I might just be impatient. I crossed The Countryman with Blue For You back in 2024. Several seedlings germinated in late 24 early 25. Only two of the seedlings have bloomed so far. Only one of them has bloomed more than once. Shouldn’t there have been more blooms by now?
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Not necessarily. If the plant’s genetics instruct it to be large at maturity in order for it to flower, it may not have achieved the mass required. You need to remember that flowering is ovulation with seed set as pregnancy in order to perpetuate the species before the plant dies. It won’t ovulate until it achieves the genetically programmed mass it requires for “maturity”. Some flower at smaller sizes, others require a much larger mass of roots and foliage to produce the necessary resources for ovulation. Then, there are some seedlings which simply never flower. The longest I ever waited for one to flower was seven years from germination and it was DEFINITELY not worth the wait. Perhaps those which haven’t yet flowered, will more closely resemble The Countryman’s larger plant with heavier, larger flowers. That demands a long time to amass the required resources as well as a much larger foliage and root mass.
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I have one OGR type Moss hybrid that is about 23 years old this year and it has NOT flowered yet. I am starting to think it might never bloom…
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Joe Winchell used to severely damage the plant’s roots with a shovel to make it “think” it was endangered and going to die in order to “trick” it into flowering. Of course that also opens the potential for crown gall entry but if it won’t flower anyway…
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Wow. That is a lot of patience to not have a bloom after nearly a quarter of a century
Some of the seedlings are starting to get bigger, so they might wind up needing to be bigger bushes before blooming.
No patience required — I have ignored it for most of that time. It’s mixed in with two other seedlings in the same location, and the other two bloom well. I simply don’t pay the third any attention.
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If I remember correctly, The Countryman has an old rose (repeat blooming) as one parent, half sibling to Gertrude Jeckyl. Honestly I am surprised that he got repeat in both of these roses. They often do not in the 1st generation, and even can have problems in the 2nd. Of course sometimes they have repeat bloom in spite of not having juvenile bloom. But a lot of my once bloomers wait to 4th or 5th season to bloom.
Having said that, I am hoping some of my Indigo seedlings will bloom this season (their 2nd).
I look forward to seeing what your crosses with The Countryman produce; it should be worth the wait! It might need backcrossing again to get the repeat to where you desire it.
It is one I have often thought of testing, but never purchased it. It seems most test Gertrude Jeckyl, due to fragrance I’m sure, but not The Countryman.
Please let us know how it goes?!
Duane
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