An experiment in germination

Was looking for information tonight about the nature of dormancy in rose achenes... it's an interesting area to research.. but in the process of looking for information I found this resource:

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This is a link to the full article and it makes for an interesting read. To greatly summarise the topic they found that adding a compost activator to the the stratification mix they could greatly improve the percentage germination of Rosa canina (which often requires very lengthy stratification periods).

I'd like to do a bit of a group experiment on this. Bokashi composters have become very popular in the past few years. The results reported have been impressive to say the least. A key ingredient to the Bokashi composter is the compost activator and I found some instructions on how it is made:

MAKING BOKASHI.

Soak a cup of rice in water for several hours, strain liquid into a glass jar, to a depth of 5 cm. The drained rice can be cooked and eaten.

Add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, loosely seal the jar and leave in a cool dark cupboard for 7 to 10 days. When fermented it should have a sweet or pungent odour.

Add 500 grams of unprocessed wheat or rice bran to the rice water and mix well, it should be damp not wet.

Mix in about 50 grams of good garden soil, collected near the compost heap is ideal as it should have plenty of microbes in it.

This mixture is placed in a plastic bag, excess air squeezed out, then kept in a warm spot for 7 to 10 days.

The mix is then spread on a tray to dry in a shady well ventilated area.The finished bokashi should smell musty or earthy not rotten.

Once dried the bokashi should be stored in a cool dark place.

Source: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I would like to test this compost activation recipe on some rose seeds to see if this DIY recipe works following the same(ish) procedure that is outlined in the paper referenced above. What do you think?

Whenever I see something like this I always want to try it out but I know I never will! LOL

I have little doubt that something like this would help germination considerably!

Well... I reckon once you start getting seeds for things that you are REALLy excited about you might decide to give it a go Like right now, as we speak, I'm cracking open 'Prairie Peace' seeds to extract the embryos... it's all part of the fun

I am really excited about all of the seeds from my first crosses but I think I will always keep things as simple as possible. I enjoy reading about embryo extraction & ideas on alternate stratification etc but it just isn't my idea of fun! I'm too busy seperating seed into sinkers & floaters to music!

*runs off to HMF to take a squizz at 'Prairie Peace'*

'Prairie Peace' is a fine looking rose Simon & what a background!?!

Here's hoping OP seedlings from it are just the start of a great line of awesome roses for you.

Just an aside, while looking at the lineage of 'Prairie Peace' I saw 'Butterball' & I think that is a classy looking rose (at least in the pic anyhow LOL).

I'm pretty excited about the possibility of getting some 'Prairie Peace' seeds to grow. Don Holeman sent me these seeds to practice embryo extraction on (might as well practice on something worthwhile ) and I have about 11 embryos out as of tonight.. will see how they go. The good thng about the embryo extraction is that I could have seedlings in as little as a week instead of waiting 10-14 weeks. In PP's case, it has only EVER been germinated by embryo extraction. Erskine (breeder) was never able to get any PP seeds to germinate.

I wish you the best of luck with them Simon. I wonder what makes the seed fail to germinate on its own? I mean obviously the seeds are viable! Strange...a hard case to crack! LOL

I have read that 'Dainty Bess' seed is difficult to germinate as well which is why I used it as a pollen parent instead! I think 'Altissimo' is a tough one too?

'Altissimo' is very difficult (which is why this year I'm stratifying 'Altissimo' x 'Euphrates' seeds in peat instead of on paper towel... hoping the biological action of the micro-organisms in the peat help to decompose the suture in the achene making it easier for the embryo to emerge). The achene in these seem to be VERY thick... indeed a hard nut to crack. In the case of these varieties I think it is a case of physical germination barriers.

Simon, go to the top of the class, will have to have a go at embryo extraction and having seeds sent from USA. That PP sounds like a real bullet proof rose, hope I'm on your worthwhile breeders list.

Don't forget to read this then Bruce: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

This will explain everything you need to know about embryo extraction and culture. Don has gone to great lengths to document his protocol so that even idiots like me can achieve success

It will be so great if you get seedlings using 'Euphrates' Simon. It seems, here in Aus, you (and your crosses) are our only hope in this area!

I recently saw - on RHA - a pic of a persica hybrid? involving 'Blue for You' & it was absolutely amazing. I think it was called 'Eyes for You' or something!

Thanks Simon, must join RHA, can see I am missing out big time.