Roses are such beautiful plants that, despite their thick thorns, they continue to feature prominently in gardens, patios and terraces in temperate regions of the world. Many of the varieties sold flower for several months in a row, starting in the spring and ending when the cold weather sets in, so who doesn’t want to have a few cheap copies?
For this, what can be done is to acquire seeds and sow them. Now well, how to plant roses It is not as simple as it may seem, because in order to germinate they must be exposed to low, not extreme, but cool temperatures.
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When to plant roses?
If we take into account that the seeds must be exposed to the cold, what we will do is sow them in the fallwhich is also the moment when the fruit of the rosebush – the dog rose – has already finished ripening.
In any case, if you don’t know exactly when to harvest it, let me tell you that you just have to wait until the stem that connects the fruit to the branch of the plant, called the peduncle, is dry.
When this is the case, you can be sure that the rosehip and the seeds it contains have finished ripening. But if it’s still green, that means it’s still getting food, and that can only mean one thing: it’s not yet ripe.
What do you need to sow rose seeds?
To make them germinate as quickly as possible, we will need the following:
- A glass with a little water
- A small clear plastic container with a lid
- Vermiculite (on sale here)
- Powdered copper, or a multi-purpose fungicide spray (available here)
- jars
- watering can
- Seeds
And also a fridge if the winters in your area are mild or warm, with no frost.
You probably already have a lot of these things, and when it comes to getting new plants from sowing their seeds, you don’t have to spend a lot of money.
How are roses planted?
Once we have the seeds, the first thing we need to do is put them in a glass of water. Thus, we will be able to know if they are viable or if, on the contrary, they are not. In the first case, we will see that they sink; in the second, they will remain floating. As sometimes those that can germinate take a while to sink, I recommend leaving them in the glass for 24 hours.
The next step will be moisten the vermiculite and fill the plastic container with it. It is not necessary to fill it completely, but it is advisable. Then we will take the seeds and give them a “bath” with copper or with the fungicide to minimize the risk of fungi spoiling them.
After, we will proceed to sow them in the container. They must be introduced more or less halfway before closing the container and putting it in the fridge (in the yogurt and other part). For several weeks, until spring, it is necessary to take out the container and open it so that the air is renewed.
As soon as the temperatures exceed 15°C, it will be time to sow the seeds in a pot of about 8.5cm or 10.5cm in diameter.. But how? Very easy: just fill it almost completely with vermiculite or seed compost, and after watering, place the seeds on the surface by burying them a little.
It is very important that they are planted separately, that is, do not stack them or put them too close to each other, because if they all germinate, it would be difficult for them to survive all separated. In addition, to avoid risks, it is best to plant about 3 or 4 in each pot. This will make it easier for each of them to develop well from the start.
How to take care of rose seedlings?
When you have already sown the seeds, the task of taking care of the seedbed begins. We are interested in seeds that germinate as soon as possible, so that what we’re gonna do is leave the pot outside so that as spring advances, they wake up. But beware, they won’t do this if they don’t get enough light and/or if they are watered so much that the soil remains waterlogged.
For it, the ideal is to place the nursery or the pot in a sunny place, then to water it several times a week from below; that is, by the tray method, which involves placing a plate or tray under the pot and filling it so that the soil absorbs water from below. Thus, the seeds are prevented from moving, which would happen if they were watered “from above”.
Now, how often should you water? The earth must remain moist, but never waterloggedotherwise the seeds will rot. So, to prevent this from happening, it will have to be watered every 3 or 4 days, or more often if the soil is seen to dry quickly. Likewise, and in order to avoid fungi, we will apply a spray fungicide once a week.
How long do rose seeds take to germinate?
The time it takes will depend a lot on the viability of the seedswhether they were picked up at the factory or purchased online, as well as the weather conditions in our area.
But assuming they’re fresh and viable, if all goes well it shouldn’t take more than a month since they were planted in potsafter being in a plastic container during the winter.
Good luck with the rose seeds.