No, Andi. I never remove an entire healthy cane, but you have to remember that at least 800 of my roses are hybrid teas. They need all the canes they can get. I remove branches that cross each other or rub against others, but not whole canes. I also stopped pruning the canes and branches in the middle of my rose bushes after I read some very logical pruning advice by Gregg Lowery, the owner of Vintage Gardens. As he pointed out, pruning encourages growth, so why on earth would anyone want to encourage growth in the middle of a rose bush? In general, I prune much less than I used to, and I think my roses are happier now.
As for anything blocking the irises, I'd be much more likely to move the irises.
