Cut roses back hard in early spring.

Yes, you can be ruthless. Roses are tougher than they look, and a good hard pruning is exactly what they need to pump out those big blooms later.

Wait until you see the buds starting to swell — that’s your signal. For most of us in zone 5-8, that’s late March or early April. If you have forsythia blooming nearby, that’s your calendar.

Remove everything dead, diseased, or crossing first. Then cut the remaining canes down to about 12-18 inches tall, making each cut at a 45-degree angle about ¼ inch above an outward-facing bud. You want the new growth to grow out, not into the center. Leave three to five strong canes and you’re done.

Don’t be precious about it. A pruned rose looks like a sad stick for a few weeks. That’s fine.

Your roses will thank you with more flowers than you know what to do with.