I’ve been extracting some embryos from my species crosses in the hopes that they’ll grow out enough to bloom next spring instead of 2028. It seems implausible, but being able to skip an entire year of waiting would be a significant boon for the breeding program.
I had to triple check my notes on this r. rugosa x r. foliolosa cross. I know that rugosa seeds mature super quickly, but this timeline has exceeded all of my expectations.
- Pollinated 6/22
- Harvested 8/1 due to chalcid wasp larvae
- Extracted 8/6
- Planted 8/9
It only took three days for the white embryo to turn dark green, develop root hairs, and start to push out true leaflets. I decided that contamination and nutrient deprivation were a bigger threat than premature transplanting. I definitely could have waited longer, but I have like 40 other embryos from this cross and at this point it seems silly not to embrace the inertia.
