Did you take the seeds out of the hips? They won't sprout if they're still in the hips. Some people say there is an enzyme in the hip material that prevents germination.

I just took out seeds that were in the fridge since November. I have a few sprouts! I hope they survive the transportation into the seed starter I moved them to.

Yes, they are out of the hips and planted about 2 weeks ago. They were very swollen because I soaked them for quite a while to remove them from the concretized hip.

There
are many factors governing germination speed...genetics, age of seed, how dry
the seed is, drainage, potting medium, pH, temps, moisture and many more. I have
had seed sprout in about one week from planting and some not sprout for over ten
months. Some never sprout before I recycle the soil and start with fresh soil
for the next batch of seeds. You will also likely observe that some years, with
all other factors appearing to remain fairly constant, they will explode from
the ground like winter rye grass while other years they begrudgingly sprout one
or two at a time over a very long period. Lower night temps seem to slow
germination speed, just as they slow bloom cycle. As they rise, germination
appears to speed up until the temperature is sufficiently high to reduce or even
prevent germination. I've always read that it slows at temperatures over 70 F,
though I have observed rapid, heavy germination well into the low to mid 80s F.
We tend to think of these governing factors as absolutes, when they actually
function as variables dependant upon how all the other variables affect them.
It's easier to consider things in one or two dimensions but more accurate to
think of each as three dimensional with optimum appearing at the various points
where they all meet.

So.... from one week to ten months. Thanks, that helps.

Well, actually, from one week to never. Banksiae reportedly usually takes two years, though I have two which germinated in four months from planting. And, I have crosses which had their first germinations within a few weeks of planting in April 2015, with more from the same seeds, planted in April 2015. which germinated January-February 2016. Ralph Moore said he never held seeds over from one year to the next as he figured to obtain dwarf, repeat flowering seedlings from a cross, he wanted those which germinated quickly as they should be the more warm weather loving than those requiring a second freeze-thaw cycle. From what he showed me of those he had held over for a second season to get germinations, it appeared he was likely correct.

Did you keep them in the fridge? They have to be cold for a few weeks before sprouting.

Yes, they were in the fridge for at least 6 weeks, then soaked for about 3 days so that I could remove the hip. Then planted.

What I did was cut the hips open and take out the seeds, trying to remove as much as the hip pulp as possible. Then I put the seeds in moist paper towels and put that in small plastic bags and put them in the crisper of my refrigerator. A few showed signs of sprouting after a few weeks. I just transplanted what sprouts I had into seed starter. I did also plant some of the seeds that hadn't sprouted, but still looked viable.

Here is a pic of some of the sprouted seeds. They were actually growing into the paper towel, so I carefully cut them out and placed them in the small pot with seed starter.

Amazing that you were able to save that long one! I would have broken it for sure! I normally sow my seeds in seed flats before they start sprouting and transplant to individual pots as soon as the first two leaves appear.

Sharlene

I don't blame you, Sharlene. That's why I plant directly in soil so I don't miss any and don't murder any transplanting them. I was out taking photos this morning and noticed this seedling coming up by the dogs' water dish. They learned what the tomatoes were in the back yard so began helping themselves whenever there was a tomato within reach. When the rose hips started forming, being smart little rats, they began "harvesting" rose hips because they LOOK like tomatoes, don't they? I'm now transplanting seedling tomato and rose plants from all over the lawn. If they come up like this, without any soil prep and no regular irrigation, just how difficult can they really be?

I'm afraid it was begnign neglect on my part. I 'forgot' about the seeds in the fridge and when I took them out, the seedlings were there. Once I realized that they were growing into the paper towel, I just cut round them and planted the whole thing in the pot. Hopefully I will get something interesting!

Buford, you never know - BTW, and this is just my opinion, I wouldn't keep that baggie on too long. I normally only do the baggie/high humidity thing for cuttings. A seedling already has a root.

Kim, keep us posted on the DWD (dog's water dish) seedling - I suppose you have no idea which cross it's from.

Thanks.