Rose Pruning for a Newbie

[Sunshine126]

Hi There. I recently moved into a home in Maryland and am new to taking care of the varieties of plants in the landscaping. The previous owners left behind well established rose bushes in the landscaping. I'm not sure what kind they are. They've gotten quite tall (5 feet in height) with lots of branches. I've seen lots of videos online for pruning them (from giving a hard prune in early spring, to lighter pruning after flowers are spent). It is early April and the Forsythia have not yet bloomed in the area. The roses have light red bud eyes towards the tops of the branches (most of which would be removed with a hard prune). Is it too late for me to prune my rose bushes? And if I can prune, how much can I prune?

[imafan26]

It is true. Different types of roses are pruned differently. Post a picture or specify if what type of roses you have.

[Sunshine126]

Thank you! I did as suggested. The bush had gotten quite large and many canes were rubbing against each other. I trimmed just what was needed to prevent this and keep walkways/lawnmower passes clear. It is looking great so far as the leaves are emerging.

[LeaSmea]

Another quick tip, in addition to sharp pruners make sure they are clean. Spray with an alcohol solution in between plants to avoid the possibility of transferring a disease from one plant to another.