Wow you grew them from seeds? I am very impressed. I take cuttings and stick them and most of them develop roots over the winter fairly quickly. I'm assuming you used sterile soil and heat mats or something extravagant. I don't know how to do that. We do germinate a of flowers here each year bc we have a nursery, roses are just my personal love, and we do not use domes over the seed trays. Top watering is the worst thing to do. You have to of course until the seedlings come up, but put a capful of hydrogen peroxide in the gallon container of water and spray that onto them. Once they develop 2 true leaves, stop top watering and put all the water in the drain trays. That forces the seedling to put its roots down deep. I have found 6 inches of roots down in water from plants that are only 2 inches tall. Yes I still top mist but only with peroxide, and a fan running, and only when they are dried out on top. The issue with peat moss, and Pro-Mix and all that stuff is the peat moss. Peat moss turns into a brick if it's not wet. This year I'm mixing my Pro-mix with Miracle Gro. I tried compost and got weeds. So that's out, and I know that compost in bags is not alive, so that's out, so its back to good old Miracle Gro. Once they are ready to be potted up we use an aged bark/compost mix that we buy from a local nursery. Hope that helps? Dampening off won't kill the plants. Sometimes you can wipe it off with a toothpick, but it's usually from too much water, and it's too cool, so I run a fan and stop over-watering them.

Gardennut, Roseseek got me started. I winter sowed mine in plastic cups that I placed in larger container (to keep them from falling over) It was my first time with seeds, so I didn't put enough potting soil in them. I had to take them out of the cups and took Roseseek's advice..I put many together in large containers. The little seedlings were surprisingly tough! They are all growing extremely well! I did set the containers in my hoop house, a few days ago, because we have possible freeze this week. (Just to be safe! They are still outside, with the plastic over the hoop rolled up some, but frost can't get on them!) They had been sitting in full sun open to rain and all the elements! (Thanks for the help Roseseek...It's probably a blessing I don't live near you....I sure would be visiting! lol)

Starchild, you and Roseseek are my kinda folks! I tried all the hardcore, many step methods to root and failed...over and over! I figured out I was making it too hard. Now, I am all about survival of the fittest! lol (I say that, but I really do check my babies a lot!) I winter sowed this year for the first time. Everything came up! Just confirmed that mother nature has a way of making things happen!

Thanks! You're welcome! Working WITH Nature is usually far easier than trying to recreate it.

I have my seed trays in a unheated garage right with a light on them, but I’m planning on moving them outdoors while it’s still cool out. I just planted the seeds last weekend and I used seed start pods so I can transfer them to bigger pots once they start germinating

Since I used the pods with the starter tray, should I leave them exposed to rain or cover them?

The pods are small, right? I would fear the rain might unearth or damage the pods and the trays would fill with water, which could drown the sprouting seedlings. Seeds definitely understand and respond to actual rain. If you could cover the trays with something like window screen to diffuse the rain drops (if it is a heavy or violent rain, otherwise a gentle drizzle would be perfect) so they wouldn't unearth the seeds or otherwise damage the pods, AND remove them from the trays so they would drain as they were rained on, exposing them to rain would definitely be beneficial. Hopefully you could also position them so the wind wouldn't blow them around and damage your efforts.

I’ll take them out of the tray and try to keep a screen over them. the chance of rain is supposed to be 50% until early next morning

I just found a couple a couple ramicans with seed I collected from mixed hybrid teas and a hybrid Perpetual, I’ll try direct sowing them into a covered raised bed and see how that goes.

I keep mine on the lanai, inside the pool enclosure. I move them onto a table when the weather is nice so they can get more sun. I planted the germinated seeds into small pots.

The biggest one has a bud! It's over twice as big as the other but only germinated 1 day before. I am hoping it's a climber! :)

Congratulations! Of course I could be wrong, but I would expect if it's a climber, it would need to grow substantially more before it would flower. I would think it more likely it is going to be a very vigorous, larger shrub. We shall see!

How are your seedlings? I have tiny buds!! It is so exciting!! roseseek has created a monster........lol

I have five that have come up so far and they seem ok