Rose pruning has a great deal to do with the type of rose you have and the reason that you are pruning it. In the New York area, as a general rule of thumb, roses that flower only once in a season should be pruned right after flowering and roses that flower several times during the season should be pruned in late March or early April once the buds start to break (swell and green up). The timing of both flower and bud break is somewhat different for you.

The special concerns of gardening in a desert area can be answered by the experts in desert rose care. The Desert Rose Society is a Palm Desert based affiliate of the American Rose Society that offers a free consulting service with experienced desert rosarians. Consultant contact details are listed on this page. The Society's fact sheet on Pruning Roses is here.

Happy gardening!

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service