Pruning roses is an art, but it's easy to learn. Home-gardening expert Jim Johnson says that the most common question he's asked is when to prune. For major pruning jobs, the best time is early spring, just before roses begin to grow actively. Gardeners in northern climates may need to prune in late fall or early winter to prevent roses from whipping around in the wind, which can dry the plants and damage the roots. To do the job properly, you'll need a pair of sharp bypass pruning shears, a fine-tooth pruning saw, and long-handled lopping shears. Use loppers to cut any branches larger than 3/4" in diameter so that you don't ruin your handheld shears. Begin by removing any dead, diseased or injured wood. Dead wood has dark-brown bark; living wood is green. If you're not sure whether a branch is dead, clip a small piece from the end of the branch: dead wood is brown inside; living tissue is white, cream or light tan. Next, cut out any branches and stems that cross through the center of the plant to improve air circulation. Finally, prune for shape. You should cut to an outward-facing bud so that the new branch doesn't grow into the center of the plant. Hedge roses can be cut to a height of about 2', hybrid teas to 18" or less. Make sure that all remaining branches are about the same height. To encourage the development of larger flowers on hybrid teas, disbud the new branches along a main stem, leaving only the terminal (top) growth bud.
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