Am I supposed to cut the rose hips off my rose bushes in the fall?

Linda
by Linda
Am I supposed to cut the rose hips off my rose bushes in the fall? I didn't do this and new growth started showing up in February but now it looks like it dried up or died because it got very cold in March. Not sure what I'm supposed to do.
  3 answers
  • Shoshana Shoshana on Mar 26, 2017

    Sometimes rose hips can get in the way of your blooming cycle if spent blossoms were not removed at the time of pruning. For a good pruning guide you can check out this article. Hope you find it helpful!! http://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/roses/tips-for-pruning-roses/

  • Lou Lou on Mar 26, 2017

    You can leave them on over the winter but prune them off in the early spring. If you haven't already done so, go ahead and prune the canes down a bit. Remember that an old cane won't support a new cane that is any larger than it is, so prune them back to at least pencil-sized canes. This will mean removing some of the new growth, but the bushes will be more sturdy and they will have a better shape.

  • Virginia R Virginia R on Apr 09, 2017

    I never remove the rose hips in the fall because they are a source of food for some birds.