Recently I've begun to notice that some of the catalog descriptions of Austin roses suggest that the plant may benefit from summer pruning. This doesn't mean the customary deadheading we all do; nor do I presume it means simply trimming back a branch to the next five-leaflet, which I often do when deadheading. Instead, I presume this means cutting the plant back to some further degree, and I was wondering if anyone does this, and what the results have been. Do you summer prune your Austins, or any other rose for that matter? As some of my roses get really big, I've thought it might be nice to prune them back within bounds, but I don't want to go without their blooms for several weeks - although maybe it would be worth it, since it might produce more blooms on a more upright plant a few weeks later, or maybe produce a larger autumn flush. Just wondering.
