need help growing roses from seed
william S. Hillman
In article <63jc3n$e...@news.myriad.net>, lear...@myriad.net says...
> I have fresh rose hips from a variety of old roses in east Texas, and I was
> wondering if anyone could give me any instructions on planting them? I have
> a greenhouse, and would like to start them as soon as possible. Thanks,
> Michael mansfield
>
>
>
If you want to grow them to get the same rose as the seeds came from, then
don't bother as they will not be the same.
Bill in Alhambra Calif.
7:33:36 pm 11/2/1997
Dave Amorde
The seeds should first be stratified before planting. This means removing
them from the hips, placing them in paper bags (not plastic!) with some
peat-moss or other dry, organic material, and placing them in the
refrigerator for a few months. Those of you in northern climes can just put
them in the garage!
How to plant is up to you. Some prefer to plant in small trays, six-paks,
etc.. in any good seedling mix. The seedlings must then be transplanted
when the second set of leaflets have matured. This is the preferred method
for growing seedlings in quantity. If you only have a dozen or so seeds,
plant them in individual 4 inch pots, with good quality potting soil, and a
few rocks in the bottom of the pot (for drainage & stability.) The seedlings
should reach their first blooming cycle before they are large enough for
transplanting. You may then decide which to keep before going through the
trouble of transplanting. If you start now with the chilling
(stratification) process, you'll be able to start your seedlings in your
greenhouse in Jan., and transplant in April. Good luck!
Brent Dickerson
Heather (hwh...@iphase.com) wrote:
: Dave Amorde wrote:
: > The seeds should first be stratified before planting. [...]
***Unless they are Chinas or (true) Teas, or any other "tender" sorts. As
I write this, it makes me think about the situation. Stratification is
certainly required for the old European roses, such as the Gallicas and
Albas and the like; and to some (varying) degree, it would be required for
their first-generation crosses with the tender sorts. But it seems
curious to me that after the great infusion of Teas and Bourbons into the
"mainstream" breeding from about 1830 to 1900 and beyond, stratification
would still be an absolute necessity. --I don't question the advice
given, which is certain the professional and standard opinion; but has
anyone done any testing of this? As for me, I mainly plant seed of Teas,
Chinas, Bourbons, and Damask Perpetuals; I get good (and relatively quick)
germination, with only the occasional seed waiting (for whatever reason) a
season or two. But I have no experience with Hybrid Tea seed. --I can
add that the seed of the Multiflora cultivars `Polyantha' and `Polyantha
Grandiflora' was known for coming right up, to the delight of those
wanting to use them for stocks.
: Just a thought from someone who's never started roses from seed . . .
: had I gone to all the trouble to get a plant to the blooming stage, I
: wouldn't discard it based on its first bloom, which may well not be
: typical. Perhaps one of our hybridizers (with actual knowledge :) could
: comment on this--
***The opinion in the olden days was that indeed the first bloom might not
be typical, but that those seedlings which bloomed single on the first
bloom were most likely always to be single and could be weeded out to make
room for those blooming semi-double or double on the first bloom (unless,
of course, one was after singles). One would then pay particular
attention to the *second* bloom of those remaining. My experience
reaffirms this about "once a single, always a single" (but then, I am
working with the same pool of cultivars that those in the olden days were;
it might be different with modern roses). Sometimes semi-doubles become
fuller when the plant grows larger and stronger; but--once a single,
always a single for me. I'll be interested in the results reported by
those planting modern rose seed.
Best Wishes,
--BCD.
Web site: http://www.csulb.edu/~odinthor
Visit Vibert: http://www.csulb.edu/~odinthor/vibert.html
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"...[S]he confessed subsequently to Cottard that she found me remarkably
enthusiastic; he replied that I was too emotional, that I needed
sedatives, and ought to take to knitting." --Proust, *Cities of the
Plain*.
lms
In the beginning:
>: > The seeds should first be stratified before planting. [...]
well...I've read more than a few places that this isn't necessary, so
rather than just rattle off any "unsubstantiated claims", I picked up
the first book lying on the table next to me, happened to be Hessayson's
The *NEW* Rose Expert. Hessayson has an interesting view on things, and
actually has tons of useful info about the basic care, pest, diseases,
etc., cultivation, tons of pics of Foreign Roses, not too many American
roses, you know, but anyway he started off the section on seed sowing by
stating that there is no point in breeding a hybrid this way, but if you
go beyond that true statement, he points out, regarding miniatures, in
particular, that "No long delays are involved--seeds sown in gentle heat
in spring may be in flower by summer." Of course it is not specified as
to the time in between, but the implication is clear.
So, next book: Roses, a Barrons book by Bunemann and Becker, after some
discussion of hips and taking the seeds outa the hips, prep, etc.:
"...plant immediately." "...the seeds remain for two months...until
germination...if germination succeeds in a mild winter before the middle
of February, enough light must be provided."
Next book, Sean McCann's: "...the best germination I ever had was one
year when I put all the seeds in their coverings in a glass jar standing
on the kitchen window-sill. I left them for six weeks, never allowing
them to dry out, and when I opened the papers up, many of the seeds had
already germinated."
next: Ortho's All About Roses, the old one: "remove seeds from
hips...plant...water thoroughly...55-60 degrees...no light for the first
month....then 16 hours of light a day. Germination will soon begin."
next: Sunset Roses: "...is *generally* (my stars) more successful if
you give the hips an after-ripening period of low but not freezing temps
in a moist atmosphere." This amounts to rotting the outside off--if I
want the peach seed, I go get it, that's the way I look at it, no need
for it to rot.
These were some books I have within 6 feet, but just last week I read
somewhere else that on a freshly ripened hip you can plant the seed
immediately and expect germination, but if you use an older, dried out
one--you know the kind--germination will take longer. Kinda like having
to soak pinto beans. So I wouldn't get into a heated argument with
anyone who says Stratify, Stratify but I'm very much highly skeptical
that it is an essential process that must be religiously adhered to.
I've never successfully, purposely started a rose from seed, though I've
tried a couple times, burned em up both times, no electricity in the
greenhouse, that's my excuse. Right now I'm howusay, stratifying, I
guess you'd call it,
15 or so 4 inch pots, 3 seeds per pot, in a whisky barrel on the front
patio, it's been frosting almost every morning almost for about 3 weeks,
but they don't freeze yet, cause they have some protection. I've been
watching them very carefully, keeping them just damp, they were chosen
with the utmost care hahahaha.
no really, don't laugh, I'm tryin. I'll even know half the little
bastards' family tree should any come up, when I choose to end their
little stratification period and blast them with two thousand watts of
metal halide and phosphorous. Nehhhh, we'll start them off with the
shoplite hahahaha before we try simulating the sun. Damn well might put
some in a windowsill too, a paper towel, sounds like a helluvan idea.
I've done that before with excellent results, just not with roses.
Hell, I'm going to have to go out and make some more excellent
selections, sounds like clean winter fun.
m