I did some rose seeds this year. It's been several years since I started any because I was ill but now I'm feeling better and I missed my babies, lol!

This is this years crop.

I potted up some of the bigger ones, and ones that had buds already, today.


And these are some from previous years in bloom!

I hope you get some good ones this year.

Seil, those are so cute! How do you overwinter them? Do you plant them all in your yard or cull them?

Thanks, Ken!

Vaporvac, I'll grow them out this season and get them into gallon pots. In the fall I may cull a few really bad ones but the rest will over winter with the potted roses. I don't usually have to cull much myself. Winter does that for for me, lol! I don't believe in pampering any rose including the babies. If they're not tough enough to stand a Michigan winter I don't want them. Some of the ones in the pic of the older ones blooming go back to 2009 and have wintered all that time in those tiny pots! I really need to make a seedling bed and get these planted!

What qualities do you look for in keeping any? Fragrance? Color? Vigor? Just curious???

All of my roses are starting to bloom this year. And I'm really thinking about mixing some of my DAs together to see what I get, and some of my HT together. To see if i find anything pretty. I'm thinking about taking Chrysler Imperial and crossing it to JFK hoping the CI scent carries over. And some color into the white petals, as well as CI to my Ring of Fire. And I'd love to use Munstead Wood and cross it to The Poets Wife or Abe Darby. To see what happens. Can you cross say Munstead Wood which is an "Old English Rose" to say a Grandiflora Dick Clark?

I look for healthy and hardy mostly. I haven't gotten any real beauties yet so health and vigor are next in importance. Like I said, they have to survive here.

You can cross ANYTHING with ANYTHING! They will all mix. And I like to make the weirdest crosses I can. Just to see what will happen. I haven't had much luck yet but I keep trying. Who knows, I may get a winner some day! But yes you can make any cross you'd like. I would do it ASAP though. They need at least 90 days and preferably 120 days for the hips to ripen and the seeds get mature. So you need to do it at least that far out from your first frost date. Not that a frost will kill them but you probably don't want to be out there harvesting hips when the snow flies, lol. I've used seeds that were in someone's freezer for a year and they still germinated!

I will tell you that a lot of mine turn out to be 5 petaled. rather mundane pink roses. Nothing special at all. But that, as Kim Rupert told me, is sort of the default setting for rose breeding. I'm always amazed at all the gorgeous seedlings people post because mine are so plain in comparison. Of course a lot of them do THOUSANDS of seed and I only do a few dozen so I'm sure that makes a difference too. If I had more room and IF I lived in a warm climate I would do a lot more seeds as well. But then I'm getting older and slower and they are a lot to care for so...

seilMI said:I look for healthy and hardy mostly. I haven't gotten any real beauties yet so health and vigor are next in importance. Like I said, they have to survive here.

You can cross ANYTHING with ANYTHING! They will all mix. And I like to make the weirdest crosses I can. Just to see what will happen. I haven't had much luck yet but I keep trying. Who knows, I may get a winner some day! But yes you can make any cross you'd like. I would do it ASAP though. They need at least 90 days and preferably 120 days for the hips to ripen and the seeds get mature. So you need to do it at least that far out from your first frost date. Not that a frost will kill them but you probably don't want to be out there harvesting hips when the snow flies, lol. I've used seeds that were in someone's freezer for a year and they still germinated!

I will tell you that a lot of mine turn out to be 5 petaled. rather mundane pink roses. Nothing special at all. But that, as Kim Rupert told me, is sort of the default setting for rose breeding. I'm always amazed at all the gorgeous seedlings people post because mine are so plain in comparison. Of course a lot of them do THOUSANDS of seed and I only do a few dozen so I'm sure that makes a difference too. If I had more room and IF I lived in a warm climate I would do a lot more seeds as well. But then I'm getting older and slower and they are a lot to care for so...

Yeah when you breed it opens up the gene pool from the parents. Which is why I want to use Winchester Cathedral. Bc it's a sport of Mary Rose. With lots of petals. So I'm hoping maybe I get something with a lot of petals. I pulled a few flowers from our 8 year old Winchester Cathedral. For the pollen. Gonna hit Tess, Molineux, and Darcey Bussell and fragrant cloud, and Chrysler Imperial

Winchester Cathedral pollen going on Fragrant Cloud, Chrysler Imperial, Tess of the D'urberville, and Dick Clark. I find something fragrant and pretty. To name after my daughter Lakyn.

Nice looking pollen. Can't wait to see what you get!

My first bloom on this year's crop of seedlings!




I stratified the seeds on 02/07/20. I don't have an exact germination date but it's a little over 4 months from stratification to first bloom. Not bad! The seed was an open pollination of one of Kim Rupert's seedlings, 1-72-1, from seeds he graciously shared with me. I like the color and for a first bloom on this tiny plant it has a lot of petals!

Awww, cute! Congratulations.

How did you stratify the seeds?

Crossing roses sounds like some next level sh...., um, stuff.
Plus then you get to name it.

MBN. First I dig the seeds out of the hips. Then you have to SCRUB them clean of the hip pulp. I use a metal sieve and scrub the seeds against the sides to get all that pulp off. The hip pulp inhibits germination so you want them clean. You don't need to worry about hurting the seeds. They're real tough! Then I wrap the seeds in damp paper towels and put them in a sandwich bag and label it with the name of the seeds. Then all the baggies go into a grocery bag and into the veggie crisper in my fridge. I start checking them at about 4 weeks. Any seeds that have germinated go into a seed starter tray and under the lights. Some people just put them right into starter soil and wait for them to germinate there. Either way it's fun and keeps me busy.

Dave, it's not hard to do at all. And it doesn't need to cost a lot either. I do it all in my basement and then out in the yard with mostly stuff I have around the house. I do buy seed starter and potting soils, but I use that stuff anyway, and I buy the clear plastic cups. It costs very little.

What it does is give me something "green" to do in my long, cold, dark, gray winters!!!

Cool. I might get inspired.
Do you have any resources to recommend?

There is tons of stuff on line. The Rose Hybridizers Forum is a great site and they love newbies, lol! I have a PDF of how I do mine I can send you if you want to message me your email address.

SeilMI
Reading this thread as a newbie. Would love to try. Could I message you for the PDF?

Try this again @Mozartmom Cherie, I have been growing roses for many years and we love seeing new members
At one point in time at our old house I was growing 50 varieties of roses in my gardens. Now in our rental home I have two
rose bushes with a 3rd to arrive in late October.

For anyone who is interested in getting my PDF paper, please, PM me your email address. I am always happy to share!

Do you use transparent pots on purpose or convenience?
Does that not cause lower roots development, but then again maybe that is on purpose?