Hi y'all, all of my second batch of seeds has been oinked for, so have closed out my list again - rose seeds included. For folks germinating rose seeds, here's a great thread from the Rose forum from someone who actually did it using her refrigerator for the cold exposure - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/922678/ .
I have also read success stories from others who have wintersown rose seeds, but I suspect that wintersowing might work best for folks germinating rose seeds that are hardy to a zone or few colder than whatever zone they are living in.
It does look like rose seeds need exposure to cold in order to germinate, but I'd love to hear from any who try anything different.
This wasn't a good year for rose hips in my garden, so only got a few to share - hopefully will have more next year. As for this winter, I'm going to try wintersowing some of my own, too. I can't wait to see how everyone does with rose seeds...well, being a true piggy - a few zillion others as well
Karen
ps - oops - thought I wuz posting to the piggy swap
This message was edited Dec 10, 2009 2:04 PM
Germinating Rose Seeds
I've never tried to start rose seeds, but am open to the experience. Esp next year after I get things set up here.
Mary
I planted some rose seeds from another gardener in another state... last winter. They never came up. I tried these inside. I am ripening two hips right now, still on the stems I cut in fall. The hips are ripening fine, the cuttings have rooted. I will try the chill method since these came from a bush that comes back after our cold temps here.but i thought it might be fun to leave those hips on and move them to the garage to winter over, which is always cold. Do you think they will need light ?
Marti - By all means, put rose hips/seeds on your wish list when next fall's piggy swap waddles around, but it wouldn't hurt to post on the Rose Forum and see if anyone there might have some they could share with you now to try wintersowing with in the meantime.
Debra - how are those rose cuttings? I apologize about not coming back to this thread sooner.
Since your rose roots have only recently begun forming, my guess-based opinion would have been to bring them in for light and warmth to continue developing.
If the roots had been better developed, then wintering the plant in the garage during its winter dormancy might have been fine. Although I have heard of folks wintering potted roses in their garages, I do not know how much, if any, light they had during that time. I have heard of this being especially useful for rose cultivars not dependably root-hardy, as well as for roses with multiple grafts like 'tree' roses.
In the past, I have had good luck rooting rose cuttings from mature wood that had not yet leafed out, that I stuck in the ground under jars in March - about 8 weeks before our last spring frost. In my zone 7, I have stuck cuttings of woody plants into the ground with and without glass jars anytime the ground was thawed from mid-November through early March. I had no idea this could be done until one fall I used prunings of a buddleia to mark the place of something. The 'something' did not come through the winter, but the buddleia sticks surprised me by leafing out in the spring.
I had more success rooting under jars between November and March at the rate of about 33%.
If rooting during the warm season, then more precautions against mold needs to be taken. In the sticky index I wrote for the morning glory forum, there's a section for propagating by cuttings, and the link in there to Seedsower's rose propagation by cuttings from leafed-out roses is especially good.
Karen
ps - When preparing a cutting, be sure to put the top end upwards. Take the leaves off the lower 4/5 of the cutting and sink it into the ground with 4/5 below ground. Do not let leaves from the top touch the ground. Some folks like to make a trench of sand for this, but I have just struck cuttings in good ol' dirt.
Hope this helps