I found this guide to pruning on David Austin web site. (link below)

Looks like they don't recommend pruning until late winter for our colder climate.

If you look on the US zone map you might be in zone 7 along the Jersey shore depending on how far south along the coast you're moving. Here in Monmouth County it's still on the cusp of zone 6 even by the northern shore towns. Ocean County's shore towns move along the zone continuum from 6-7 as you go further south but 6 might be safer to assume until you see what your growing conditions are.

Here's link to NJ growing zones:

http://www.growit.com/bin/USDAZoneMaps.exe?MyState=NJ

Good luck with those roses!

Here is a link that might be useful: David Austin Site - Pruning

Longportliz, welcome to the Jersey Shore! I hope your move goes well and that you will enjoy your new home. I'm still relatively new to rose culture, but think you'll find your roses will do very well here. The sandy soil usually makes for excellent drainage, you just might have to amend with organic matter. You might want to start by taking a soil sample to your County Agricultural Extension Office for a free pH test, or purchase a kit to send some soil off to the Rutgers Soil Lab for a complete analysis ($15). There are some real rose experts here, though, and I'm hoping they'll post their advice soon.

Newbie, I'm in Monmouth County also, and it certainly makes for interesting gardening. Here at home, only a few miles from the beach and across the street from a bay, the weather is considerably milder (winter and summer) than only 20 minutes away in the hills of Middletown (where I work). It's really important to get to know one's microclimate.

I believe this being on the cusp is what makes it a difficult call for us.

FWIW, I got my instruction from the curator of the rose garden where I bought my roses, a nursery in Zone 6 NY, and for them it's a more cut-and-dried 2-stage process: A rough pruning in early winter to prevent 1) wind-whipping (whereby the root ball gets loosened in the soil by strong winds rocking the plant), and 2) branch breakage from snow load. Then a fine pruning in early spring to shape the plant.

Pruning out branches susceptible to snow load seems of particular concern here because of the wet, and hence heavy & sticky, snows we can get here. On the other hand, with our capricious weather, pruning during a mild winter, or before an extended warm spell, might cause the rose to put out new growth too early.

Case in point: Almost all of my roses still have a fair number of green leaves and a few have new leaves growing, and I haven't even pruned yet!

Longportliz, I'm going to have to check back myself and see how the local experts address your questions.

Diane