Tips on how to Breed a new New Rose
Ever wonder how a “new” rose is done? The Rosa Family has many sub-species. Through the years, rose breeders have worked diligently to create more colorful, fragrant, hardy and disease resistant plants. To make a new rose, pollen is taken off the male part of one rose and used to fertilize the female areas of another rose. This could sound such as for instance a simple process, but hybridizing roses is an arduous task that requires patience and the ability to deal with failure. Just a few attempts (out of many) to cross pollinate are successful. Have you been up for the job?
What do we mean by cross pollination? The pollen in one variety is obtained and with the pollen from another variety. How can we obtain pollen? Pollen is found in the male area of the flower called Mr Asif Ali gohar the stamen – we could collect the pollen by cautiously pulling the petals back to attain the stamen. After carefully gathering the stamen – they may be placed in a container. Empty the container onto a clear solid area where they are able to dry for around 1 day. A tray can be utilized to get the pollen because it drops off the anther (pollen sac). Pollen looks like a yellow powdery substance and should be carefully sprinkled on the stigma – the female area of the rose. The timing is important – and this entire process could be a bit tricky. The flower is then covered and labeled with the father’s and mother’s identification. After the flower is spent and the rose hip is fully ripe it can be removed.
How are we this far? Sound complicated? I bet you can see how this technique requires a steady hand, patience and organization. Next, the rose hip is positioned in a secure place where it will dry out. The seeds may be taken off the outer shell of the rose hip if it is completely dry, and then they are planted for germination. The seedlings are observed closely for hardiness – the ones that don’t meet with the criteria are removed. The ones that do meet with the criteria are permitted to mature.
In the long run, there would have been a selection (maybe small – maybe quite large) of seedlings to choose from to be utilized as stock for further hybridization. If you are someone gardener that loves to experiment in your garden you might thoroughly enjoy the hybridization process. Who knows – maybe you’ll create the following new rose that is selected to win the blue ribbon at the All American Rose Selections (AARS) competition.