When should I prune shrub roses?

The timing for pruning shrub roses to some extent depends on where you are – on your region’s climate. However, as a general rule, most rose pruning will be done in early springtime, just prior to when new growth starts to generate. 

All the same, with regard to spent blooms and dead or diseased canes, whenever you see those, it’s best to remove.

For all types of roses, and not merely shrub roses, the goal is the ensure that the center of the bush is free of weak, twiggy growth. 

That said, give your roses a good feeding just after pruning. This will encourage new, strong growth to develop. 

In colder areas hang on for a bit until the buds on your shrub roses begin to swell. This will be sometime in early spring. That’s when you should start pruning.