Harvesting rose seeds

Garden noob

I noticed today that we have a couple of seed pods on our rose bush. I think we normally dead head before they can form, but obviously missed a couple last summer. It's a nice rose bush and I'm interested to grow more plants from the seed of possible.

Does anyone have experience harvesting seed and growing new plants? Is it ready to harvest now, or should I wait longer? When and how should you sow seeds?

Posy

I have grown Rugosa roses from seed because they are not grafted and they come true. I waited till the seed pod was soft and could be squeezed to express the seeds. I washed them in cold water and planted them just under the surface of slightly gritty compost, then I just left them in my coldframe. They took a long time to germinate; I don't remember exactly, but certainly months, but they all came up and have been growing in my garden for about five years.

nutcutlet

Agree with Posy, germinate well but named varieties don't come true

raisingirl

Try it. It's fairly easy and you might get something interesting. Or not

wild edges

It's traditional to put some of the seeds in your underpants for luck

Garden noob

Great, I'll give this a whirl (might overlook the underpants tradition though...  )

Unless I hear otherwise I plan to leave the pod as it is for a few weeks, perhaps looking to remove the seeds in April to sow them?

wild edges

I'd remove the seeds and dry them in a paper bag. The seed pod is a fruit intended to be eaten so it might rot and ruin the seed.

Obelixx

Rose seeds do better for being stratified so extract and sow them now and leave the seed trays or pots somewhere where they will be frosted and thawed as winter progresses.  This helps them germinate.   Thin out when big enough to handle.

As others have said, you won't get a plant true to the parent but you may get something interesting.

Liriodendron

@nultyphilip224 has a thread called "Cottage garden by Philip" - he grows some amazing roses from seed.  It's worth a look...