If you do this, be sure not to damage any bud eyes when attaching clothespins. Above all, be sure to follow a cane with your eyes all the way up and down its length before you cut into it. Rose canes can be very deceptive in their crossing patterns, and you don't want to cut off a clothes-pinned cane. Once only healthy wood is left, stand back to get an overall picture of the bush in order to decide how much more to take out. I like to leave at least four canes on any bush, and as many as ten on strong, proven growers and performers.
Experts suggest leaving three to six canes on bushes.
Generally, these are the numbers you want to leave. But with vigorous, healthy growers, you would have a hard time deciding which six to leave. In fact, you should allow more to remain if the bush has proven that it can support them. For instance, one usually leaves nothing on the bush except wood at least as thick as a pencil . These low-growing bushes produce stems that are more twiggy than larger bushes, but of wood that will support blooms.