Maturity of hips

General Discussion
1

I have hips that are just starting to turn orange. I am going away for ten days, and afraid they might b e stolen by squirrels and birds, they have 15 or so more days to come to maturity, should I pick them now?

Thanks

2

Certainly. Go ahead and harvest them. They’re ripe.

3

A lady in a norther region said it was necessary to harvest hips and let them ripen in the house because of the short seasons.

In a now or never situation I have baggies of not fully ripened hips. Is it better to have condensation in the baggies or spread and let dry for weeks?

4

Ralph Moore (coastal CA) made a notable observation on germination of seeds from immature

hips which he described in a letter reprinted in the Feb. 1971 RHA Newsletter. Nearly mature but

still green hips were harvested, in a greenhouse, then kept in plastic bags, as a single layer, placed

under fluorescent lights for 3 weeks about 12 h/d. By that time they had turned color.

5

By the time hips show ANY color, they are ripe enough to gather. (May not be true 100% of the time for all cultivars, but in my experience it is true most of the time)

6

Some take a very long time to show color in my climate.

I usually try to wait 120 days. A few will drop before that if I’m not vigilant. I know which ones to watch. Others will stay put till they mummify.

7

90% are green although large enough to have good seed. The rest of the quote "Seeds were harvested and planted as for the more mature seeds. Overall germ. was about the same though

slower and spottier for the less mature seed."

I always like to think, something is better than nothing.

8

I lost some nice hips to squirrels so I pick them as soon as I see orange color. I wrap them in a dry paper towel and put them in a plastic baggie and then into the frig for about a month or until they get soft and wrinkley.

Sometimes on certain hips the color will turn more but sometimes not.

9

I am back from my trip. I picked the hips off of the bush before I left, they are wrapped in paper towels and in refrigerator until January. Thank you I am grateful for all your help.