I would add that there are rose pests, the larvae of which, when disturbed in the hip, become immobile and exactly resemble a seed - so much so that I’ve found them when I’m planting stratified seeds in the spring. That camouflage would only be a benefit if at least some other creatures eat the pulp and leave the seeds.
I would also add that I use a short warm stratification for the very reason Don doesn’t: it eliminates weak seeds and, presumably later, weak plants. I think it’s more representative of the population that should be maintained and I use it as a first culling.
Larry,
You make a good and useful point about evolution having been directed by animals that are no longer around.
I vaguely recall reading an article (long ago) suggesting that the avocado evolved to be eaten by large, extinct animals. I don’t recall which animals.
Also, I have long wondered about the Osage Orange. I have never seen any critters that seemed interested in the fruit. Many, many years ago I read about some kid whose science fair project involved extracting useful nutrients from the OO. Or maybe he extracted something, leaving a nutritious substance. It seems a waste that we have no use for the fruit, since the trees are so anxious to bear them and leave them rotting on the ground.
Back in California I saw two beautiful flowering crabapple trees that bore large crops of beautiful, small red fruit. Not one was touched (so far as I could tell). The fruit hung on all Winter, changing color and sagging as the flesh fermented. They dropped off in the Spring as new growth began. And then, in Kentucky, I observed the same thing. I didn’t taste any of the fruit, so I don’t know what might have made the birds avoid them.
Karl
After reading, these are some of the options I considering:
in bags with no water
in bags moistened, with no medium
in bags with a medium such as paper towel, perlite, peat moss, Pro-Mix or vermiculite
yes warm stratification prior to cold stratification
no warm stratification, straight to cold stratification
I am torn, as I can see there are mixed various on warm stratification. Today two hips of Winnipeg Parks x Morden Sunrise were ready, I’ll test out one with warm stratification & one without.
Larry, thank you for the reminder about referencing the RHA newsletters, I’ve only been searching this forum and the manuals so far, it sounds like it is about time for me to go further. Don, thank you for the heads up on too much moisture, I have now added some paper towel to the bags where seeds were sitting in water.
And thank you for everyone for adding to the thread. As a beginner working with a first harvest, I am trying to learn as much as possible as well, and wish to encourage discussion on this topic, especially in regards to current practices. It is from this forum I learned it is possible to not use Captan, which made things easier for me.