I've wanted to hybridize my own roses for a while now, and last spring I finally took that first step. I attempted three crosses (which I'll keep to myself for now) and, in the fall, was rewarded with a harvest of rose hips.
Now to try to grow some plants. In a few months, I'll transplant the strongest seedlings into larger pots and harden them off. With any luck, a few of these will grow up and bloom! If I've managed to create something no one has already made, and it goes through the rose trials with success, I'll get to name the new rose. How cool is that?
Once I had these, I cut open the hips and harvested the seeds inside. I wrapped those up in slightly damp paper towels, labeled them carefully, and put them in small plastic bags. Those I stored in my fridge to stratify them - tricking them into thinking they'd gone through a winter.
Now that it's about time to plant, I opened up those packets today. Lo and behold! I have sprouts! Well, a few. The rest I have hopes for.
I planted the seeds in seed trays, and I'm hoping for the best.
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| Look at that little guy! |
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