You're welcome! Good luck! (Thank you, Helen!)

Okay...I've emasculated about 6 flowers and have pollen in closed jars outside. Now I have to wait for the anthers to release the pollen? Okay, I reread what you shared above...and I should get some papers and wait for the pollen to be released. Should I discard the mother flowers and get fresh ones once the pollen has released?

Thanks!!

Ooops...I got the anthers from outside...and there was humidity in the jars...so they're a little damp. :( Will that hurt the success of pollination?

Sigh.

Thanks!!

No! Spread the pollen out on plain sheets of paper to air dry. Drawing damp in the jars will cause rot. I mean, literally spread the anthers on sheets of paper and put them where they won't be blown off, knocked off, dumped, picked up by or laid in by the cat, etc. Depending upon the humidity, it can take a day to several for them to dry out and the pollen to begin being released.

I literally use old bills and ads which come in the mail. Why waste fresh printer paper when you have a never ending supply of totally suitable material being hand delivered to your front door daily? When it's finished, the paper is either recycled or shredded, if it has personal information printed on it. Just write the name of the pollen on the paper. I don't use a sheet of paper for more than one type. Once the pollen begins shedding, you can never get it all off the paper and I want to KNOW what pollen made what seedling. If you're not as obsessive as I am, don't worry about it. PD17h is Ping Dong Yue Ji X 1-72-1Hugonis. GH863 is Golden Horizon X Basye's Amphidiploid 86-3 (Banksiae X Laevigata). Create your own short hand. Trying to write long names with many characters is a royal pain on small paper tags!

I actually dry the pollen before preparing the seed flowers. I don't want the moisture to damage the stigmas or the sun to fry them before I apply the pollen. If it takes several days for the pollen to begin releasing, the flowers you have emasculated the same day as you collected pollen may not be useful by then.

Okay...so I'll prepare fresh mother parents...we're expecting a bunch of rain...can I apply the pollen (assuming it opens after having it in the jars for about 10 minutes) on Thursday?

Do you think I should toss this pollen and get some more?

Your pollen is likely OK,unless you left it in closed jars in the sun to cook. Drawing damp for a short time then drying out probably won't hurt it. You know it draws damp inside a flower sometimes. The flowers you want to apply it to will need replacing after it rains. Once the anthers dry and the pollen begins shedding, you can put it in the baby food jars and leave them open. I never cover them. I figure, and this is simply my supposition, even dried, they are going to continue aging. Aging releases ethylene gas, which is what ripens bananas in a closed paper bag. It causes maturation, and eventual rotting. Allow that stuff to evaporate out into the room instead of aging your pollen. If you want to toss this pollen and collect more, that's up to you. Or keep it, collect more of the same and do an experiment to see if one works better than the other. You can get a feel for whether the treatment you accidentally provided the first batch damaged it or not so you will be that much more experienced next time. It's up to you.

The jars (some plastic/some glass) were left out in the sun...but only for 10 minutes. There was condensation though on some of the jars. Darn.

I don't have that many flowers to begin with...it's a short season here....and we haven't had much sun, plus over half of my roses are new...since I had to replace them. So if I had to toss this batch of anthers...then I'd have to emasculate more...and then have even more ready to accept the pollen.

Do you think that if the anthers release the pollen the pollen should be good? Or is that a crap shoot.

I guess I'm going to try with this pollen...if it's released...if not...I'll try again next year with these notes on hand. Thanks so much!!! I really appreciate your help!

You're welcome! I hope it all works for you. Hopefully, by spring, you'll be posting baby pictures! Good luck!

Thanks so much!!! You've been a great help!

You're welcome, thank you! I hope it all works!

Pollen still hasn't opened....hopefully tomorrow. :)

Give it some time. It contains a lot of moisture and it hasn't been separated from the plant all that long. Add that you indicated it's to rain, so your humidity is likely high, slowing its ability to dry out and it isn't surprising.

Thanks!!! Breathe, Carol, Breathe. :)

Yes ma'am, breathe! LOL!

I remember that a few years ago, I read your advice online. I got the little tags on strings, etc. It just never worked for me. I'm hoping this will...but I know I've already made mistakes such as starting too late, having too much rain (thanks, mother nature), few roses, putting the stamen in the jars and leaving them outside. LOL Comedy of errors. I did (when I tried this other years) have roses that had hips (using your methods)...but they never ripened...and I'm thinking there wasn't enough time. But this year if it works...I'll be taking them in and out to extend the season. :)

My fingers are crossed for you!

