Autumn Hips.

Today I had a stroll around looking for all those open pollinated and yours truly pollinated hips. Some that were low down seem to be missing, I suspect mice due to keeping poultry. Also some of the top ones are missing and some showing bite marks which could be the Rosellas I frequently see sitting in the fence railings nearby.

The main thing I wanted to share with you is the large number of hips starting to form late in the season. Roses that haven't had one hip form for months all of a sudden start forming a lot of hips now. They are under developed yet and possibly from Feb-March blooms. Also noticed the centre bloom where there is three has in most cases developed a hip.

You probably know all this but as a new pollinator breeder I found this interesting.

I brought something similar up on RHA last winter about 'Mutabilis'

See: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I think high temperatures play a big part in this and once the high temperatures are gone for the year fertility is restored in a last ditch effort before winter.

Simon, thanks for the RHA article, very interesting. I am a long time beekeeper and notice my bees working the roses at different times when other pollen and necter is not available on Eucalyptus and ground flora.
It is possible they are working the roses and pollinating better at that stage hence the hips.

I consider myself a good student of nature but really haven't progressed out of kindergarten. It's a vast subject I am striving to know more about.

Bruce we are all on our P plates when it comes to pollinating. I've only just figured out that the centre bloom of a group - the first to bloom and with the biggest hip-is probably the best one to pollinate.

I've had quite a few aborted hips this year and wondered why - could be the weather. I've even just started pollinating M. Tillier blooms now as it is having a good flush. I've mentioned before that the ones pollinated in early spring seem to do the best in my climate - especially the teas.

In retrospect, this has been a poor season for blooms. Where I usually pick buckets of roses, this summer it has only been bunches. And if all the M. Tilliers I have are any indication, they haven't bloomed massively for nearly two years.

Talking of hips, as you might remember Dave my Camp David did not set hips and you mentioned that you could send some, guess what, went out to see what I think is the best flower it has had all season and to my amazement it has some HIPS on it after 4/5 years.

I have Camp David which usally produces hips from the February, March blooms.
Some of my HT's are up around 8 feet tall as the hips have to stay on over winter to mature in spring. This winter will prune the canes with no hips, collect the hips in spring and cut back little at a time or they will rival Jacks Beanstalk.
Also notice this with most roses , grow , bloom and before winter sets in make a few hips.

Ozeboy wrote:....... Also noticed the centre bloom where there is three has in most cases developed a hip........

that's what I've also observed. See down this :[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

regards
Bernhard

After reading this thread over and over. Could it be that cluster flowered roses set the appical flower as it is domminant. Even the good old HT roses set secondary flowers. As mentioned prior to this my Camp David has at last set hips after 3/5 years in the ground. At present it is still flowering and each flower is setting hips, some are quite robust, other small. the hips on my other roses seem to set hips better at this time of year, rather than during the summer flowering period, is this happening to your roses as well or not.