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Remove an old garden rose bush's old, unproductive stems, and reduce the bush's overall height by one-third.

Make each pruning cut 1/4 inch above the next bud on a stem. The bright-red rose hips may be left on the plants for fall color. Pruning cuts are made at a.

If you notice large clumps of branches near the top of your bush, cut those down to size until they are relatively the same height as the rest of the bush.

Do not use pine needles as a mulch as they can be toxic to roses. Mound compost around the base of roses in extremely cold zones. In spring, spread the mulch out into the bed, away from the base of the plant. Cut tall roses to feet and then thin to reduce wind damage. Before Fall Pruning & Clean Up. Sep 21, Cut back dead, damaged or disease canes and foliage back to the point of healthy cane tissue that is white in color on the interior and green on the exterior.

The bulk of rose pruning for size, structure and shape should be conducted in the spring after the last hard frost, write Cindy Welyczkowsky and Jane Martin at Ohio State University.

When you're all done, it's time for what may be the most difficult part: clean up.

Cut back main canes by half and laterals to just two buds. Thin out branches that are older than three years. Repeat Blooming Climbing Roses: Do not prune a climbing rose for the first three years; only remove dead, damaged or diseased wood. After three years, cut back laterals in the early spring to two or three buds or about six inches.

Feb 13, Miniature roses that are not in bloom may be trimmed back by one-third or one-fourth each year, and may require periodic attention for shaping purposes. Grafted tree types and rose standards, as we said, are made of bushes, climbers, or ramblers. Sep 17, Many shrub roses bloom on shoots emerging from old wood, so you can't cut back old wood in the spring without sacrificing blooms.

When these plants need pruning, do so little by little. Trim out just a few canes in the spring. And then throughout the year, prune whatever is necessary to maintain the plant's shape.