Waiting...watching...wishing! Re: hips!!!

Still doing the odd late cross here but, as my first season as a hybridizer comes to a close, I am pleased that 85 crosses (and loads of OP hips) are still hanging on. Most are still in the 40-70 day range but quite a few are close to 100 days now & everything looks very promising! About 30 crosses have completely failed so far & they seemed to do so in the 3rd & 4th week after pollination took place. I wonder if others have noticed this time frame too?

2 of the 6 OP hips on "Cherries 'n' Cream" (at approx. 120 days):-
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All 6 remaining "Jean Kenneally" x "Papageno" hips (at 45 days). All crosses performed at the same time but using "Grimaldi" pollen failed:-
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All 4 "New Dawn" x "Violina" hips (with green clips) & 1 of the 6 "New Dawn" "x "Dainty Bess" hips (with the pink clip). (All at 35 days):-
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Keep your fingers crossed that they hold on until the end for me please! LOL...

Yep... though this year I have noticed quite a few holding on for a very long time and then aborting... is hard to pick sometimes. I read a thread on RHA once that described looking at the shape and size of the receptacle to give an idea of the likelyhood of it setting hips... looking at its 'child bearing hips' so to speak LOL The long narrow ones were poor seed setters and the broad round ones were good. I've found this to be the case this year as well... some I juts know will fail (like 'Anitique Silk' did for me this year), and others I can almost bet my house will work (like 'Wild Rover'... it has good 'child bearing hips ).

Hmmmm I wonder at what stage an "aborted" hip might still produce viable seed? I suppose it depends on the type & variety of each rose but I am aiming for 90 days at the very least. I read a bit about it long ago but will need to have another look into it...

I haven't been brave in my first year at all & have only used roses I knew set decent hips! I really enjoy watching the hips swell & watching them fail & drop hasn't been as crushing as I expected either. LOL

LOL @ "Wild Rover" having child bearing hips; it sure does! "Starlight Rose" can join that club too...

I like to go by the overall hardness of the seed when assessing the likelyhood of germination. In late aborted hips I will check for seeds (a lot don't have any even though they abort late in the piece), and if so give them a gentle squeeze. If they are hard then I give them a go. If they are still soft I don't bother. Very unscientific... but makes sense to me. Maybe with some embryo culture one could get even very young embryos to begin germination One theory is that by leaving seeds in the hip for long periods of time the testa begins to release dormancy initiators and the longer you leave them the deeper the dormancy... so the theory goes on to say that by harvesting the seeds a little early you may be able to even germinate seeds without stratification because the seeds are not yet dormant. Personally (and this is just my personal opinion... and you know what they say about opinions... they are like *%$#@!%*... everyone has one LOL), I would rather just let them mature, put them in the fridge, and let nature do what nature does best... I aint in any hurry

I think I will also go by the hardness of the seed then Simon. What you outline all makes sense to me but I am the "Mr Unscientific"! LOL.

"I aint in any hurry" ...same here! I am not even going to put my seeds in the fridge. I have found quite a few rose seedlings in my garden so even if it takes a couple of years/ winters for seeds to germinate, it's OK!

Seeing these I wish I had picked some hips already! I lost two really important ones (to me) the other day to some #%$@%$% critter. Apparently I am not the only one who likes the taste of 'Scabrosa' hips They didn't eat the OP 'Scabrosa' hips... just he ones with 'Cricket' and 'Rise n Shine'

Hmmm yes, I know that scenario all too well Simon!
While I was away something (I am thinking a possum) ate 5 of my 8 OP hips on 'Princess of Wales', nibbled at 'Spanish Lady' & went to town on 'Love'. It also ate a couple of my 'Maggie' x 'Lavender Pinocchio' hips! Grrrrrr

I am determined to provide no more free rose associated meals after this winter. If it costs me a fortune on fencing so be it...

Yeah.. I think this critter must have balls of steel to venture into my garden with my big black dog roaming around... I picked my 'Green Ice' x 'Veilchenblau' hip today (only got one) because something is eating my hips... wasn't going to let it get THIS one.

Damian... have you got flower carpet 'Amber'? I totally recommend you get it if you don't. I can't believe how many hips set on it. I only test pollinated one flower with 'Wild Rover' and it also took. I acting like a tetraploid instead of a triploid like the other FC roses are. Going to hit it with everything I've got next season.

LMAO @ "balls of steel"!!!

My bigger dog is nearly blind & very deaf now (she will be 15 later this year) so her useful days are well & truly over but the 2 little ones (known here as "the ferrets") do a pretty decent job of protecting the yard when we are home.

Glad you got your hip of 'Green Ice' x 'Veilchenblau' off & in Simon. I like the cross BTW...do you have 'Super Lass'? It's a great rose IMO!!!

I do have 'Flower Carpet Amber' Simon & it has dropped the 4 hips it was carrying using 'Papageno' pollen at the 50 day mark. It's good to know you are having success with it because it is extremely healthy here & a great looking rose overall. Next season I think I will try it with roses such as 'Route 66', 'Grimaldi', 'Topsy Turvy' & 'About Face' in the hope of spicing things up a little!