Thanks!! I'll try to leave you alone for awhile. LOL Good night! :)

That's not an issue. I can always not read the notice! LOL! Just breathe and concentrate on another project while Nature does her thing. That's how this teaches patience.

Thanks, Roseseek! :) :)

Anthers are going dark. Probably not going to work. No worries. :)

Don't give up! Going dark doesn't mean anything. They always darken as they dry. Some turn nearly black and are still viable. Just leave them alone a while. You can check periodically by gently shaking the paper back and forth to see if the pollen (like dust) is releasing from the drying material. If it isn't, again, breathe, put the paper back where it was and go do other things. You can check again in a few hours or tomorrow, or... It will happen when the conditions there permit it to happen. Patience...

Okay...I thought they were done for. I was about to throw them in the garbage. LOL I'll leave them. Thanks again!! LOL Patience, not so young one. :)

That's why it's beneficial to have several projects to interest you going on simultaneously. When you HAVE to leave it alone, you can move on to the next one until it's either boring or you hit the point of needing to leave that one alone.

Good point! Weeding was today's activity so far.

I'm reading this, and I'm reminded of the several ripening hips of my Don Juan. I need to check and see what will become of those nascent roses.

@bayarea_girl_z10a_ca, that is one superb rose. Any scent? How is it thriving?

Helen, wow, this is your first attempt at breeding roses and this is the seedling you came up with?!? I'm amazed. It's fantastic! I have been reading a bit about breeding roses over the last week or two so the timing of this post was perfect for REALLY giving me the push to try and gather seeds for next year. And maybe next spring do some hand pollination.

@Joe Moose, Zone 9A Thank you. It has fragrance. It has average health right now with powdery mildew on some leaves. However, it's a baby rose so that's to be expected.

@Main St Garden PA z6 Thank you for the kind words. I didn't expect much because it's my first seedling, so I feel really lucky when it looks beautiful. Helen

Helen - somehow I missed the point that this was your FIRST OP seedling!!! What a shame that would have been to have not cultivated that seed!!! We would have missed this beautiful rose!!! Keep us updated...I'm fascinated!!

Anhle, my first open-pollinated rose seedling in 2020. It has very nice fragrance and is a child of James Galway.

1 - 4: pics taken today

5: pic taken 2 months ago

Helen

Helen, That's quite pretty! Congratulations.

@malcolm_manners Thank you for the kind words, Dr. Manners. Helen

It's beautiful!!!

@damask_rose_zone9b Thank you. I adore her. Helen

Wow. Beautiful, Helen!!

How thrilling Helen, your rose is magnificent !

@MasLovesRoses_z8a GA and @berrypiez6b Thank you for the sweet words. Helen

It's so beautiful and I love the name!! Lovely all round!

Ooooh I love the points on the petals. Such a nice overall effect. It looks like it will be a climber perhaps?

@joeywyomingzone4 Thank you. I love the name, too 😂

@Stephanie, 9b inland SoCal I have a feeling that is the case. Helen

What a puff of gorgeous. I love it. How large across is this first bloom? Let me know when we can buy one of these. I can always hope. Diane

Helen!!! I think that your new rose is even prettier than James Galway!!! It's extraordinary!! What a treasure you have created!! What does the name Anhle mean? Those close ups of the blooms are DOUBLE SWOON WORTHY!!!! Fabulous!!!

That is quite a pompom rose you're growing! So pretty!

@Diane Brakefield Thank you Diane. The bloom is about 2.5 inches right now. I will wait for the plant to mature and if it's healthy I'll share with others.

@Krista_5NY Thank you Krista. I like this rose because I can see James Galway's characteristics in it but also see its own uniqueness.

@rosecanadian Thank you Carol. I named it after my mom. Anhle is her name.

@Joe Moose, Zone 9A Thank you Joe. I can't wait when it is mature to see how big the blooms will get. Helen

Helen, share with Weeks via a contract and make some money. I hope Anhle continues to thrive.

@Diane Brakefield Thank you Diane. I hope Anhle will turn into a healthy garden rose, too. Helen

It’s amazing, Helen! And, I was also thinking it looks like it could be a climber? Will be fun to see how it does, over time.

@cyndita (west coast zone 9) Thank you Cyndita. I will update this threat as time goes. Helen

Helen - how lovely to name this beautiful rose after your mother! And I'm so glad that you're going to keep us updated!

@rosecanadian Thank you Carol. Helen