It was not planned ahead of time that I would start pollinations this early, but I had to try anyway.
My R. minutifolia, I thought had finished blooming during the wintertime, but noted two freshly opened flowers yesterday. I collected the pollen and then found 6 blooms today of various roses that happened to be blooming so made the crosses. Today, I counted four more buds on it that will be opening in the next week or so. I will use then on whatever might be starting to bloom at the time. I would like to try freezing the pollen, but as long as I have some other rose opening, I will try using the pollen fresh immediately.
Jim Sproul
Good for you Jim. Have you spoken to Mr. Moore regarding his experience with minutifolia?
Hi Robert, I don’t think that he had any luck. I am trying pollinations without fully emasculating the blooms (kind of like the ‘Tigris’ strategy. Perhaps modern rose pollen will help the stigma to receive the strange pollen.
Jim Sproul
That sounds like a good plan Jim. Surely hybridity will be apparent in offspring.
I wonder if it will be possible to retain the interesting smaller foliage and to eliminate the nasty prickles???
Jim Sproul
I doubt it!
Did you ever see this one? I would think anything you get similar. Kim Rupert had this one for awhile. I tried rooting it. I should have budded it.
Link: www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.31968.0
Was that one related to minutifolia? The leaves do appear small, but its hard to tell from the photo.
Jim Sproul
They are of the same horticultural subgenus.
Link: www.rogersroses.com/gallery/default~gid~22.asp
Those species remind me of my ‘William III’, one of the Spinosissimas. I used it in breeding last year just to see what happens. No germinations yet.
Paul
I expect very little from these attempts, but hope to have one or two of my better seed setters/germinators available for a pollination or two in the next week or so. It is still way early for the usual Spring flush.
Jim Sproul
The one thing I noted from the Lens hybrids was that he used the species as seed parent.
It would be logical to try the reverse like you’re doing Jim. I’m guessing Lens did same, then switched strategies.