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I Bought Rose Seeds Online. Are They Good?

“I purchased rose seeds on [online] and didn’t know they were from China till they shipped (rose image above). I’d love it if you could tell me if they are or are not rose seeds. I’m new to roses, and knowing if these are or are not rose seeds will be very helpful. Thank you so much! :)” Question from Bradley of Cleves, Ohio

Answer: You can plant your rose seed, but they will not mature, as shown in the picture. Many misleading plants and seeds are sold online, and this is one of them. The rose shown in the advertisement is a rambling hybrid climber with beautiful double red roses. It is not seed-grown. All hybrid roses available today are specially bred varieties grown from rooted cuttings or cuttings grafted onto a rootstock (probably a bit too much technical information). To put it plainly, rose cuttings are snipped off stem tips taken from hybrid roses. These are then dipped in a hormone that helps them root, and placed in lightly moist soil until they root and can be potted up and eventually planted into the ground.

Growing roses from seed is rare unless you are a rose breeder. Seed-grown plants will be variable in appearance and take a long time to grow. There are a few reliable seed vendors that sell rose seed, such those of  ‘Angel Wings’ miniature roses from Renee’s Garden Seeds, but these sources are not common. Buy full-grown plants instead. They may be a bit more expensive but well worth the investment.

Choose Reputable Companies

Buying from a trusted seed or plant source means everything. Here are my four favorite rose growers proven to provide healthy, beautiful plants.

1. David Austin Roses – This English rose company is famous for selling some of the most beautiful, vigorous, disease-resistant roses. (They are the best!!!)

2. Star Roses – If you want attractive, highly disease-resistant shrub roses, this is the go-to source.

3. Weeks Roses – Weeks is a famous American rose company with excellent varieties. You can’t go wrong with their selection and quality.

4. Jackson & Perkins – This old-American rose company has lots of wonderful varieties.

For a little extra information about choosing roses and growing them organically, watch the video below.

Starting Roses from Seed

If you want to try starting your rose seeds, they need to be chilled to enable them to sprout. Plant them in pots or a small tray of vermiculite that is just moist, not wet. Place the pots or vermiculite in a plastic bag and then chill them in the refrigerator fr 10-12 weeks. Then remove them and place them under grow lights or in a sunny window. Keep the vermiculite just moist. Ambient room temperature is ideal. They may take several weeks to sprout. Placing them on a heat mat can encourage faster germination.

Happy rose growing!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Black Gold is "Very Excellent Soil"

BG All Purp front

Here’s another glowing testimonial from a satisfied Black Gold user:

“Black Gold® All Purpose Soil is a very excellent soil. In the past I used another soil & it killed my pansies so I tried the Black Gold® All Purpose & within 2 weeks they were bigger than the ones in the other soil that had been in it for over 2 months. Thank you and don’t ever change the formula because it works great!”

-Allan, Portland, OR

 

Black Gold® Soil Conditioner Reviewed

Black Gold Soil Conditioner 2 2 cu Bale frontI worked at a garden center in Gresham, Oregon and that is where I tried the Black Gold Soil Conditioner. I live in an area near Mt Hood that has a lot of sand and fir needles in my soil, so I thought I would try this product since I sold the product at the garden center, and I felt I needed to know how it worked. I started using it in my flower pots. I planted my flowers in some pots, and tomatoes in other pots using soil conditioner. It worked so well that I decided to use it in all my flower beds. I also added it to the soil where I planted my evergreens, rhododendrons, and other plants. They grew so well, and I did not lose any of my plants. I also had some of the nicest tomatoes. This fall I put a layer on all my flower beds.

I feel this is the best product I have ever used. I am going to continue to add this to my flower beds each years, as my plants have done so well since I have been using Black Gold Soil Conditioner.

-Gardener in Sandy