I don't know what stage yours are at Susan. Some own root HTs take a long tome to build. I don't think those small weaklings could take heavy pruning. Some of them are much stouter, like Queen Elizabeth. It just looks like a grafted HT.

Mine came as bands last year, and this year I planned to cut back only the freeze-damaged bits. After this Winter, that means some were pruned back pretty hard, but a few were just nipped back a little. I want to take a light-handed approach until their third year, but that's just me. If it seems they'd do better being cut back harder, I'll wait until after the first wave of blooms and do it then. Being as mine are destined to become "thrillers" in barrel-planters with annual "fillers and spillers", I actually want a bit more height, even if they look rather bare at the base.

:-)

~Christopher

Are they early HTs (up to, say, 1920), or moderns? I treat the earlies as if they were pure Teas--by which I mean I hardly prune them at all until they're enthusiastically mature (and even then I hesitate to prune them more than "for cause," such as crossed branches, etc.). With later HTs, as long as they're pretty robust, I'm not so hesitant to do "traditional" pruning (which is to say, cutting them way way back).

Some have been soooo slow to build (e.g. 'Duquesa de Penaranda', 'Sir Henry Seagrave') that I wouldn't even think of pruning them, at all, let alone severely, and losing that hard-won progress. Finally, after several years, each are now finally over two feet tall and starting to look like "something". I highly doubt that cutting them back severely would have hurried things along.

On the other hand, 'Diamond Jubilee', like 'Queen Elizabeth' mentioned by Mendocino Rose, acts as if it is grafted even when own-root (shot up to 4' tall the first year and was pushing 6'+ by the second) and can be whacked back without remorse.

I would hesitate to prune severely until, as Odinthor says, it is clear that they are "enthusiastically mature" or, at least, have an enthusiatic nature on their own roots.

I wait until my own-root HTs are looking sturdy and substantial before I hard prune them. I treat all my own-root roses this way--OGRs, Austins, Floribundas, etc. Until the plants are somewhat mature ("somewhat mature" varies by cultivar), I just cut dead wood and prune to shape. Like Odinthor, I also tend to prune early HTs more like teas. I prune modern HTs harder once they've matured. Really big and mature ones get cut down to 1/2 so they don't overshadow my roof. I grow a 10-foot Mr. Lincoln each year...after he's whacked down by 50% in spring! Carol

As suggested, a rose by rose judgement call. But in general, I'd be way more conservative with most own root HTs--especially if they're young plants. Many don't have the robust growth of the typical budded HT--the reason they were budded in the first place.

Yeah, a vigorous mature healthy monster--wack it if you want.

True, weak roses do benefit from harder pruning - but only once fully established with a good root system and the start of a good framework (bones). Until the rose is around 4, I would be very circumspect indeed about going in there hard with the secateurs.

Great! Thanks for the wise counsel. No rose in my garden is older than 3 with most less than 2.
I read something by Peter Beales that stated all roses should be "maidened" their first pruning in order to "build up". I'm assuming he meant all grafted roses.
For me, there is something counterintuitive about pruning. But I know sometimes the rose needs it. I just need to RELAX and trust my gut rather than trying to do everything "right".
This year I am removing deadwood and crossing canes--that's it. At this time they all have plenty of room.
Thanks again!
Susan