Use clean, sharp pruning shears
Wear gloves to protect your hands
Prune in late winter or early spring
Remove dead, damaged, or diseased canes first
Cut canes at a 45-degree angle
Make cuts about 1/4 inch above an outward-facing bud
Remove crossing or rubbing branches
Thin out weak or crowded stems
Cut back remaining canes to the desired height
Remove any suckers growing from below the graft union
Clean up all pruned debris from around the plant
Disinfect tools after pruning diseased plants