Pruning

• Pruning a rose bush means getting rid of suckers and overgrowth. Using garden shears or loppers, trim the stems just below the last boomed flower but above the first leaf on the plant. This will promote regrowth. Trim suckers off as close to the root as possible.
  
  

Cutting

• To cut the perfect long-stemmed rose, use the garden shears to trim the bottom of the stem at a 45 degree angle. Cut six to ten inches below the bloom.
  
  

Fertilizing

• Keep the rose bush fertilized properly by adding a fertilizer mixture of composted manure in the spring and fall before and after blooming.
  
  

Watering

• It is important to keep the rose bush watered thoroughly two to three times per week for the first two years after planting to penetrate and stimulate root growth. Thereafter, the bush can be watered once a week.
  
  

Mulching

• Making sure that the bush roots are surrounded by fresh mulch is important at all times for root protection. Apply fresh mulch such as wood chips to the bush each fall and spring.