CELEBRATING 26 YEARS! A Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc. for the last 25 years. She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany, an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects. Welcome to My weekly series! ASK PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Hi Linda, Would you be kind enough to let me know if I should let the rose hips develop on my roses or should they be cut off? Someone told me that letting the hips develop inhibits the production of flowers in the spring. I always enjoy your very informative articles. Thank you so much. ...Nan Hi Nan, As you know, rose hips are the fruit of the rose plant that contain the seeds. I recommend that you leave the rose hips on the plants for the winter. They are pretty focal points to look at all winter long and are a wonderful source of food for the birds during the cold weather when it's hard for them to find food. In the spring, cut off what is left of the rose hips when you are doing your pruning and thinning (before the roses bloom). During the growing season, cut off the rose hips after blooming so the plant puts its energy into making flowers and not fruit. After September 1, I usually do not cut off the spent flowers of roses so that the hips will grow heading into winter. Thank you for your question. Sprigs & Twigs EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO: info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie, Sprigs & Twigs Inc, PO Box 245, Gales Ferry, CT 06335 SPRIGS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR! CELEBRATING 26 YEARS ! A Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs , Inc. for the last 25 years . She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany , an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional , a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects . Welcome to My weekly series ! ASK PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Hi Linda , Would you be kind enough to let me know if I should let the rose hips develop on my roses or should they be cut off ? Someone told me that letting the hips develop inhibits the production of flowers in the spring . I always enjoy your very informative articles . Thank you so much . ... Nan Hi Nan , As you know , rose hips are the fruit of the rose plant that contain the seeds . I recommend that you leave the rose hips on the plants for the winter . They are pretty focal points to look at all winter long and are a wonderful source of food for the birds during the cold weather when it's hard for them to find food . In the spring , cut off what is left of the rose hips when you are doing your pruning and thinning ( before the roses bloom ) . During the growing season , cut off the rose hips after blooming so the plant puts its energy into making flowers and not fruit . After September 1 , I usually do not cut off the spent flowers of roses so that the hips will grow heading into winter . Thank you for your question . Sprigs & Twigs EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO : info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie , Sprigs & Twigs Inc , PO Box 245 , Gales Ferry , CT 06335 SPRIGS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR !