A light moment - not for the serious.
The story.
Found rose seed germinations yesterday in a small bed c/w a winter mouse nest (removed). About a dozen small seedlings between three adjacent roses and all about same age ( within three weeks my guess). I occasionally prune the hips off in very late fall from driveway side.
There never have been germinations noticed in the bed before over 25 years, or a mouse nest.
The irony is, there are three roses in the bed l have tried ops occasionally in “control lab-like conditions” over the years (Butterball, Alba semi plena and Alba suavolens).
No success - including another Butterball try this season from same bush as the mouse had its fall hip smorgasbord event.
Now l am being mocked about my germination skills by a Mickey Mouse bad actor.
Tossed my germination trays and frig out (kidding). And keeping pet mice and feeding them only select hips from crosses.
I argue strong correlation between ease of germination and mouse presence. Like a better coffee with bean fall and civet cat present.
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A pleasant surprise. Birds also have the same effect on seed germination. The seed coat thins as it passes through the digestive tract. Unlike mice, birds spread seeds far beyond the yard, making mice more useful helpers.
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Photo today of the 19 OPs seedlings harvested after seed stratification in outside winter ambient temps for 5 months and germinated this spring at outside ambient (story above).
Donated to me by friends Mickey and Minnie in payment for feeding on lots of my roses and hips this winter.
Never be able to fridge and lab germinate these varieties.
Long live using outside cold stratification at fall and winter temperatures - cheaper than artificial. And their fluctuations, plus internal digestive chemicals, enzymes and cutting, grinding chewing by my buds.
Study OP names Mickey SemiPlena, Minnie Suavolens, and MickMinnie Butterball (Skinner).
Added Details
Because l am “”Really”” into this episode.
- Late fall sweeping of hips pruned on driveway side is directly onto top of bed in front of the rose bush it came from (normally hips stay on bush during winter). Mixing of hips likely.
Done because butterball pruned hip contents deeply stain driveway concrete a purple red color like barollo or cabernet when run over. Done because convenient and l have a lazy streak so don’t bin them.
- More germinations from butterball (spino) probably has nothing to with idea easier to germination - it is not for me using artificial means - never succeeded.
The bush is 5-6 tall and loads of yellow, single blooms, so more black hips produced and pruned.
Other two Alba roses are semi hardy and bloom infrequently - maybe one two feet tall with blooms - last year was good year for red hips.
- During winter the driveway shovelled snow ends up on too of this rose bed - rarely does it melt to the ground during warm chinook wind episodes.
Also very important critical recommendation to neophytes. Don’t handle mice bedding, mice activity areas, debris droppings etc… lf you are like me and just have to get in there, wear a mask ( l wear a pro mask rated for virus and gloves). Hantavirus risk here with field and deer mice.
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Ahahahaha … excellent !!!
at least you and Rugosa read my first line and it was comprehended … and so apropos …
Mickey should be grateful, and return in kind, based on the great feed he and she had on the canes throughout the gardens … including my prized mosses
