How to germinate rose seeds correctly and what care do seedlings need?

Few gardeners decide to germinate rose seeds at home. The flower is mainly propagated by cuttings, which is quite fast and convenient. However, the seed breeding method of the queen of the garden can also be adopted. This method is suitable for those who want to get a rose of a rare variety, for example, with flowers of an unusual color. True, you will need to be patient. Lush flowering will have to wait for several years.

Where to get seeds?

Today it has become fashionable to order exotic plant seeds on popular Chinese sites. Planting material is inexpensive. When choosing a rose variety, flower growers usually focus on colorful photographs from the product catalog, capturing the buds of the usual and rare color.

Flowers can be not only white, pink, red, but also purple, blue, light green, black. When ordering rose seeds from China, one cannot always count on the exact correspondence of the obtained material to the described varietal characteristics. But this does not scare some experimenters and exotic lovers.

After all, gardeners are not particularly at risk. The worst that can be expected for them is some disappointment from unfulfilled expectations and the loss of a small amount of money. Judging by the reviews, someone still managed to get high-quality seed material from which the exact plant that was ordered grew. So you can try. By the way, there are seeds for sale from domestic producers.

Benefits of seed propagation

Although the seed propagation method is time-consuming, requires patience and labor, it has certain advantages. Some of them push the grower to purchase seeds:

• Low cost of planting material. Rose cuttings are much more expensive. For the same amount, you can buy many bags of seeds of different varieties.
• The seed method of growing makes it possible to get many young plants at once. The grower will have the opportunity to donate or sell grown roses to others, leaving himself the required number of bushes.
• By purchasing varieties of miniature roses, it will be possible to grow them as a home plant, getting the maximum pleasure from contemplating the beautiful flowers that live on the windowsill.
• Plants that are grown from seeds have excellent immunity, they adapt well to the conditions in which they were from birth. When planted in the ground, roses actively grow roots and can easily endure wintering.

This method of growing roses is perfect for enthusiasts who enjoy watching the growth and development of plants that emerge from a small seed. Children can be involved in this activity - it will teach them to love wildlife, foster a sense of responsibility. As they grow, the seedlings will need care and attention that can be entrusted to the child.

When buying seeds, you should pay attention to the description of the variety and the required growing conditions. It is necessary to choose roses for planting taking into account how suitable the climate in which they are to grow. Too capricious plants are suitable only for regions belonging to the southern climatic zone. You should be prepared for the fact that weed seeds will be sent along with the rose seeds due to poor-quality sorting. The grown seedlings will need weeding.

What could go wrong?

Sometimes flower growers complain that they don't germinate rose seeds from China.There can be several explanations for this at once.

• Firstly, every detail is important for seeds at the germination stage: air and soil temperature, lighting mode, soil type. These parameters in Russia and China may differ significantly.
• Secondly, no one controls the quality of the seeds supplied to Russia, so there is no reason to hope for one hundred percent germination. In this situation, you can give only one piece of advice: pay attention to the seller's reputation and reviews of his product. If the majority of buyers give a negative rating, it is better to purchase seeds elsewhere.

Presowing preparation

Before sowing rose seeds, you need to process them, which consists of several stages.

For better germination, dry seeds are recommended to first be stratified by placing them in the refrigerator for several days. Keeping at a low above zero temperature is designed to simulate natural wintering in natural conditions.

This is followed by disinfection. Seed material is soaked for 15–20 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The seeds are then germinated to make sure they are viable and to speed up the development of the seedlings.

For germination, you can use not ordinary water, but a nutrient solution based on a complex fertilizer. This technique will allow you to get stronger and more actively growing seedlings. The procedure goes like this:

1. A cotton pad moistened with a weakly concentrated fertilizer solution is placed on a saucer.
2. The rose seeds are laid on top and covered with a second cotton pad, which should also be wet.
3. The saucer is covered with foil and placed in a dark, moderately warm place (18-20 ° C).

It may take 2 months or more to germinate. During this period, it is necessary to ensure that the seeds do not dry out, but always remain slightly damp, and check their condition. If some of the seeds become moldy, they are thrown away.

Instead of fertilizers, growth stimulants ("Epin-extra", "Zircon", "Energen") can be added to the soaking water, especially if the seeds are dry.

Landing features

As soon as the seeds hatch, they are planted in the prepared ground. As a substrate, you can use a commercially available universal soil for seedlings. Such soil is light and nutritious, has a uniform structure.

Sowing can be done in common containers or in separate small cups. Peat tablets are ideal as containers, since the root system of plants will not be affected during the subsequent transplantation.

Sprouted seeds must be handled very carefully: the sprouts are still too tender and thin.

1. Each seed is placed in a hole to a depth of 0.5-1 cm.
2. Sprinkle on top with dry soil.
3. Then gently spray from a spray bottle.
4. The plantings are covered with foil to create greenhouse conditions.

Seedling care

After sowing, the seedlings are kept at a temperature of + 20 ° C. The shelter is removed after the first shoots appear.

For normal development, seedlings need about 12 hours of daylight. If there is not enough natural light, you will need to arrange backlighting.

The potting soil should always be slightly damp. For young plants, both lack and excess of water during irrigation are destructive. If the process of growing seedlings takes place in the spring, before planting the seedlings in the ground, they must be hardened by daily taking them out into the open air. The time spent outdoors should be increased gradually.

Before planting seedlings in the ground, you should take care of the fertility of the soil. Nutrients are placed in the planting pit:

• peat,
• humus,
• wood ash.

If you need to make the soil lighter, add sand.

It is better to plant roses in partial shade, taking care of protection from the wind.

The first buds that appear at home should be cut off so that they do not weaken the plant.

A rose grown from seeds will reveal all its splendor only after a few years, when the bush gets stronger and gains strength. Seedlings fully inherit all maternal qualities, so one can hope that soon the garden will be decorated with such a luxurious plant as in the picture from the Internet.