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If people want to plant a rose on their plot, they buy seedlings or take cuttings somewhere, because everyone knows how roses are grown from cuttings. But few people think about whether it is possible to grow a rose from seeds. But in vain, roses from seeds grow strong and viable, they have such strong roots that they will not die even if the ground part of the plant freezes. Rose seeds are bought in a store or taken where the flower is allowed to fully bloom and form fruits, and not cut off as soon as it begins to fade. Trying to grow your own roses from seed is a fun activity for a grower.
The advantages and disadvantages of the method
Roses from seeds, the cultivation of which will require time and attention, are bred when you need to get a lot of plants at once. If you take the seeds of your roses, you can be sure of the result, since the plant will retain all the features of the maternal gene. This is convenient if you need to replace old ones that have suffered from frost, diseases or anything else, but your favorite flowers. In addition, this breeding method remains the most economical. When buying seeds, you cannot be one hundred percent sure that the result will match the descriptions, but a healthy and strong plant will grow, and this is already important. Although, for some reason, not very large plants often grow from purchased seeds.
When growing roses from seeds, you need to remember that they may have wild shoots that will have to be cut ruthlessly so that the rose does not turn into a wild rose. Moreover, wild shoots are cut off directly from the root neck, shortening the case will not help.
But not all types of roses can be propagated by seeds. This method is suitable for Chinese, miniature, cinnamon, polyanthus and needle roses. Miniature roses, sown in spring, fully bloom in the first summer, and the rest can please with real flowering only a year later.
This method of reproduction is not suitable for hybrid varieties – the seeds will not convey the properties of the mother plant, it is even difficult to imagine what will grow from them. Most often, seeds and plants grown from them are used for breeding work. But among flower growers there are lovers of experiments, and growing roses from seeds is an excellent field for them.
Video “How to implement the method of growing flowers from seeds”
From the video you will learn how to grow a rose from seed.
Preparation of seeds, soil and planting dates
The best germination is observed in slightly immature seeds, so they are harvested when the fruits are just getting their red color. You need to take the whole fruit, without traces of rot or damage, cut it and get the seeds, they may differ in color and size, but this does not at all indicate shortcomings. After extraction, the seeds are washed with a 15% hydrogen peroxide solution. It is convenient to do this by placing them in a fine strainer, and put it in a container with peroxide. This procedure will free the seed from the remnants of the pulp (which slows down germination) and will be an excellent prevention of fungal diseases. The procedure should be carried out for 20-XNUMX minutes.
Washed seeds can be sown directly into the ground in autumn, or sown in spring. Or you can grow seedlings at home, and then plant them out when warm spring weather is already established. But for good germination, the seed must be stratified. During the autumn sowing, nature will create all the conditions for this, in all other cases, the conditions must be created artificially with the help of a refrigerator. The seeds are placed between two cotton pads (or pieces of gauze folded several times), abundantly moistened with the same hydrogen peroxide, put it all in a tightly closed tray or plastic bag, which is left on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 2 months. You can clean it in the cellar, basement, unheated pantry, the main thing is that the air temperature is kept within the range of +2 to +5 degrees. Seeds need to be aired periodically, moldy ones should be removed, if any are found, cotton wool or cloth should be moistened. If mold began to appear on the seeds, they should be washed again with peroxide, it is better to moisten the cotton wool. Seeds bought in a store are recommended to be soaked for several hours in a growth stimulator; stratification is required for them.
As soon as the sprouts hatch, the seeds are sown in the ground. The soil is best suited sandy-peat, the seeds are lightly pressed into it with a finger and sprinkled with a thin layer of sand. For growing seedlings, small pots, plastic cups are perfect, it is convenient to use peat cups. As soon as shoots appear, the soil is mulched with a thin layer of perlite, this should protect the seedlings from the black leg.
For germination, the optimum temperature is +18 degrees, when young sprouts grow and gain strength, they will be comfortable at a slightly higher temperature, it is better that it does not rise above +22 degrees. They need to be placed in a bright place, shade from the strong sun, but extend the daylight hours to 10 hours. Water the seedlings moderately, just not allowing the soil to dry out.
It is better to plant seedlings in the spring, when warm weather has definitely set in and no frosts are expected. If they can happen even in May, then a small greenhouse should be built over the seedlings. It is not worth planting seedlings in autumn, it is better to just sow seeds in open ground, because in spring they will germinate perfectly.
The soil should be light fertile and non-acidic. Best of all, roses will like loam rich in humus. Heavy soil should be mixed with peat and sand, it would be nice to add compost or humus. Acidic soil is corrected by adding lime or dolomite flour. Before planting seedlings, the site is dug up well to a depth of 30 – 40 cm, at the same time it is possible to improve the soil – add compost or humus, superphosphate, potassium sulfate.
Rules of landing
For roses, they choose a bright, calm place, they love sunlight, but not heat, so the sun should shine in the morning and evening on the ideal place for roses, and during the day they should hide in the shade so as not to overheat. If roses or their close relatives used to grow in this place, then pests and pathogens of various diseases characteristic of this family can wait for the seedlings. To prevent this, you need to choose another place or replace a layer of soil with a thickness of at least 0,5 m.
Roses are planted not too far apart, approximately 15 – 20 cm should be left between future bushes. It is impossible to plant closer, because the shoots will obscure each other, excessive thickening can provoke diseases.
And between the flowers planted far from each other, the earth warms up too much, which is why (and for decorative purposes, of course) it is better to place grass or ground cover plants between roses, or simply mulch the ground around the bushes. Sawdust, cut grass are used as mulch.
Care after landing
Seedlings are usually gradually accustomed to the street before planting, and the newly planted one is hidden from direct sunlight. All the first week it is desirable to create a light shadow for her. Watering should be restrained, as needed, if there is enough rain, then you can only loosen the ground under the bush after each rain. Roses are watered in the morning or in the evening, after the procedure they loosen the earth, preventing a crust from forming. It is necessary to water under the stems so that water does not get on the greens, it is best to use settled and slightly warmed water in the sun so that its temperature does not differ from the air temperature.
Roses grown from seed, like all others, are usually fed two or three times a season. In the first half of summer or spring, nitrogen fertilizers are used, and later – potash fertilizers. Roses respond well to top dressing with slurry, only manure needs to be insisted for at least 10 days (they take 1 part of manure and 3 parts of water), and then dilute it tenfold with water. Slurry is poured under a bush that has just been watered, and the next day the earth must be loosened. You can buy some complex for flowering plants in the store. Experts say that any top dressing should be stopped at the beginning of July, especially in areas with early and harsh winters, because the bush will grow and prosper, it will not have time to prepare for winter.
In the first year of life, roses do not need to be allowed to bloom, at least until August it is advisable to cut off all the buds, you can leave one on a branch in August so as not to weaken the plant. It is better to cut off all the buds in general, prune in the fall – remove the damaged branches, shorten all the shoots by a third and cover the plant well for the winter. In the spring, most likely, pruning will not be needed at all, in the summer you can carry out sanitary cleaning of the bushes at any time.
For prevention, you can treat young bushes with some remedy for fungal diseases, add ash to the ground around the bushes.
Video “Planting a rose”
From the video you will learn how to prepare the soil and what else needs to be done in order to properly plant flowers.
