Rose bushes are such beautiful plants that, despite their thick thorns, they continue to occupy a prominent place in gardens, patios and terraces in temperate regions of the world. Many of the varieties that are sold flower for several months at a time, starting in spring and ending when the cold arrives, so who does not want to have a few copies at low cost?
For this, what can be done is to acquire seeds and sow them. However, how to plant rose bushes It is not as easy as it might seem, because to germinate they need to be exposed to low temperatures, not extreme, but cool.
When are rose bushes planted?
If we take into account that the seeds must be exposed to cold, what we will do is sow them in the fall, which is also the time when the fruit of the rosebush -the rosehip- has already finished ripening.
In any case, if you are not sure when exactly to collect it, let me tell you that you will only have to wait until the stem that joins the fruit with the branch of the plant, called the peduncle, has dried.
When it has, then you can be sure that the hip and the seeds it contains have finished ripening. But if it's still green, it means it's still getting food, and that can only mean one thing: it's not ripe yet.
What is needed to sow rose seeds?
To get them to germinate as soon as possible, we will need the following:
- A glass with a little water
- A small clear plastic container with a lid
- Vermiculite (for sale here)
- Powdered copper, or a multipurpose spray fungicide (for sale No products found.)
- Pots
- Watering can
- Seeds
And also a fridge if the winters in your area are mild or warm, without frost.
Many of these things you probably already have, and when it comes to getting new plants by sowing their seeds, it is not necessary to spend a lot of money.
How are rose bushes planted?
Once we have the seeds, the first thing we must 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. Next, we will take the seeds and give them a "bath" with copper or with the fungicide to minimize the risk of fungi spoiling them.
Then we will proceed to sow them in the container. You have to introduce them more or less halfway before closing the container and putting it in the fridge (in the part of the yogurts and others). For several weeks, until spring, you have to take the container out and open it so that the air is renewed.
As soon as temperatures exceed 15ºC, it will be time to sow the seeds in a pot of about 8,5cm or 10,5cm in diameter.. But how? Very easy: you just have to fill it almost completely with vermiculite or soil for seedbeds, and after watering, place the seeds on the surface, burying them a little.
It is very important that they are planted separately, that is, do not stack them or put them too close together, because if they all germinate, it would be difficult for all of them to survive when separated. Moreover, to avoid risks, it is best to plant about 3 or 4 in each pot. Thus, it will be easier for all of them to develop well from the beginning.
How do you take care of the rose seedling?
When you have already sown the seeds, the task of taking care of the seedbed begins. We are interested in the seeds germinating as soon as possible, so that what we will do is leave the pot outside so that as spring progresses, they wake up. But beware, they will not do it if they do not receive enough light and/or if it is watered so much that the soil remains waterlogged.
Therefore, the ideal is to place the seedbed or pot in a sunny area, and then water it several times a week from below; that is, by the tray method, which consists of placing a plate or tray under the pot and filling it so that the soil absorbs the water from below. Thus, the seeds are prevented from moving, something that would happen if it was watered 'from above'.
Now, how often do you have to water? The earth must remain moist, but never waterloggedotherwise the seeds would rot. So, to prevent this from happening, it will be watered every 3 or 4 days, or more often if we see that the soil dries quickly. Likewise, and in order to avoid fungi, we will apply 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 seeds, whether they were collected from the plant or purchased online, as well as the weather conditions in our area.
But assuming they are fresh and viable, if everything goes well it shouldn't take more than a month since they were planted in pots, after being in a plastic container during the winter.
Good luck with the rose seeds.