Hybridizing

John & Mitchie MoeMaster Rosarians

Pacific Northwest DistrictAmerican Rose Society

February 15, 2012

‘Seattle Sunrise’[(‘Pristine’ x ‘Selfridges’) x ‘Finest Hour’]

Photo by Rich Baer

Acknowledgements

Photos by authors, except where credits are shown

Excellent sources

Rose Hybridizing for Beginners,

Rose Hybridizers Association

Rose Hybridizing “The Next Step”,

Rose Hybridizers Association

The Concept of Hybridizing

Definition – to produce or cause to produce hybrids; to crossbreed

So then – to hybridize, take the pollen from the stamens of one flower and apply it to the pistils of another

Genetics?

Photo by Jason Kottke

How it Really Works!

A cross of these two…….

‘Love & Peace’ ‘Blue Peter’Photo by Rich Baer Credit - Photo Files

Produced These Seedlings

‘Lynn’ ‘Judie’‘Barbara’

SeedlingSeedling

But, Before You Start

Stop and picture your ideal rose Now – what characteristics should it have? Some possibilities include;

A particular form – e.g., HT, Fl, Mini, etc. A specific color Fragrance Disease resistance

Choosing a Trait of Interest

The possibilities are endless because of DNA

Thus – focus on your interest before you begin!

Do your research, and then select your parents

A Good Place to Start

Are the parents healthy roses? Are the parents of those parents healthy? Are other combinations of its parents

healthy? You need a good reference book for

parentage – e.g., Modern Roses or Helpmefind.com

Then plan your crosses!

The Anatomy of a Rose

Roses are capable of self fertilization as

each has stamens

(male organs), and pistils (female organs)

Texas A & MRose Breeding & Genetics Program

Gather Your Supplies

Tweezers,camel hair

brush,pollen

containers(35mm film,

baby food jars, etc),

Q-tips, tags

Selecting the bloom

Stamens should be starting to

show, so anthers are mature

The more petals, the more it must

be open

Timing can be critical!

Emasculating the bloom

Removepetals to expose

the stamens

and pistils

Emasculated Bloom

Petals removed

Pistils surrounded

by the anthers

containing pollen

Anthers

Removing the anthers

Carefully remove anthers

with tweezers or fingers

Stamenswith

anthers removed

Stigma

Collecting Pollen

Let mature anthers drop to a sheet of

paper for drying to release pollen

Drying Pollen

Most pollen will be

released by the next day

The powder-like grains of pollen will be visible on the

paper

Storing Pollen

Store pollen in a covered

container away from sunlight at room temp for

1 – 2 weeks, or refrigerate up to

4 weeks

Freeze for long term

Applying Pollen

Apply generous amount of pollen by

clean fingertip,

Q-tip, pipe cleaner, or camel hair

brush

Label your Cross

Label should be weather-

proof

List seed parent first followed by the pollen

parent

Include date!

Hip Developing

If pollination was initially successful, the hip will

start to swell in a

few weeks

Hips Maturing

It takes 90 – 120 days so the seeds

that are inside are mature and ripe for

harvest

Hips can be any size!

One of my crosses‘Gemini’ x ‘Seattle Sunrise’

R. acicularis

Hip cut opened

Dried stigma

Connected to ovary

Seeds

Hip and seeds

Harvest the hip and cut

open to remove the hard, bony

seeds

Wash to remove all parts of the fleshy hip

Soaking seeds

Soak for 1-2 days in a

mild fungicide

solution to prevent

mold that can kill the embryo in storage

Stratifying the Seeds

Store in moist Perlite for 6 weeks

at room temp,

followed by 6 weeks in

fridge before planting

Sowing the Seeds

Use a 2 inch deep tray with

drain holes and plant ¼ - ½ in deep in sterile

potting soil (peat/Perlite

1:1) or Sunshine #4

Add no fertilizer!

Seedling sprouting

Once sprouted, give tray 16 hours

of light per day

Keep moist!

Mist weekly with mild

fungicide to prevent

damp-off

Seedling after a few weeks

In 5 – 6 weeks you should see some buds

The waiting seems forever!

Waiting for that first bloom

Watch growth for vigor, disease

resistance, etc.

Here area couple of

nice, healthy buds!

The first bloom!

More waiting,

but a nice one!

Now, wasn’t

the wait worth it?

The Next Step

Wait for next bloom – how many petals, how long to repeat, etc.

If a keeper, take some cuttings to see how it propagates

Plant some to check vigor, disease resistance, etc.

Evaluate – did it meet your goal?

Questions?

‘Hot To Trot’‘Klima’ x ‘Freisinger Morgenrote’

Photo by Corinne Brown

Thank you