It is now the time for you to try some crosses for
this year…any time, in fact, from the first flush to
about the end of January. If you are a first-timer,
start simply. Prepare your flowers a day before you
plan to do the cross. You need dry weather, and then
select two varieties that tend to set seed initially
on their own (for a likely first success). In the
morning, before the petals are fully expanded,
remove all but one (to act as a flag on the chosen
variety), then remove the stamens (male part of the
flower) and place them in a glass container. They
will ripen and release their pollen over night. The
next morning the stigma (female part of the flower)
will be receptive and you can brush pollen from
another rose on them after removing the flag petal.
The flower head should be labeled with the pollen
parent and if you have been successful, the bud will
swell and seeds will form in the hep (seed pod).
Crosses are labeled using the seed (female parent)
first and pollen (male) parent second…isn’t that
always the way? For example, if it seemed desirable
to fertilise seed of Pimprenelle with pollen of
Marilyn Monroe, the cross would be listed as
Pimprenelle x Marilyn Monroe.
There is no problem with selecting single roses.
There will always be a number of insignificant
singles anyway, whatever parents you choose and you
CAN get full blooms from two singles, but normally
if I choose a single (for colour or seed setting) I
tend to choose a more substantial bloom for the
pollen parent. Please note that if you are
specifically chasing red, you do not necessarily
have to choose two red parents. I find the more
interesting colours come from two different coloured
parents.
Naturally set heps may also be used for collecting
seed…or for eating when ripe, but please note some
are richer in vitamin C than others and some taste
sweeter than others. After your crosses have been
made, you have nothing more to do than wait for
nature to take its course.
© Richard
Walsh
If anyone is interesting in joining the Australian
Rose Breeders’ Association and receiving a quarterly
magazine, send your $20 annual subscription to the
Treasurer, Bob Gregory, Box 88 Modbury North, S.A.
5092
Email: rgr84941@bigpond.net.au
Phone: (08) 8263 5855
