Question
Greetings Lynnette... hoping you will be able to answer this question... In the past I have successfully germinated seeds collected from rose hips. Stanwell Perpetual as well as a rugosa. I garden in z4a (-30 to -25)  However this past fall I didn't notice that my John Cabot, a climber from the Canadian Explorer series, had 2 hips. Usually there are none. I found the hips today on the dormant plant. I picked them, brought them into the house and took out the seeds.  Now they are soaking in water. But I am wondering if they would still be viable? I did some checking around on the internet and wasn't able to find out.
Thanks for your help. Jeanne

Answer
As you know, rose seeds will germinate much easier if they have had a month or two of cold weather or in a fridge. Because your john Cabot has probably been through a cold period, the seeds should be viable. There really is only one way to test seeds and that is the damp paper way. Placing them in water and seeing if some sink is not reliable. I would place  a few of them in damp toweling just to be sure. I would also take them out of the water as water is the main enemy of seeds as it can cause fungal problems. Most seeds don't make it because of damp off problems. I would warn you that the background breeding of the Explorer series is heavily into rosa kordesii. This wild rose is extremely hardy and can be difficult to germinate. So don't blame yourself if the seeds won't grow.