Picking
Extraction and Storage
Use the usual extraction method to separate the flesh from the seeds.
Pre-treatment
The pot needs to remain outside for eighteen months. This is where patience is required! Water the pots if they show signs of drying out and protect from birds and mice if they discover your seeds. We will be sowing the seeds the second spring following collection – dog rose seed is deeply dormant and needs this long before it will grow.
Sowing
Yound dog rose growing in the nurseryIn a 1-litre pot sow four or five seeds and cover with no more than 5mm of compost or grit. Firm gently and water. On a seedbed broadcast the seed quite densely – aim for about 2cm between seeds. Firm with a roller or board to press the seed well into the soil. Cover with 5mm of grit.
Watering
Ensure that the seeds and young plants are kept moist at all times.
Growing
Dog rose will grow quickly if kept well fed and watered. Use a liquid or granular fertilizer every 4-6 weeks until the middle of July. The plants should be ready after either the first or second year for planting out.
Watch out for mildew! Good hygiene can reduce the risk – don’t touch your plants when they are wet and don’t water the foliage too late in the day. Both these measures can help prevent infection. If mildew does appear, treat quickly with a fungicide, preferably organic.
Planting
Prepare the site well by clearing away any weeds or grass and make a hole big enough to accommodate the root ball. Plant carefully in the hole, to the same depth as it was growing previously, and firm back the soil.