Dull tools tend to crush the canes. Sharp tools also make the job easier. A pair of heavy-duty leather gloves will help protect your hands while pruning. Pruning roses is relatively easy. Live wood is green and has plump, healthy buds.
Dead wood is brown, has no live buds, and has a brown or gray pith.
When pruning roses, make the cuts at least 1 inch below the dead, brown-colored areas. Remove the entire cane if there is no sign of life. Also, remove any diseased wood. Because of our severe winter weather, modern roses often suffer a great deal of winter injury. Normally, the primary objective of rosarians in the upper midwest is to remove all dead and diseased wood and to save as much of the live tissue as possible.