Collecting Rose Seeds From Rose Hips
Growing Roses From Seed
Collecting Seeds from rose hips is one more step closer to being able to grow your own rose seedling!
In this article, you will learn how to remove the seeds from the rose hip, and how to clean them for being successful at your rose growing journey!
First, you need to harvest Ripe rose hips!
Rose seeds can take on average 3-4 months to fully develop after a flower is pollinated. When rose seeds are fully developed, the rose hip will turn a bright color, usually orange or red. A ripe rose hip indicates that the seeds are viable. You can also tell if the rose hips have a fleshy feel to them- they will not be rock hard. Try to avoid the hips from over-ripening, as this can cause mold to start growing and potentially rot the seed. You will know when rose hips have over-ripened, as they will feel very soft and squishy.
When harvesting your rose hips, remove them by using your pruners, and cut just below the hip. Cutting further down the stem can promote new growth on your rose. Rose hips are ripen towards the end of the growing season, and your roses will be starting to go dormant. Any new growth may not be able to harden off in time before the freezing winter arrives and can kill off any young, new growth.
Once you harvest your rose hips, you can either immediately collect the seeds inside, or you can also leave the rose hip intact and allow it to dry. If you do dry your rose hip, be cautious that it does not get moldy and rot before drying, as it can damage the seed. If you are able to get the seeds out of the rose hip sooner than later, you will be able to eliminate any chance of a harvested rose hip to potentially rot your rose seeds inside.
Remove the rose seeds from the Hip!
This sounds easy and straight forward, and thankfully it is!
Rose seeds do need to be removed from the hip. Rose hips that are “planted” into the soil will not give you great results of your seeds germinated.
There are several ways to collect your rose seeds from your hip. First, you need to cut into the hip to gain access of your seeds. You can use a knife, scissors, or even a blender on low speed to break open the rose hip. If your rose hip has been dried or is difficult to cut into, you also can soak your rose hip in water to help soften the rose hip and make it easier to gain access into the inside. Do not worry about cutting into a seed and damaging it. Rose seeds have hard shells, and cutting into one is very unlikely.
Once you open up the hip, you simply pick all the seeds out! The number of seeds can greatly vary; some rose hips may have only 1 rose seed, while others may have up to 40 or more! This wide variation depends on the variety of rose, the hip size, and how well the flower was pollinated.
Beware of the rose fibers!
Rose seeds are accompanied with fibers. These fine fibers are known to be a skin irritant for a lot of people, causing hands to turn red, and giving you a terrible itch. If you have sensitive skin (or don’t want to find out if you have an allergic reaction!) wear gloves when working with the inside of the rose hip to avoid any possible skin irritation.
Not only are these fibers an irritant for us, but they also inhibit rose seeds from germinating, if left on the seed.
Wash your rose seeds!
Seeds need to be cleaned. Rose fibers and pieces of hip flesh can be stuck on the seed. As mentioned above, the rose fibers can inhibit your rose seed from germinating, and pieces of stuck-on hip flesh can create mold issues.
There are many ways you can wash and rinse your seeds. You can either soak the seed in some water for a while, and use your fingernail to scrape off any stuck-on pieces. Or you can use a metal strainer and give your seeds a good scrub against the metal screen as water from your kitchen sink runs over the seeds and rinse.
If you collected seeds from over-ripe/moldy hips and the seeds haven’t rotted, you can also sanitize the outside of the seed by placing the seeds in a water and hydrogen peroxide mixture for a few minutes. Not a lot of hydrogen peroxide needs to be used, a simple 1:10 ratio works well.
Time for a float test!
Take a cup of water, and drop your clean seeds into the cup. Your seeds will do 1 of 2 things- float or sink.
Seeds that float are less likely to germinate vs. seeds that sink. Often, the seeds that float are empty, or under-developed.
You have 2 options; you can either dispose of the seeds that float, or decide to keep them. It can be a scary thought to throw away any of your rose seeds, especially if you are new to growing seeds, so you don’t have to! If you do keep the seeds that float, it is a good idea to keep them separated from the seeds that sink. That way, you can check the germination rate between the 2 groups of seeds. When you collect the seeds from future hips, you can be more confident and comfortable throwing away the floating rose seeds if you know that they do not germinate.
Storing your rose seeds
Your rose seeds are ready for the next step, which is cold stratification. Stratifying your seeds takes 12 weeks before you are able to plant them and have them germinate. But, it may be too early for you to start this process, and storing your seeds may be necessary.
Make sure that before you store your seeds they are COMPLETELY dry. Any moisture on the seeds can cause mold to grow and lead to your seeds to rot. Placing your seeds in between dry paper towels for a couple of days ensures that your seeds are dry and ready for storage.
You can place your seeds in all sorts of containers. Ziplock bags work really well. While storing, avoid exposing your seeds from any kind of moisture. Closed, airtight containers or bags help to keep your seeds dry. Also, they shouldn’t be exposed to any extreme temperatures. Keep them at room temperature and away from heater vents.
Your seeds are now ready for the next step!
Seed stratification is the next step! Make sure you know each of the basic steps to growing roses from seed, from pollination all the way to caring for your newly germinated seeds! Check out this article to learn the 6 basic steps!
