On Tue, 07 Apr 2009 05:49:47 -0700, Jim wrote:

You may well find that some of the growth is from the rootstock (i.e.
below the graft) Remove all that completely. It may take a year or two
but they will recover from your 'brutality'!

I'm of a mind to do this - can you expand on what you mean about the
rootstock? did you mean there may be more stems that pop up out of the
earth near the existing stems, and if they pop up to cut them?

Yes, exactly. If you look carefully at the main stem (you may have to
draw back some earth to see it) there will be an obvious 'join' where the
flowering hybrid has been grafted onto a rootstock. The rootstock has a
habit of throwing up 'suckers' which won't flower (or will flower with a
small wild rose like a dog-rose) and take up nutrients that should be
going to the flowering stem.

Traditional advice is to cut at an angle just above a bud but you may
well find there are no buds that low down. Give it time and buds should
form. I'm about to do one in my front garden with long-handled loppers.