I routinely cut back to 3 inches from the ground for situations like that. I suspect even lower would work out fine, too, with rapid reinvigorated bounce-back.

I would probably leave them about a foot high and just clean them as needed from there. Roses are very forgiving.

rifis, "rapid reinvigorated bounce-back" sounds scary!! :) Thanks.

Roxana, I was thinking the same but wanted a 2nd and 3rd opinion. Thanks.

I live in a cold climate, so I routinely have to cut back roses to within inches. They will bounce back just fine. I have shrub roses that grow from 6 inches in spring to 4-5 feet by fall. Wanted to share my experience so it would be less scary for you! You could hack them back to just under a foot high. Then selectively thin them out. That would be a less daunting task.

Rose Noob Question.

When you cut them that low, is it the side shoots that grow to that 3-5' in a season, or is it the main canes with shoots that will grow out 3-5' ?

Seil - Re. your last comment and I know we touched upon this topic (new rose grower here). I've yet to wrap my head on budded canes and how fast or long or not it will form a ~bush framework~ when it may come with as little as 3-4 canes forming a 270 degree plane of view.

I guess I will see the framework growth - as a result of pruning and see how it grows. This is what has got me completely thrown off on own-root vs grafted....

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In my world, I like pruning woody shrubs back hard sometimes, to promote new canes and let old canes die. I just can't see how this works on a grafted situation..

@a1an - Seil explained the cane regrowing part better than I could. Most of my roses end up acting like a perennial vs. a woody plant, due to winter kill. Each year many regrow new canes to flower on.

As for the grafts, up in the north most of us plant out roses deeper. We plant them under the soil line to help protect them from the colder temps. That way even if you have to cut them to inches they will regrow.

Sorry OP to take this off topic. I plan to plan them so that the cane is right below the soil line (as generally compost or wood mulch adds another 2-3 inches).

I posted this in another thread. We had such a mild winter that my over-wintering mulch, when I removed it, the canes had rooted into the mulch.

Here's hoping the canes go own-root...in time