End of Autumn here in Australia and I want to have a practice germinating.
My question is are any of the seeds pictured (assuming the picture has loaded) less viable than others and what should I do now, please?
Random, open pollinated hip (may be possible to identify seed plant later - from owner).
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Welcome pavlovais! I donât know about the others here, but my experience has been that it isnât necessarily obvious from an eye-ball examination what is or is not viable. There are several ways to determine viability, but most are destructive to the achene except for the float test. Have you placed them in a little water to see which float and which do not? Those that float typically have dead embryos. Personally, if you have the space that is, I would stratify them all and wait and see. Nothing like the experience to teach one.
Whatever you decide, happy growing and please keep asking questions!
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Welcome! The more seeds, the more chance of germination. Put them in some damp soil in the refrigerator and leave them 2 - 3 months. Others here will offer more advice. Good luck!
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Yes, welcome! Youâve been given good advice. Iâve had seeds I thought had little hope produce good seedlings and others I figured should have done well be total duds. Plant everything you can handle and see what happens. Itâs the only way to learn what works where you are. Like anything else, itâs highly location, location, location.
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Gosh! Thank you for the welcome and these useful tips!
Kitterman, I will float them out of curiosity but try all anyway as Roseseek suggests (this answer was surprising so I am glad I asked AND received a reply).
Heather, I have read about the stratifying but wasnât exactly clear about it or whether it was essential but will process as described. Am I looking for germination in the fridge or is it meant to occur after the âfrigidizingâ, when in a seedling medium?
My location is Tasmania, the southernmost state of Australia, and deemed a âMediterraneanâ climate - cool wet winters and warm dry summers. (Local roses look happy enough!)
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Sometimes they germinate in the fridge, but mostly afterwards. Thatâs my experience. And again, gather as many seeds as you possibly can. Rose seeds do not germinate as easily as other plants. Itâs a delight every single time one grows for me.
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UPDATE:
Prior to stratification I soaked the âseedsâ for an hour in peroxide. In the sequence from plumpest to least impressive, I layed them between damp tissue over damp coir peat. They were mouldy within a week! Expecting not much, perhaps I more or less ignored themâŚ
Trade winds here in Tasmania Australia, called the âRoaring Fortiesâ, brought storm force winds earlier this month. The electircity having been off for a week forced my hand (which had been idlingâŚ) Unrefridgerated, my first germination occured. It was not one of the plumpest ones but a middling one.
Soon they were all transferred across two punnets - 8 of the plumpest in one punnet and the âbottomâ 5 in a second punnet. (Having been bamboozled by the variety of reccommended potting media, I made up my own âsix mixâ - equal parts peat/seedraising mix/vermiculite/charcoal/perlite/sand). In a day or two a second germinator appeared in the plumps punnet and in a day or two more a third germination - in the duds punnet!
Excellent advice was provided for my initial enquiry and, as predicted I did learn a lot - thank you all again! 
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Congratulations! The fun begins. If you really catch the bug, you will find good advice here for ramping up your endeavors and enabling. This forum attracts some great people.
Congratulations on your first âbabiesâ! Keep on sharing your progress with us.
Thank you again for kind comments and encouragement (be careful what you wish forâŚ)
So far, a total of 5 germinations (3 of eight plumps and 2 of five âdudsâ) with at least one more rootlet emerging amongst the plumps. 6 or 7 from thirteen starters is a thrill (at this stage - a long way to goâŚ) All in all a fortunate hip selection for a beginner and the advice to plant all the âseedsâ has been fruitful.
The âmystery straysâ are throwing remarkable diversity - dark green and mid green colourings, reddish or green stems, longish and roundish shapes. One sprouted with 3 cotyledon leaflets. I am uncertain whether these things bear much significance to future characteristics however.
Now my forum searches have turned to fertiliser & potting up.
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Congratulations on your successful germinations! I had 5 germinate on my first try, and 3 survived for five months so far. They each have flowered once. I also planted everything, but donât know whether the successful ones were âplumpsâ or âdudsâ, floaters or sinkers. Be sure to share pictures when they bloom.