CELEBRATING 28 YEARS! Welcome to my weekly series! LANDSCAPE ASK PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc. for the last 26 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. Q: Hi Linda, Should I 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 A: 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's 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. THESE ARTICLES ARE GOING DIGITAL! DON'T MISS OUT! USE THE QR CODE, OR SUBMIT QUESTIONS TO: Email: info@sprigsandtwigs.net, or Mail: Linda Lillie, Sprigs & Twigs Inc, PO Box 245, Gales Ferry, CT 06335 Sprigs & Twigs 860-235-0752 WWW.SPRIGSANDTWIGS.NET CELEBRATING 28 YEARS ! Welcome to my weekly series ! LANDSCAPE ASK PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs , Inc. for the last 26 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 . Q : Hi Linda , Should I 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 A : 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's 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 . THESE ARTICLES ARE GOING DIGITAL ! DON'T MISS OUT ! USE THE QR CODE , OR SUBMIT QUESTIONS TO : Email : info@sprigsandtwigs.net , or Mail : Linda Lillie , Sprigs & Twigs Inc , PO Box 245 , Gales Ferry , CT 06335 Sprigs & Twigs 860-235-0752 WWW.SPRIGSANDTWIGS.NET