Rose Seedlings

[rockyroad]

I bought two rose seedlings from a local hybridizer, Walt Wells.

They were some that he had rejected, but I was fascinated by the idea that they are one of a kind....and they are pretty. He said that he started 18,000 seeds last fall and that these plants should grow quickly. The idea of growing roses from seeds is really interesting.

They are not quite minature size flowers, but are small, perhaps mini-flora. The whole plants are just inches tall and have blooms.

Anyway, it sounded like fun and for $4 will not be a big loss even if they don't make it.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Sounds like fun! Just hope there's none with that wicked multiflora habit. Let us know how they turn out. Where in the country are you located?

 

[rockyroad]

Sounds like fun! Just hope there's none with that wicked multiflora habit. Let us know how they turn out. Where in the country are you located?

Thanks

Whoops, I meant Whit Wells

I am in Memphis.
Not a great place to try to grow roses(hot and humid), but what's the worst that can happen?

But what is this wicked multiflora habit?

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Mostly kidding about the multiflora thing. It used to be that they would graft onto a really sturdy root stock, which in the olden days was a multiflora rose. Well, turns out that the root stock would sucker, sending up its own canes and overwhelm the lovely rose that was grafted onto it. Not only that, but the multiflora rose is easily spread by seed, so birds would eat the hips, drop them off in inopportune places, and the multiflora rose would displace native flora. Those roses, as well as the rootstock, have been outlawed for some time now, so it's unlikely that's the sort of rose you'll get.