How to Trim Roses in the Southwest

Cut away any dead, weak or twiggy canes at a 45-degree angle while your rosebush is dormant and not producing flowers, typically in January. The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension recommends that you also cut away canes that are running through the center of the rosebush to promote new growth. Ensure you trim away any growth that looks wilted or diseased to keep it from spreading to the rest of the rosebush.

Trim away secondary rosebuds that flank the lead bud throughout the year to promote larger blossom growth. You should also trim away faded rose blossoms to allow the shrub the opportunity to use its energy toward creating new flowers. In both of these cases, cut the stems close to the base to reduce the chance of the plant wasting energy to repair the severed stem.

Cut down weak, damaged or undesirable rosebush canes to the crown some time in late August. At this point in the year, rosebush growers in the southwest want to reduce the top growth of the plant by about a third. This helps the bush generate new growth and a fall display of rose blossoms from October through December.