Has anyone had the opportunity to do any work yet with Rainbow Knockout? Has it been somewhat fertile? I just did a root tip squash on it today and it’s triploid.
David
He also released a similar looking climber this year. Theyre improvements in aesthetics over Knockout but Im still liking Home Run way more.
I wonder what the parents of both are…
I agree about Home Run being a big improvement looks wise over the Knock out series.
Here in Southern CA frankly I would only use something like Knockout in freeway median or something, I just don’t find it attractive. I have seen pictures of Knockout in the South and East that look pretty good.
Thankfully we have much more to choose from and don’t have to select roses primarily for disease resistance. I’d stop being interested in roses if I had to grow roses that looked like that. They aren’t to my taste.
Id grow those over the opposite (wannabe disease infested Signature #43441) but I do believe aesthetics to be essential. Im glad theyre being produced though. If nothing else, the entire thought about disease resistance makes me happy. I cant wait to see how modern bush and shrub roses look in 20-30 years. Hopefully the best of both worlds will begin to emerge.
Parentage…Radtee x Radral
…but I have no clue what these are.
David, I have no experience with ‘Rainbow Knockout’, but didn’t you say that ‘Home Run’ was also triploid? Or am I making that up?!
I have had good success using ‘Home Run’ as a pollen parent. Hips set readily and germinations don’t seem to be adversely effected as is sometimes seen in other triploids.
Jim Sproul
I only started using Home Run this Spring but I agree that it sets hips easily with a variety of seed parents. I’m anxious to start getting seedlings. I’m glad they appear to be vigorous Jim. Thanks, Robert
Robert I don’t know if you have already seen one of my new seedlings from this year that I posted on another forum, but here it is. It is from a cross of (‘Marmalade Skies’ X ‘Baby Love’) X ‘Home Run’. It is definitely vigorous as are several from this batch. It doesn’t get even a speck of powdery mildew and blooms a ton.
‘Home Run’ is great for us on the west coast to use in breeding since it doesn’t get powdery mildew like ‘Knockout’ does.
Jim Sproul
Very nice, Jim! All of my Home Run crosses took so far.
Home Run x Cherry Meililand
Home Run x (Dortmund x Circus)
Kanegem x Home Run
Opening Night x Home Run
btw most plants rarely ever mildew at this part of the west coast (Western Oregon) unless ya really crank up the nitrogen. There are a few that may mildew before they go dromant. Crystalline, Sheer Bliss, Lady Rose, Tropicana, the moss on almost all moss roses and Europeana are the usual culprits I see with mildew. Blackspot is the concern here and Home Run is shining through without spray so far.
Thanks Jadae. The seed parent of the above seedling (‘Marmalade Skies’ X ‘Baby Love’) seems resistant to blackspot for me, so I am hopeful that this new seedling with both of it’s parents being so clean, will also be resistant to blackspot.
Thanks also for reminding me that the West Coast is a very large area with lots of climatic variation!
Jim Sproul
Looks great Jim. Mildew is our primary desisease agent here as well.
I noted you’ve used Home Run as seed parent Jadae? I was told it was only good for pollen??
If i had to criticize Hom Run so far I would say it’s quite prickly, on the runty side and so far the growth habit is a bit awkward but then my plant is very young.
Someone said it worked as a seed parent. Or I imagined reading that lol… at any rate, the hips have not dropped yet!
My only major complaint about it is that there should be more blooms per square inch for its class. But it is nice and fit into the perennial border quite nicely. I can water over it and not have a care in the world which I find quite refreshing/relaxing.
Very nice Jim.
I gather this rose isn’t a miniature then?
Thanks Philip.
No, it’s a shrub type.
Jim Sproul
It was about 2’ x 2’ at Washington Park. I’d guess it will be a floribunda-sized when mature.