Black Rose

Sewing instructions

Rinse the seeds in a solution of purified water (any bottled water will do) with 5% bleach. This would be about two teaspoons of bleach per cup of water. Rinse the rose seeds with plain bottled water in a strainer and dry.

Then sow it directly into pots or a large 10x20" flat filled with soil. The soil in the flat should be a sterilized soilless soil mix. If you've had the open bag around for a while, pour a kettle of boiling water slowly over the flat of soil to sterilize it and kill of any fungal problems.

The seed need only be barely covered and not planted very deeply. Firm the soil down after you've planted the flat so that the covering soil is in contact with the seed. It is important to keep the seed damp.

Cover the seed flat with door screening and secure it firmly. The door screening will be necessary to protect the seed from mice and ants.

Put the flat outdoors in a protected location. Leave until spring.

In spring, you can bring the flat indoors to give it a little heat or you can leave it outdoors to germinate on its own. Once the seeds have germinated, transplant as above and grow on until planted in the garden.

Leave un-germinated seed in the flat and keep damp and shaded all summer. Allow to stay outdoors a second winter and then germinate the slower second crop of seedlings the second summer. Toss the flat away after two seasons.