How to Start a Rose Bush From Scratch

Gardeners often purchase pre-grown rose bushes or sprout new ones from clippings from existing plants. However, with a little patience and care, it's simple enough to start a rose bush from scratch using seeds harvested from established bushes. Pick rose hips in the late fall, then plant the sprouted rose seedlings in the early spring to ensure that these delicate plants will have plenty of time to establish themselves outdoors before the temperatures turn cold.

Things You'll Need

• Gardening shears
• Small knife
• Peat moss or vermiculite
• Plastic bags
• Adhesive labels
• Plastic nursery tray
• Soil
• Small flowerpots

Instructions

1. Snip rose hips from a rose bush when they're bright orange or red. Cut open the rose hip with a small knife and separate the seeds from the pod and chaff.

2. Place a rose seed and a small amount of moist peat moss or vermiculite--a mineral used by gardeners as a soil additive--in a self-sealing plastic sandwich bag. Label the bag with the date and the variety of rose. Store the bag in the crisper section of the refrigerator and wait for 90 days. The process of chilling seeds, which is known as stratification, will simulate the toughening effects of winter.

3. Fill a standard plastic nursery tray with a mixture of one-half vermiculite and one-half soil. Press each rose seed into the soil about 1/2 inch deep and space the seeds at least 1 inch apart. Label each flat with the rose variety.

4. Place the trays outside in full sunlight, if the weather is warm enough and there's no danger of frost. Trays of planted seeds can also be kept indoors and sprouted under grow lights, timed to remain on for 16 hours and off for eight hours. Water regularly to keep the soil damp. Seedlings will begin to sprout in 2-6 weeks.

5. Transfer seedlings into individual flowerpots or into the ground after four to six leaves form per seedling. It may take up to 3 years for a rose bush to mature enough to grow flowers.

Tips & Warnings

• Drop rose seeds in a glass of water before planting them in trays. The seeds that sink to the bottom are considered likelier candidates for successful germination, while the seeds that float can be discarded.

• If the weather outside is chilly, protect the trays of seeds by keeping them inside or placing them beneath a tree or porch for shelter.

• Plant rose seedlings in areas that receive at least six hours of direct sun per day.

References

• Growing Roses from Seed
• Rose Seed Propagation
• How To Grow Roses From Seed