Do I cut back roses?

[JackTheNipper]

I know I could google, but I'd rather have, a bit more advice from real people!
I have just moved into this house with a lovely big (ish) back garden (north facing) but gets a good amount of sun as there is nothing in the way.
Anyway the roses were already here when we moved in and look quite healthy, DH wants to pull them out, but I thought while they are doing ok to leave them, but how do I care for them?
All the flowers have now died off so I'm thinking it's about the right time do prepare them for winter, ant thoughts?

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

My late MIL said prune roses on Grand National Day, end of March ish, so I've always done that. You can get into counting buds but I think you can pretty much prune to the size and shape you want. Cut just above an outward facing bud, and get rid of dead stuff and criss-crossing stems. Would be such a shame to scrap them, at least until you know what they look like in full bloom. Hope you get some more technical help too!

[TheSkiingGardener]

The RHS did some trials in to how to look after roses. One lot were pruned according to the books. The other lot had a hedge trimmer run along them during winter.

The results were the same for both groups. Just cut them back, however you choose, during early winter, feed them lots and look out for pests and diseases and they will be lovely.

[tiddleypompom]

Agree with above posts - it does depend on what sort of roses they are (rambling/climbing etc) but I do a prune at the end of the season - right back for upright hybrid roses and back to buds from main stem for climbing (approx). I also dead head throughout the year to encourage new growth and second/third flowers.
I agree it would be such a shame to pull them out - roses on the whole are easy to keep and such a joy when they are out.

[JackTheNipper]

Thanks for the tips I'll keep dead heading them form now then, It's funny you say trim them with a hedge trimmer, I have a friend in Australia who told me about his dad trimming his roses with a chain saw every year, apparently he had the best roses in the street!!

[BsshBossh]

I prune them down hard at the end of autumn and they come back beautifully the next year. But should I feed them through winter too?

[inmysparetime]

I take stems off till it's about knee high, then remove anything that looks like it will rub against another stem and anything that looks dead. Mine tend to flower right up till they get snowed on so I tend to prune in spring.