I think you can be quite sure that the seeds will be mature enough to remove from the plants by early September. The species roses mature very quickly out of necessity. Collect the red hips on the last possible date and put them in ZipLoc bags. They can remain at room temperature for several weeks if necessary, just don't leave them anywhere that they might "cook" in a hot place.

By October they should be in the fridge (not the freezer!) and chilling until late February or early March. In February, remove the seeds from the decayed fruit of the hips and place them in clean ZipLoc bags with damp paper towel and return them to the fridge until a time that you can sow them. Mice love Rose seeds, so be sure to sow the seeds somewhere safe from Mice. In pots would be best, but the seeds should be somewhere that they can be exposed to normal outdoor temps in order to germinate properly. You can put the seeds in flats or large pots and then transplant them when they have a few sets of true leaves, or if you are less "horticulturally inclined" you should sow two or three seeds per small pot and thin them out to the healthiest when they have grown some.

For a considerably more detailed description of the process, see link below:

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing roses from seed.

Thanks very much.
All of the web sites say wait until a frost.
Thanks for the link. It's great info
Thanks again.

Can any rose breeders confirm if the wait until first frost to harvest the hips method is correct? I read it on one website and others have said not to. I waited for mine to freeze first but the seeds took 8 months to sprout, while I have heard 3-4 is the norm.

No, do not wait for them to freeze: Harvest them when they are starting to turn red. Patricia Holloway of the Alaska Rose Society, and Professor of Horticulture explains the method:

Alaska Rose Society

Seed Germination of Wild and Cultivated Roses
by Patricia S. Holloway, Associate Professor of Horticulture

Rose species vary in their seed germination requirements. Nearly all species germinate best with a period of cold stratification, while others benefit from a warm stratification period followed by cold stratification. Below is a general outline of some methods for germinating rose seeds. Keep in mind that each batch of seeds will vary in germinability based on growing conditions during seed maturation, seed ripeness, seed storage time and presence of disease or insect pests.

1. Harvest rose hips that have just begun to turn red or orange and before the pulp becomes soft.
2. Seeds from just a few hips can be extracted by hand by cutting into each hip and digging out the seeds. Larger quantities require maceration and floatation. Soften the hips in a container of water for 12 days at room temperature. Macerate the hips by rubbing them against a metal screen or soil sieve or mixing in a blender with water. (Caution: blenders can injure seeds if run too long.) Wash the pulp thoroughly, and most seeds will float to the top where they can be separated from the heavier hips. The cleaner the seeds, the less contamination you will get during germination.
3. Dry the seeds on absorbent paper for 1Â2 days.
4. For most cultivated species and varieties of roses, mix the seeds into a plastic bag containing moistened, clean, washed quartz sand or vermiculite. Very clean sand or vermiculite are essential to avoid disease. It is important that the seeds never dry out once they are put in the bag, but avoid standing water. Seal the bag and place in a refrigerator at approximately 4° C (40° F) for 4 months of cold stratification. After stratification, remove the seeds from the sand or vermiculite by hand or by sieving through a screen. DO NOT ALLOW SEEDS TO DRY OUT. Sow immediately in a good potting soil or into prepared field soils.
5. For wild rose, Rosa acicularis, seeds require a two-month period of warm stratification followed by three months of cold stratification for complete germination. The extracted, dried seeds can be mixed with sand or vermiculite as outlined above or sown into flats of sterilized potting soil. Keep the flats or bags at room temperature (approx. 21° C, 70° F) for two months of warm stratification. NEVER ALLOW THE SEEDS TO DRY OUT! Move the flats or bags to a cold root cellar or refrigerator (4° C, 40° F) for 3 months of cold stratification. Return the flats to warm temperatures or remove the seeds from the sand or vermiculite and sow in flats of potting soil. Seeds begin to germinate within 2 weeks. If not enough seeds have germinated after 30 days, try repeating the cold stratification for 30 days, and return to warm temperatures. Repeat the cold/warm cycle until most seeds germinate.

This article was originally published in the Georgeson Botanical Notes

If you wait for them to freeze, then the pulp will turn soft, and Patricia specifically says to harvest BEFORE the pulp goes soft. Cheers, Sativa.

wrap them in moist paper towel, keep them in a ziplock bag in a cooler spot while you travel. Remember, we even send cuttings through the mail to other members. I think you can check the FAQ on this site about how to pack cuttings to be mailed, and use the same instructions. that way you will have a back up, both rooted cuttings and seedlings. You may end up with enough for a hedge, at this point.
Why don't you stick some cuttings now? Sativa.

Here in July I just purchased 3 roses that everyone is buying now but these are runners. When I got them home they are loading down with orange hips. Should I remove the hips now? If so what do I do with them? Should I start the stratification? I really do not know what to do. HELP?

The best way to get an exact replica of Grandma's rose bush is to root cuttings. Seedlings can be variable and won't necessarily be a duplicate of the mother plant. Cuttings will grow to be mature bushes faster than seedlings as well. Now is a good time to take the cuttings since the flowers are blown. Take the cuttings from stems that recently had flowers on them.

Deanna

Sorry, I just noticed the original post was from 2008. I guess it's a moot point now.

Deanna