pip: cutting back rose bush

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I also posted this on the gardening board...
We moved in about a year ago and I haven't done much to this rose bush.  I know I should have cut it back awhile ago but is it okay to do so now?  If so, how far should I cut it back?  Thanks ladies!

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Jody81

You can cut it to the ground. We cut ours often throughout the summer even, all the way down and it grows back. Kind of a pain, I would actually like to just pull them out. From my experience, they are hard to kill.

Busty_Wench

I think you need to prune roses while they are dormant so now might be a good time to do it.  This is what Martha has to say about it:  http://tinyurl.com/36k2p3

I've also heard that you should always prune shrubs into a slight pyramid shape shape so that the bottom portion gets sun and produces leaves - this eliminates that weird no-leaf branchy bottom thing that happens to shrubs.  So prune away!

brittle

I just bought some roses and did a lot of reading.  You basically prune them to keep their shape and then during the summer after they bloom to maintain the height and shape and to encourage new flowers.
Here is a good article.

http://www.davidaustinroses.com/american/Advanced.asp?PageId=1920

ASwank

I haven't read the articles posted so they may say this -- but I've always been told that you prune right after you see new growth start to appear in the spring (march-ish unless it was an unusally warm winter).  I usually hacked mine quiet a bit -- but I think you need to prune 1/3 of the new growth each year.  I pruned way more than that and mine always did very well.  I also pruned during the spring and summer and flowers would wilt.  That really helped get me some new growth through the summer and even into October.  Good luck.  Rose bushes can be a lot of fun.