Use clean, sharp pruning shears

Wear gloves

Cut dead, diseased, or damaged canes first

Cut crossing or rubbing stems

Remove weak, thin growth

Make cuts at a 45-degree angle

Cut about 1/4 inch above an outward-facing bud

Cut to healthy green wood

Remove spent flowers by cutting back to the first strong leaf set

Reduce tall canes to the desired height

Thin the center of the plant for airflow

Remove suckers from below the graft union

Disinfect tools between plants

Clean up all cuttings after pruning