On Mon, 9 Jul 2007 09:19:13 -0400, "John W" wrote:

I have what I think is a rambler rose bush. It has a massive bloom late
spring to early summer. Now they (flowers) are all dead and I have a massive
bush. Can I prune this way back so I can see the fence again?. Is now the
time to do this. Any help appreciated
Hi there John,

Once blooming ramblers can be pruned now. In fact now is the perfect
time to prune. Never ever prune a once bloomer after August 1st or in
the winter or spring.

Keep in mind that the rose will bloom on the new growth that will
happen between now and the end of the season frosts. So you need to
fertilize it after you prune to encourage new growth.

In general, I would recommend not cutting back any bush back more
than 1/3 of its mass in any given year. But if the bush is totally
out of control, then cut back up to not more than 1/2 of the growth.

Have a good day,

Bob Bauer
http://www.rose-roses.com/