R. bracteata has been a difficult species to work with, and I think part of the problem lies in the fact that the first hybrids made with it, like Moore's 'Muriel', were created using tetraploids. I have a feeling that mating it with a diploid instead might prove useful for furthering a breeding line of this kind. With that in mind, I pollinated my R. bracteata a few weeks ago with the well-known miniature breeder 'Magic Wand', also a diploid. I expected this cross to fail, but much to my surprise, I now have about a dozen fat hips forming on my R. bracteata, with 'Magic Wand' as the pollen parent. Now to see if there are actual viable seeds formed in the months ahead. We shall see.
That's exciting news. Fingers crossed for you.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking along these lines too but was going to use 'Mons. Tillier' as my diploid (with bracteata as the pollen parent). Do you think we might run into the same diploid x tetraploid issues with the hybrids as you suspect is happening now with the species?
ReplyDeleteUsually bracteata seeds are quite numerous and rather easy to get. The dificulty is germinating them...
ReplyDeletePierre,
ReplyDeleteAny suggestions for germinating these successfully?
Paul,
ReplyDeleteI am interested in how you dealt wih this exciting seed..did you sow it immediately, or are you currently treating it in any special manner to get it to germinate?
Hi George,
ReplyDeleteI have chilled this cross for about 6 weeks and have cleaned the seeds from the hips about a week ago. I was planning on sowing these seeds today, in fact! I was told by other folks that R. bracteata seed would germinate well regardless of how it was handled, so I did what I usually do. DO you have any recommendations for temperature range to fascilitate germination? Thanks!
Paul
Paul.
ReplyDeleteI can't help in this regard.
What Pierre says here about difficult germinations does concern me. In fact, it is what prompted me to ask you about what you finally did do.
It sounds like you already have consulted others on this also, but if you want more input, maybe consider posting again on your RHA thread from last year (see link).
http://www.rosehybridizers.org/forum/message.php?topid=23609#23622
Paul,
ReplyDeleteOf all the stuff you have written about here, this could be one of the most important topics to me.
I think I too would like to one day mix 'bracteata' and/or 'clinophylla x bracteata' (Viru) with some deeply colored remontant diploid, with the objective of getting some really vigorous roses, better than the usual vigor, at some point down that line.
Good luck, I am especially interested in following the journey of this particular cross of yours.