Roses remain popular in gardens.
Roses have a long, varied history, serving as symbols of love, beauty, war and politics. According to fossil evidence, roses have existed for at least 35 million years. Modern roses are those developed after 1867, the year the first hybrid tea was introduced. According to Clemson University Cooperative Extension, the most popular groups of modern roses -- hybrid teas, floribundas and grandifloras -- are well-regarded for their repeat blooming and spectacular color and form. Does this Spark an idea?
Top Methods
The top methods of propagating roses are through cuttings, grafting and budding. According to the University of Maryland Extension, propagation by seed is mainly used by breeders when they are trying to develop new cultivars. Seed is also used for Rosa multiflora propagation, which is a rose that is used as rootstock for grafting rose cultivars.
Rose Seeds
Rose seeds can germinate and produce a new rose plant, but chances are high the flowers will not look like the parent plant that produced the seeds. According to New Mexico State University, that's because most roses grown today are hybrids and contain a mix of genetic material from the mother and father plants. Curious gardeners can plant the seeds, but they can expect that the new roses won't closely resemble those of the parent plant.
Rose Hips and Seeds
A rose hip contains rose seeds.
After a rose is fertilized, the ovary swells from the seeds growing inside of it. When it swells to its fullest, it is called a "rose hip." To get rose seeds for propagation, cut the hips from the stem above the leaves after the first heavy frost. Most hips will have changed color over time from green to yellow, orange or red and some may not change color at all, but they may all be taken for seeds. Open hips with a knife; rose seeds are hard, so do not be too concerned about damaging them. The Maryland Rose Society recommends dropping seeds in a glass of water with a teaspoon of bleach. Seeds that drop to the glass bottom are more likely to germinate than the seeds that remain at the water's surface.
Stratification
Rose seeds must be "stratified" before planting, meaning they need a period of moist, cold storage of about 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the seeds in containers or plastic bags with a little moist peat moss and store the containers in the refrigerator for 45 to 60 days. Plant the stratified seeds in a pot with potting soil. Keep new plants in sunlight and warm temperatures throughout the winter, then plant outside in the spring. According to New Mexico State University, in a year or sometimes several years, the plants will produce flowers, although they may be quite different from the plant the seeds came from.
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