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Collecting and Growing Roses from Seeds

Add some challenge and mystery to your fall gardening. Collect and sprout seeds from your favorite rose.

The challenge comes from trying something new. The mystery; you never know if the offspring will grow up to be like its parent, a beauty or an ugly duckling.

Start by collecting the rose hips soon after they turn their normal yellow, orange or red color.  Rose hips are small apple-like fruit found on roses. Slice the hips into 2 to 3 pieces to expose the seeds.

Collect and soak seeds in water for 12 to 24 hours and then pack in a mixture of moist sphagnum moss and vermiculite. Then store the seeds in a plastic bag in your refrigerator for three months. Don’t forget to mark the bag!  You don’t want anyone snacking on your experiment.

Plant the chilled seeds in a seed starting mix just as you would other seeds. Grow in a brightly lit location at 65 to 70 degrees.

A bit more information:  Save some rose hips for enjoying at the dinner table. They are high in vitamin C and can be made into jelly, tea and syrup.