How to Gather Seeds From Rose Hips
Gathering rose hips for seed and rose plant propagation is typically performed in the fall of the year. Choose those hips that are fully ripe and plump. Ripe rose hips will generally be a deep red or orange in color and have no shriveling to the outside covering. It is best to keep an eye on the roses as they grow throughout the year and identify the most prolific plants and flowers. These plants will have a better chance of seed germination and the characteristics of the rose will be passed on through the seed. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Bird netting (optional)
- Small sharp knife
- Sealed jar
- One teaspoon of bleach
- Water
- Metal tray
- Refrigerator
Instructions
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Collect the rose hips from the selected plants, preferably after the first frost. You may wish to cover the rose plants with some type of bird netting to keep the birds from eating the selected hips. Rose hips are a natural food for most winter type birds.
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2
Cut the hips open with a small sharp knife. The seeds are very hard and will not be damaged by the knife's blade. Work the seeds out of the pods with your fingernail.
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3
Place the seeds into a glass jar. Fill the jar approximately half full with water. Add one teaspoon of bleach to the water.
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Close the jar with a screw type lid. Shake the container well to mix up the seeds and the bleach water solution. Allow the seeds to settle to the bottom of the jar for about ½ hour.
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Pour off the floating seeds. Keep the seeds that have sunk to the bottom. The sinker seeds will have the best chance at germination. Remove the seeds from the jar and place on the metal tray to dry.
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Place the dried seeds in the sealed jar and set in the refrigerator for storage and stratification. The seeds will have to remain in the refrigerator for 45 days to 60 days to be fully stratified before planting. Stratification is the process of treating the seeds with cold temperatures before they will germinate.
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Tips & Warnings
Cease deadheading the rose plant prior to the month of September. This will increase the chances of the rose plant in producing hips for replanting.
