ROSE BUDS BUT NO FOILAGE

[KKANUTT]

I LIVE IN EAST TENNESSEE. THIS WAS MY FIRST SUMMER WITH CLIMBING ROSES. THE BLOOMS ARE BEAUTIFUL, HOWEVER, MY CLIMBING ROSES WERE ALL FLOWERS AND STEMS, THERE WERE NOT ONE LEAF ON MY STEMS, THEY LOOK PRETTY BAD. I HAVE SEEN SOME CLIMBING ROSES THAT WERE BLOOMS EVERYWHERE AND THEY HAD LEAFS. ALSO I NEED TO KNOW HOW FAR BACK SHOULD I CUT .HERE IT IS NOVEMBER, ALREADY FROSTED ROSES ARE STILL BLOOMING. PLEASE HELP, don't WONT TO LOOSE THEM.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Sounds like you may have had trouble with black spot, which can cause defoliation pretty quickly (leaves yellow and drop; with or without tell-tale spots), so do a good job of cleaning under it after you finish pruning.

As for that, I'd take everything down to a pinky thick branch (remembering to leave the bud on the outside of the plant, not pointing back in) and then (assuming it's trellised or some such) cover with burlap (definitely for the first year, anyway). That should get you to spring when you can rexamine the canes and take them back to good wood (don't foreget about the buds...)

Scott