pruning roses

[bennett]

do does one go about this and not kill the plant? the heirloom roses we planted are eight feet high (at least) and i know they need to be pruned back but i'm not sure how to go about it.

 

[mtn_penny]

Personally I really dislike roses due to the pruning thing so take my advise with a whole lot of salt cause I am no expert by any means.

But about 3 years ago I started managing a feed store that had roses everywhere none of which had been taken care of for several years and were very tall. Now the more I cut them back the better they do. But again I am sure someone will have the proper way to prune them but I just cut them back about waist high the first year and then the next year I took them on back to a more managable level and they are thriving.

 

[CityChook]

Look for a 5 leaf shoot and cut above it. I prefer angled cuts. If you see canes that cross (and can rub), then it's a good idea to prune away the interior cane. Give it some good breathing room. If you need to cut it back to a more manage-able size, then by all means do it. Roses are pretty tough and can handle a good haircut. Heck, I pruned three 8 ft. climbers back to 6-9 inches earlier this spring and now they're growing like crazy. I was hoping they would die so I could shovel-prune 'em, but now that they're filling out, I don't have the heart....