dead rose

[craig & jo]

Dear Answer bank,
My father in law kindly offered to prune our rose bush, however when he had finnished we were left with just the stem and a twig. Has he killed it?

[Clanad]

Maybe, maybe not. First, it depends on what kind of rose it is (was?). A Tea Rose grows one rose to one stem... the kind you buy from the florist. A Floribunda (many flowering) grows the same nice ovoid blooms but several per stem. A Grandiflora is the usual rose bush that can be trained to climb.
Teas should be pruned only lightly to provide free air flow and remove bent, broken or worn out dark colored stems and branches.
Floribundas are also pruned sparingly... but the general rule is to cut any cane that is smaller in diameter than a pencil...
Grandifloras are usually cut back by about one third... again, concentrating on damaged growth. These are all usually pruned in the early spring but just before buds emerge, although pruning in the fall usually doesn't hurt them.
The so-called climbers and other one time flowering roses including the "Old Roses" (damasks, albas, etc.) should also be pruned sparingly... no more than one third of the bush.
Check your plundered rose in the spring an encourage it with an early feeding (10-20-10 works best, in my opinion). Be sure it and other roses get sufficient water... at least an inch per week in ealry spring and summer.
A word of caution... every serious rose grower will have a different opinion... and that's a good thing... my suggestions are a good guideline, however... Best of luck!