Question
I am helping a neighbor lady clean out  her flower bed and there is a large rose bush in it. Is it too late in the year to prune or could it be done now? We are near the coast in Virginia, the weather is still in the 80,S.

Answer
Pruning often encourages new growth, which in a cold winter will get killed. Dead canes can get fungal or bacteria into them which means that they can die right back to the ground. In your area the early spring would be the best time to prune a rose, especially if you have to prune it a lot. The other alternative is to wait until there has been a really cold frost and do it then, as the weather will be too cold to encourage it to make new growth.