when to harvest rose rips?

They turn red and from what I've read should be harvested after the first frost. I'm planning on harvesting some of the wild rose hips on my place this year for jelly, etc.

 

That's cool! Here I thought that all of the fruit that I was going to get to make jelly this year was already gotten!

I have a red rose bush out front that for some reason makes hips, but they aren't large hips like I've seen on some rose bushes.

 

If you would like a rose that makes really beautiful hips, you might try a dog rose, or a damask. My damask roses have hips that are almost too pretty to use! By the way, those annoying bramble roses in the woods make little tiny hip clusters that, when dried, are gorgeous in craft projects! I collect grape vines, braid them into a wreaths, and decorate them with the little hips. I'm glad you brought this up! It's great to know that other people are harvesting these beautiful, healthy gems!

 

Thanks for the ideas MelissaW! The wild roses I have (they are everywhere) do have the clusters of very small rose hips.

 

Kudzu vines are great for wreaths or baskets too, if you live in the south.

 

My neighbor has a lovely kudzu vine wreath she made hanging over her sewing machine.

 

So.. we were at Costco today for The Big Shop and I saw tons of rose hips adorning the roses planted in the parking lot dividers. It seems a terrible waste to let them just rot there... what is the protocol for harvesting hips in public parking lots? Does anyone do it?

 

I'd be a little concerned about contaminants...chemicals from car exhaust and from spraying. If you do ask the manager about picking them, be sure to ask if they use insecticides, fertilizers, etc.