I don't think it will heal, but, if you wanted to leave them the way it is, I don't think you're going to hurt the plant. I've heard that, if you want to get rid of those leaves, to cut a nick into them. This will cause the plant to pull the moisture back into the plant, and withering the leaf. The withered leaf can then be removed without damaging the plant. I've never tried this though. If you decide to cut the leaf off, I suggest sprinkling some cinnamon on the cut afterwards, it acts as an anti-fungal agent.

Pruning above an outward facing leaf causes the new cane growing from that point to grow outward leaving the center of the bush open to better air circulation and less disease pressure. I sometimes will just deadhead a cane and in a week or so new canes will emerge from the bud eyes at the bases of the leaves just below the deadheaded bloom. I then pick the one I want and prune just above it. A bud eye lies near every point where a leaf is attached to a cane. Other than basal breaks emerging directly from the bud union, bud eyes are the only points from which a new cane will grow. It's claimed pruning canes at a 45°angle just above a bud eye will encourage new growth to start more swiftly. The bud eye should also be facing out or away from the center of the bush. In spring if there is little cane left after pruning I'll cut to an inward facing bud eye if that's the best one available, then after blooming I'll cut to an outward facing bud eye to open the center of the bush. Some new thinking regarding the angle of the cut has appeared in recent years. Some are saying that you can cut straight across with results similar to an angled cut but with the added benefit of less cut surface to heal. Unless the cane is growing straight up, your cut will be angled in proximity to the ground anyway. A cut angled away from the bud eye is suppose to prevent water from setting on the cut cane and prevent it from running off over the emrging cane. I've begun cutting straight across, with the same results I had with an angled cut and have noticed no difference, one way or the other.

Stan, It's just a personal preference thing. Waiting until after blooming is something I think most people do. I rarely wait. In most cases I prefer giving the shape of the plant that you have to look at year round higher priority over the fascination of blooms. randy

You can cut them off but I wouldn't rub dirt on them, just leave them be. Dirt splashing from rain into an open wound is one way plant pathogens get into plants. Rubbing dirt on a fresh cut would be like us rubbing dirt on a scrape.