Hello. I am ordering the publications ASAP, but I have a question that might be important before then.
I found one hip (OP) on Purezza recently, and I now have 2 seeds. I have grown seedlings before, but without any real plan, and the success rate suffered (of course).
So now I’m faced with 2 seeds that I really need to take care of. Is there a way that I can wait and germinate them later?
If I can store them a little while, I was hoping to avoid the problem of the cold and growing seedlings. Growing seedlings indoors is my big problem. I am in z7B. I do not have a greenhouse, and my pets prevent me from having an indoor setup at all.
Would you store them dry in the fridge? Dry in winter-heated temps (about 65 degrees)? Really not store them at all and go ahead with the moist sand in the fridge? I do have a shed that gets close to the normal winter temps here, if that sounds good.
Any advice is appreciated. I’m really excited about seeing what these seeds can produce!
Of the options you asked about, storing the seeds in moist sand in the fridge is probably the best. Check them once in a while to see if they need more moisture, or have germinated. Good luck with your seeds! Purezza is an interesting rose, and I don’t know of anyone who’s gotten any seedlings from it.
uber-nice, M Edwards…
I’ll go with what Jim has said.
Let us know if you get anything good. I can’t get anything on Purezza. Although I do know have a single white Banksia rose in my garden, and I want to try cross on it with Purezza pollen.
My reasoning is that it may be easier to get a cross because both are Lady Banks roses, and thus easier to cross.
Thank you two! I am excited enough I’ll be able to swing a teeny greenhouse this winter. I’ve really been interested in taking the rose seedlings and crosses more seriously for a while anyway.
Please don’t feel confined to my above list for any advice… I know VERY little about how to get the best germinations. I am reading the great webpages around.
I got Purezza from Lisa at Countryside Roses bareroot this past year, BTW. It did rebloom and has a little bud on it now, too. I didn’t manually apply pollen at all, but I do have it in bee central, by the herb garden. I can try to list who the possible suspects are; I am certain it would be a repeating OGR, probably pink or white, though.
Thanks for the good wishes! I don’t know how good the odds are with just 2 seeds, but at least it shows that Purezza might be a better parent than expected.