" Pruning and protecting bushes and shrubs is important to encourage healthy growth in spring. Don't prune bushes late in the growing season because it promotes new growth that will be damaged by the winter frost. Prune bushes after a hard frost when the plant becomes dormant. Generally, you prune shrubs that bloom in the spring immediately after flowering, and you prove that summer blooming shrubs during the dormant winter seasons. On this bush, were going to start with weak, dead, and damaged branches. Always cut a branch where it grows from the stem or live shoot. Cut the stem at an angle and leave a small branch bark collar. Next, thin out old scraggly growth and crossed crowded branches. Removing excessive inside branches opens the plant up without stimulating new top growth. Working our way around the yard, we find a bush that we need to trim where the branches that are too close to the ground, crowding the shrub. Cut away all the branches that are too close to the ground, but leave new healthy shoots that form the main structure. This Rugosa rose bush is going to require a little bit different treatment. First, we're going to cut away any dead wood, and then, any thin branches that compete with the healthy branches or canes. The goal is stand up for the nicely shaped bush. So choose about four to six of the strongest branches to work on. Shorten these branches by a third to a half of their total height. The result is a strong rose bush with healthy canes. Open in the middle for circulation. You can further protect the plant by clearing debris from under the bush and spreading a layer of mulch or hay, depending on the area you're from, around the base to provide insulation for the winter. Mulches and marsh hay should always be piled at least"

" in soil temperatures. If you've had frost damage in the past, you can wrap a shrubs in burlap to help protect it from freezing during the winter. The plant should be wrapped and the burlap secured with twine before the temperature drops below freezing. Ultimately, if the shrub is hardy, but needs to be protected from drifting or falling snow, high winds, or ice, you can erect a tent over the shrub. The tent is made from wood, assembled to form a V. The resulting wooden frame is covered with burlap stapled to the frame. Taken together, these steps will encourage strong and healthy growth in the spring."