What methods can be used to advance the development of new rose plants to a stage where they can make a real contribution in a breeding program?
Would disbudding be worthwhile @ if so how and when is it done? Is it worth sacrificing the first(small)crop?
How much can fertilizing etc. contribute to development or is too much nurturing a bad thing?
I am speaking particularly of new bought roses but I assume the same methods would apply to home grown ownroot plants that we want to use in the future.
I am very interested in opinions on this matter as I think that it requires 20 or more seeds to evaluate any plant and that can only taken from a strong plant that can produce 50+ blooms.
I am hoping to acheive this in the later part of this season and do a late season program with my new plants.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Russ.
Hi Russ,
I think that time is the most important factor and minimal pruning (pruning out only dead wood and awkward growth).
For proposed seed parents, they must set hips readily of course.
So to move plants along in the shortest amount of time, I have watered and fertilized well and made sure that plants were well deadheaded. I have also found that it is easiest to move plants along faster in large pots (7 to 10 gallons). That way they don’t have to compete with the roots of other plants.
Many new plants, even if they will ultimately be good seed parents, don’t do well in the first year, but doing the above can move them along for good performance the following year.
What are your most hopeful seed parents?
Jim Sproul
Hi Russ.
Last December, in a hurry I purchased a replacement specimen ‘Ebb Tide’ for the original one I had planted the previous winter (the original ET was very suspect for some very bad disease, and I eliminated it).
The replacement potted ‘Ebb Tide’ was growing nicely in a relatively small pot…it was a tree-version as that is all I could find to purchase. I took it home, plonked it in the ground in the middle of summer, making sure not to disturb the root ball…and within days I commenced pollinating onto it. Pretty much every flower set a hip, and by autumn I had over 100 seeds.
So if you select an advanced specimen in a pot, and the varietal is a good seed setter, it is worth just getting on with the job!
gvarden at bigpond dot net dot au