it took me a few hours ... and a day to remember... to come back and fix what i said ... i grew hybrid T roses ... the fooest of the foo ...... i usually had about 100 ... and every spring.. i ordered in about 25 new ones.. but magically never got beyond 100 ... then i lost interest.. and within a few years.. they were all gone ... soooo .. when i told my sob story above.. i was talking about the foo foo ones ... obviously ... there are the shrub versions .. run them over with the truck .. mostly hundred year olds cultivars ... like the rugosa ... the war of the roses versions ... the climbers that could swallow a house ...... the monster ones.. bullet proof ... but still... as i think i said above.. i would cut them in spring.. finding out first, which parts made it thru a MI winter ... then for crossing branches .... then for shape ... never cutting at height.. but proper removal as close to the ground as you can ... so yes.. i agree ... there are shrub versions ... my bad ... and the only reason i responded.. is because gal didnt yell at me.. otherwise i would have moped .. lol ... ken ps: all that said.. if some branch came straight out into the lawn ... and scratched me.. that branch would be gone in the time it took to go get the machete and apply some malice .... you cut me man.. you are going to pay ... lol ...

You have a choice with Hansa or other rugosas. Spray and loose all the leaves due to rugosas not liking to be sprayed or suffer with diseased foliage in late summer/fall and lose all the leaves. Either way you lose all the leaves. Some of mine are bare sticks or filled with diseased leaves. Others look good. It depends on where they are planted, the amount of sun they get, and how well air circulates around them. I don't cut them back now, I wait until spring. Unless we have a late freeze like last spring, they normally don't suffer winter dieback and come back each spring with nice foliage. As summer progresses they slowly get diseased and drop their leaves. Am curious, Would the systemic Bayer drench product work as it isn't sprayed on the leaves? Might try it on one or two rugosas next year.

I leave my plants alone until the stems are pretty shriveled up by the cold. Any green stems are feeding the roots for winter. Cutting short early reduces stored food in case of late Spring or hard winter. I do trim off the seed pods before they produce seeds. Puts the energy into storage not seeds. I also leave a bit of stem on top of ground so I can locate plants in spring. My plants sprout so late that I might think they were dead or lost without the stem markers.

Did you trim the flowers after they finished blooming? If not now is a good time. Below is an exerpt from a newsletter I receive from a local lavender farm...dated 12/4/08 3. Garden Note: Prune Your Lavender Now Pruning lavender is essential to good plant growth and flowering. As a general rule, lavender should be pruned to shape at the end of the first growing season. After the second and following years, plants should be cut back by one-quarter to one-third. It is important to remember not to cut the plants too short. Leave at least one inch of leafy stem on each branch, as there is little assurance that bare stems will sprout new growth. We encourage fall pruning for several reasons. First, fall pruning allows the gardener an opportunity to identify and cut out dead wood. Second, fall pruning will minimize the chances of branches being broken under a heavy snowfall. Finally, fall pruning eliminates the possibility of accidentally cutting off new growth -- on which blossoms are formed -- in the spring. ----------------------------- 4. Winter Care of Herbs (Indoor Plants) Some professional growers claim that more indoor plants are killed by over-watering than under-watering. This is often the case with herbs; they simply do not like wet feet. So water them when they are dry -- usually not more than once a week. And -- this is important -- don't let the pots sit in saucers full of water. About an hour after you water your plants, empty those saucers and let the roots breath. Fertilization requirements vary by plant. Generally, plants that are largely dormant in the winter, e.g., lemon verbena, rosemary, and scented geraniums, should be fertilized no more than once a month. Actively growing plants such as that basil you treasure should be fertilized every 2-3 weeks. Basil requires lots of light (14-16 hours a day) and warm temperatures (at least 60 degrees at night). It loves a sun-filled room, but don't place it too close to windows where night-time temperatures may drop down to 45-50 degrees. Rosemary is an impressive indoor plant, but it can sometimes be difficult. Start by thinning out the plant to allow good air circulation. Rosemary wants all the light it can get and prefers cooler temperatures in winter. A drafty south window is a perfect spot for it. Do not over water! And remember that most rosemary is hardy down to 15 or 20 degrees; don't bring it in too early. Bertha Reppert of The Rosemary House once said that rosemary should be brought in after Thanksgiving, moved back to the garden in March, and taken for a walk on nice days in winter. If you're still bringing plants inside, remember to properly prepare them. Plants that have been in the ground need to be dug up and potted. Plants already in pots need to be checked to see if they are root bound. Repot any that are. Wash the soil off the roots and prune any broken or oversized ones. You should also prune the branches taking special care to open up the middle of the plant to allow good air circulation and let in light. As a rule of thumb, both the roots and branches should be cut back by about one third. Give your plant a serious shower to wash off as many insects, larvae, and eggs as possible. And remember that most insecticides kill only adult insects -- not larva or eggs. In order to insure that you've gotten them all, spray your plants with insecticidal soap every 5 days for two weeks before bringing them indoors.