored in a cool dark place. If storing seeds in plastic or glass containers, be sure to dry seeds thoroughly as excess moisture will cause the seeds to grow fungus. Seeds that are stored may take close to two weeks to germinate. I prefer to plant seeds fresh, these seeds germinate much quicker.
Step 4 : Germination/Seedling Care.
Germination
Hibiscus seeds are easily germinated. If I am germinating seeds from storage then I will knick and soak the seeds before planting them. Knicking is the practice of cutting the outer shell of a seed to induce a quicker germination process. I use a sharp blade and make a small incision in the shell of the seed, on the rounded end. Knicking on the pointed end may be fatal to the seedling. After knicking I will soak the seeds over night until the seed takes in some water and sinks to the bottom of the container. Warm water often speeds up this process.
I try to plant seeds soon after harvesting because germination is quick, and the seeds viability is at its peak. Fresh seeds may sprout in about 7-10 days.
Planting Seedlings
Container: When planting seedlings I will often use large shallow pots. This allows me to plant anywhere from 8-15 seeds at a time. I try to plant only half of the offspring from each seed capsule collected. The reason for this is, if I lose a batch of seeds due to rot, or drying out I will still have a back up batch to plant later.
Medium: The medium used in planting hibiscus seeds is pretty simple. I will fill the bottom 1/4 of the pot with perlite in order to support good drainage. The remaining 3/4 is usually a mixture of a light soil with good aeration. I personally use a mixture of fine perlite, peat, and an organic soil.
Potting: Drench the medium in the pot, and about one inch apart make several indention's in the soil. I usually make these indention's about the depth of a pencil tip. Place a seed in each hole and sprinkle some of the medium loosely on the seedlings. Then dampen the soil once more with a spray bottle. Leave the seedlings in a place where they will see a lot of light but not bake under full sun. The offspring my sprout anywhere from three days to a month, depending on the germination steps taken. It is very important that you don't over water your seedlings at this point, they are very susceptible to root rot. Many seedlings have met their end this way. Re-potting: After a few months it will be time to re pot your seedlings. I will re pot them when there is about 5-7 true leaves. I separate each seedling into it's own individual pot and put them back in indirect lighting. I usually keep them in this type of lighting until they are big enough to occupy a one gallon pot. I will then gradually move them into full sunlight. Pay close attention to your hibiscus at this point. Plants that are in too much sunlight will become evident through bleaching of their leaves. Bleaching occurs when the sunlight burns the chlorophyll in the leaves, leaving behind a white scar. Plants must be gradually adapted to light so that they won't burn. On the other hand hibiscus grown in too little light will take much longer to produce flower. 
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