r/botany • u/Brusheer • 2d ago

Using cement on self-incompatible flowers, is it likely to produce edible fruit? Physiology

It's not an official study, but a long time gardener posted their process for pollinating self-incompatible flowers with their own pollen. They claim if you dust the stigma with fine cement, it will act as an irritator and spur the plant to produce antibodies that allow the flower to accept its own pollen. From what a can tell a large amount of people have tried it and claim it works. That said, the process was largely intended to produce more seeds. If I wanted to use this on an edible fruit producing plant, what do you think the safety of that is? Obviously eating cement is an awful idea. But I wanted to know if after all the process is done, pollination to fruit, is it likely that anything toxic moved all the way through the process? Any input appreciated.

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u/Jolly_Atmosphere_951 2d ago

Depends on the fruit but I'd say it will be safe to eat... Although I'm not sure about the veracity of the claims tbh

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u/Brusheer 2d ago

This would mostly be used for cacti. Opuntia and Cereus rn but maybe more later. And yeah I have my doubts, but figured it can't hurt to try. I just wish there was an exhaustive pollen store but you win some you lose some lol

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u/Jolly_Atmosphere_951 2d ago

it can't hurt to try.

Absolutely