1. **Choose the Right Time:**
Prune in early spring, just as new growth begins and before the first bloom. This timing encourages healthy growth and flowering.
2. **Gather Your Tools:**
Use clean, sharp pruning shears, gloves, and possibly loppers for thicker stems. Clean tools help prevent disease transmission.
3. **Inspect the Plant:**
Examine your roses for dead or damaged stems, as well as areas of crossing branches that can cause rubbing.
4. **Make Clean Cuts:**
Start by removing dead or diseased wood by cutting it back to healthy tissue. Then, prune back stems to about one-third of their height, cutting just above a leaf node for a strong new growth.
5. **Shape the Bush:**
Aim for an open center to improve air circulation. Remove any inward-facing branches and thin out crowded areas.
6. **Clean Up:**
Collect and dispose of all cuttings and debris around the base of the plant to prevent disease.
7. **Water and Fertilize:**
After pruning, give your roses a good drink and apply a balanced fertilizer to promote new growth.
