Do as Sheila says for shaping.... but also since you are in Florida you probably don't want to cut back at all during the summer.... (unless you get disease or something). You do not want to encourage new growth until the cooler fall weather or you will have Chili Thrips attacking the new foliage..... If you get a rose on it after it is spent pinch it off at base (don't try cutting back to the leaf node at this time of year)....

DG, Thats what I basically do in general for baby roses. I dont have Louis Philippe, specifically but I do grow a lot of other OGRs now. I haven't had chili thrips in my neck of the woods yet (NE FL) just the reg ones in early spring before the little green tree frogs come out of hibernation. I dont know if you get the Chili Thrips there in Gainesville area yet.

Sheila has given you good guidance to follow. Roses are a plant that teaches patience.

Is deadheading considered pruning - (kinda, sorta).

I've been deadheading down to ~5 leaves~ on my newly planted bareroots once all my roses needed a deadhead. It's now on it's 3rd flush of blooms ?

Just snip off the spent blooms just below the hip. You need to let that little baby plant grow way more before you have to worry about any kind of pruning.

Thanks, everyone. I wasn't planning on doing any serious pruning, because it's just too little, but I have been deadheading back to the first set of 5 leaves. I don't consider that really "pruning," and I do want it to grow more branches. Anyway, I now know that if there is no set of 5 leaves, to just cut the bloom off. I have no idea what a chill thrip is, and Louis Philippe seems to be sort of bulletproof, from what I've seen.

LOL seil. Are you telling me to put the pruners down and step away slowly ;-)

I know it's not pruning as I'm technically not cutting/pruning on the primary canes ;-)

I have grown LP for about 20 years and you dont need to prune him like hybrid tea roses. LP is practicaly carefree in Florida. I have whacked him back with hedge clippers before to make him nice and bushy. I do deadhead a lot, to get even more blooms, but I just snap off the spent blossoms.

Thanks, joycrick. I've seen some totally neglected LPs in city parks, etc. that never get deadheaded and just keep on blooming. Like it said, it seems to be bulletproof. Still, this is such a young plant, I'm being very careful with it. I found a bunch of dessicated trimmings in a trash pile, stuck 11 and this is the only one that took, so it's my baby.