Roses from seed

Victoria
by Victoria
Has anyone ever tried growing roses from seeds? I see a great many offers of rose seed on Ebay. I have never heard of it before. I have no luck with cuttings. Thank you
  6 answers
  • 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) on Jan 02, 2015
    It depends on a lot of factors. A lot of Roses are grafted, so the seed may not be viable. Some are patented and it is not legal to propagate them. some of the older heirloom non grafted ones can be grown from seed. How old the seed is can also a factor. This is a well written article on the obstacles and rewards of growing roses from seeds http://scvrs.homestead.com/HybridizeKB1.html Be sure to scroll down to the bottom where she gives details on how to acheive germination.
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Jan 03, 2015
    Donna is right-on about the challenges faced in growing roses from seeds. I tend to only grow old heirlooms that can easily be grown from cuttings and suspect one of them, Louis Philippe, became known as the cracker rose because it was so easily passed around among early settlers. If you want to give it a try though, another resource you might want to check out comes from Texas A&M, which has a six-part series on the topic here: http://agrilife.org/rose/the-how-tos-of-rose-breeding/
  • Petunia Petunia on Jan 03, 2015
    Unless you are an avid horticulturist or rose fancier, this will be a lot of work if it succeeds at all. Most of the rose fanciers I know, have had good luck with buying affordable roses from local nurseries or big box store and supplement those purchases with great specimens they find at shows.
  • Victoria Victoria on Jan 03, 2015
    Thank you all for sharing your knowledge with me. It seems a bit too daunting to me so I believe I will wait till spring and buy my roses. Thanks again for responding!
    • See 5 previous
    • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Jan 05, 2015
      @Victoria Technically, heirloom roses are those that existed before 1867 when "La France," the first hybrid tea rose was introduced. In my experience they are the easiest of roses to grow, requiring no chemical intervention even in the heat and humidity of Florida. And the fragrance hasn't been bred out of them. I have never understood the point of rose you couldn't smell.
  • Joeast Joeast on Jan 03, 2015
    I've started a number of roses from seed. Old roses seem the most vigorous. Set out rosa glauca last spring. They were about a foot tall. I clean the seed well and immediately put them in moist potting mix in a Baggie, and store them in a drawer in my frig. I check them every few weeks and prick out any that germinate.
    • Victoria Victoria on Jan 04, 2015
      @Joeast Wow thank you! I would never have thought of that method!
  • Joeast Joeast on Jan 04, 2015
    Fresh seed works best. After several months in cold, try putting a few in a pot in a warm sunny spot and see if they'll germinate. Make sure your medium is just moist or the seed will rot.
    • Victoria Victoria on Jan 05, 2015
      @Joeast Thank you I am anxious to try. With no expectations, I am not good with roses. :)