Based on my own experience in coastal Southern California, (including
experience with Sharifa Asma) I would prune as MINIMALLY as possible.

We had Sharifa budded on Multiflora.
She didn't respond well to hard pruning here either.

If I were going to grow her again, I would treat her as we have treated
Prospero and Golden Celebration.
Deadheading is "bend and snap" (at the point of abcission).
Pruning removes only old, worn out canes -- removing them completely.
After a few years of this minimalistic approach, our Prosperos
are beginning to put up healthy new basals, something they never did before.

If you're interested in seeing photos, send me a private message.

Jeri

Jeri, I would be interested in seeing photos too. I will send you a message. I have Sharifa in a pot, been growing her as an own root from Chamblees for a year. Her leaves curve under - doesnt look all that healthy but has bloomed some and continues to grow. I think I am afraid to prune her back much - and wonder if she would do better in the ground. I have Prospero on order because I have heard so many good things about him. I will send you an email....
Judith

Here in MD, I prune it to 3-3.5 feet every spring. It grows too big if left unpruned. It is usually reaches 6 feet by mid summer. Never saw it being upset with this treatment. Blooms non stop for me here. But of course my climate is very different, usually Austins if the BS is controlled by spraying are very happy here. When BS takes over this is all another story. I am considering to remove my SA this spring because of decision to stay no spray, but it hurts really bad. One of the best Austins with excellent repeat(together with Radio Times, WS 200 and Abraham Darby) for me.
Olga

Thank you Olga for your contrarian view.

I bought my Sharifa this past summer from Reagan - it sat in a pot (it looked like it had been in that pot for a while) with nothing much done to her. I put her in the ground and this winter (when it lost some leaves) it became apparent that a lot of the canes were cankered, split or otherwise damaged. When I took all of those out I ended up with less than half the original rose :-(. I guess I will just have to see what she does this year...
Masha

The Sharifa Asma we had grew well (tho never over about 3 ft) and it bloomed well, and it was fragrant.
It really does have a lovely fragrance!

BUT even if sprayed, it had problems with powdery mildew, and that in the end doomed it in this garden.

The Austins that we've kept (out of a LOT of Austins!) are the ones that have no disease problems here at all.
Golden Celebration and Prospero (both generous bloomers), and Cymbaline (tho it's not a good bloomer).
The Prince is still here because he's not in the way, and periodically has a stunning bloom.

Jeri

Wow, thanks so much for all the input! It's good to know I'm not alone in loving/despairing of this crazy plant. I am also totally no spray and am starting to get squinty at my Will Shakespeare 2000 (which I have a sneaking suspicion may be the original Will Shakespeare); and there are times of the year when my Sharifa and Abe and basically the whole Austin crew (with the exception of Wise Portia) look like hell but I forgive them because of their smell. I will try your minimalist approach on half of my Sharifa's, Jeri, and get a little more aggressive on the others. See which works best. I know I tried the minimal deadheading during the summer and tended to end up with dead canes. She only seems to be truly happy when she is pushing a lot of new growth. Time for the alfalfa meal! (I will also try to email for your photos if I can figure out how.) Thanks again. Ronke

If mine stayed at 3 ft., I wouldn't prune it either, but it throws long, whipping, 8 ft canes here. I cut it back as Olga does and it doesn't faze this rose. It just keeps blooming. Just a FYI, anyone growing it in the warmer climes should be able to prune her without worry.

Carol

I have a suspicion that Carol has the answer -- it's a more vigorous plant in a hotter climate.
Both the OP and I are coastal, in a normally fairly cool climate.
I really think that MANY of the Austin roses may like to have a little winter chill, for one thing -- which is also true for HPs.
I'll see if this will let me post a link to download photos and some text

Jeri

Here is a link that might be useful: pdf file of photos and text

I have 'Sharifa Asma' ownroot, in a mild temperate climate with hot dry summers and cool wet winters, though the last few years it's been pretty droughty year round. We don't water established plants. I've found that 'Sharifa Asma' in these conditions grows slowly but steadily and forms a shapely bush with little to no pruning. I haven't had any dieback, but this year am not doing any pruning because I don't see any need to. My two plants of SA don't get any disease to speak of, while many of my roses get some degree of mildew, and most of the Austins get blackspot in fall when it starts to rain: but Sharifa no. You're getting all kinds of differing reports, I notice. This is my best Austin rose, many others having come and gone, just as Jeri suggests.

Melissa

Agree with Olga. I prune mine down to 3, 3 1/2', Otherwise, the canes would be much too tall in mid summer. I think it likes the pruning. Here's a picture of the 3 I have from April 2007. It was taken along with my whole garden after pruning, but it looks to me like it was after a "first round" pruning, at which time I may have used hedge clippers, which I use for many of my roses as a quick once over. It looks cut down, but not shaped, and without dead wood having been removed, which I'd do on the next round of pruning, shortly after.

One is just behind the piece of wood, another, just to the right, and a third is there somewhere, behind the first one possibly or possibly out of camera range to the left, not sure. I think the camera compressed the bed, too, because it's about 5'+ of space behind the rabbits.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sharifa

Those are sure sturdy looking plants! The best of my Sharifas is getting there; the others are runty. I think Jeri and Carole have both nailed it. I'm a mile and a half from the ocean with a lot of shade from city trees and dampness from fog so these roses are not getting the real heat & sun I remember from my youth in New England; at least not until well into July/August/September at which point it is so hot they just poop. The spring flush, however, is usually fantastic and Abe, Sharifa and Wise Portia (not to mention the ever reliable Sombreuil) do keep blooming enough thereafter to make me happy. I have left the best of the Sharifas alone (just stripping the leaves and popping off the hips) and the two runts I have pruned, so we'll see. Fortunately my biggest issue is rust. Mildew only early on. And inevitably the dreaded rose slugs.