Rose Seed question....

16 years ago

I just thought of a question about germinating rose seeds.

My other posting here in Propagation I talked about my germinating rose seeds. I still have about 15 or so more seeds in the fridge that were started stratifying the beginning of November. I generally stratify my seeds for three months then take them out and plant them. If after a month planted they don't germinate I dig them back out and put them back in fridge for another 6-8 weeks and then repeat the process again until I eventually give up on them altogether way down the road.

I am just wondering how other hybridyzers handle the planting and re-stratifying of their seeds in regards of lengths of time planted and in the fridge.

I am wondering that since I have had such good germination of this cross in the fridge if I should continue to leave them there until the three months is up and then plant them and see what happens or since it has been a week since I took out a germinated seedling if I should go ahead and push the envelope and plant them to see if the change urges more of them to germinate?? Does that make sense??

I also have taken 5 germinations of Happy Chappy X Roseberry Blanket out of the fridge and I haven't seen any more germinations since that time about a week ago as well.

I only have 15 of the Vavoom/Day Breaker seeds left but LOTS of the Happy Chappy/Roseberry Blanket roses.

I think I just should maybe try to be patient and wait out the next month anyway and leave them be before taking them out and planting them.

Patience is such a hard thing for me.....

John

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Comment (1)

roseseek
16 years ago
John, you may wish to read the Rose Hybridizers Association forum. We've had quite a discussion in the past few days about germination and stratification. I live in a much milder area than you, but you are using modern roses which probably don't need any more stratification than what they likely get right out in your garden. No, I never replace them in the refrigerator once they've been in once. In fact, for a variety of reasons, I didn't stratify them at all this year and they are germinating like grass!

The chill hours are cumulative, like stone fruit. In your zone, I'm sure you have enough cold (40 and below) to hasten the seed coat to release and seedlings to come up. Why would you want to take the chance of mixing things up, damaging any new roots being formed or even losing the seed from a particular cross by digging them to recool them?

I've most often used the refrigerator to hold them until I can get them planted, and it has usually taken a few months to begin to get good germination rates. Without cooling them other than to leave them in the garage until I could plant, I am having phenominal results this year! They began sprining up in a matter of three weeks instead of "spring".
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