I prune alot. I hate to have my Hybrid Teas 8 feet high by fall and thats what would happen if I did not. So I prune absolutely every thing very heavily in the spring. Then I prune some after the spring flush, some things more than orders. The HTs get cut back strongly while the shrub roses and Floribundas get just some neatening up.

Do you have to prune always? As with most things, it depends!

Different roses in different situations manage better or worse with different amounts of pruning. There's a species rose, Rosa foetida, that is famous for hating almost any pruning, but there are other roses that don't bloom as well when they aren't pruned at least a little.

No, you do not have to prune. Roses will grow and bloom all by themselves. But, as York says, how much you might want to prune depends on the kinds of roses you have and the amount of room you have for the roses to grow. To get a better answer to your question, give us the names of or the kinds of roses you have and an idea of the space you have available.

At some point, I think all roses need to have some type of pruning if only to remove twiggy growth and open up the bush for airflow. My hybrid teas and floribundas get pruned every year. Half the minis get pruned every other year and so do the chinas. My once bloomers get pruned right after they finish their spring flush and the climbers just get the bare minimum to stay healthy.

Assuming the rose fits where you planted it...

Depends on the rose and its class. There are roses for which pruning means only removing dead wood every few years. There are other roses that gradually stop producing well if not pruned. Certainly you can skip a season. I've done that when I was recovering from surgery. As a long term plan, I wouldn't skip pruning for many modern roses. I have roses that love nothing more than being cut back. My Teas and Tea Noisettes, however, can go unpruned for years.

No, you do not have to prune.
If your rose has a naturally graceful appearance, and looks healthy & happy, then you need only remove any dead wood that might occur.
Many of the Old Garden Roses are naturally graceful in appearance and do not need a lot of interference from man other than an ample supply of water, plentiful sunlight, and a steady supply of rich compost.

Randy

The Vintage newsletter says no. And don't clean up dead leaves as the fungi die on the leaf.
http://www.vintagegardens.com/PDF/Vintage%20Newsletter%2012_19_08.pdf

Here is a link that might be useful: Vintage rose pruning article

No, but over time (years and years and years) the growth and foliage will all be at the top of the plant with a lot of woody stuff below.

I"m going to take some pictures tomorrow. And will find my list of where I planted each rose so I can give you a better description. thanks for all the responses!

If you don't mind having them run wild and sprawled all over the lot, then leave them alone and to their own devices. However, most of us want our HTs et al to be neat as well as productive. As usual, the choice is yours.