Home Run as a seed parent??

General Discussion
1

Before I waste too much effort on lost causes, I read in one of the archived threads that ‘Home Run’ is not fertile as a seed parent.

Last fall I had what appeared to be normal seeds in some open-pollinated hips on my ‘Home Run’. I didn’t try to germinate these though.

So my question is… is ‘Home Run’ pretty much completely useless as a seed parent, or does it just set a much smaller number of seeds per hip than other [good] seed parents?

2

I gave up on it as seed parent quickly. All attempts aborted quickly. I found the pollen quite fertile. Others have reported less satisfactory results.

I suspect Home Run might eventually set seed once fully established and not overly fertilized.

I’m working with second and third generation descendants now.

3

In my experience it does not set fertile seeds, if it sets seed at all. Even its pollen is marginally fertile. Like Robert, I have gotten a few seedlings and am moving forward with those, abandoning Home Run altogether. I find its architecture leaves a lot to be desired.

4

Tom, I agree that HR is way better as a pollen parent. I haven’t had any seeds on it as a seed parent. You may have more success using HR pollen on your more fertile seed parents. I too have moved away from using it directly. If you have a plant that frequently produces OP hips, however, you might try planting the seeds to check for germination rate. Sometimes a clone or perhaps just local conditions may give increased fertility and your particular plant may prove to be fertile as a seed parent. Even so, I don’t think that I would waste too much time on it with crosses on it until you have established that your rose has increased fertility as a seed parent.

Jim Sproul

5

Thanks guys! That’s exactly what I needed to hear.

I’ll just plan to use it as pollen parent, if I’m going to use it.

Thanks again, Tom