[header] How to prune tea roses [title] Trim off the upper branches. [step] Start off by getting your rose bush down to about 14 inches (36 cm) tall using pruning shears. Clip off the tops of the bush, trimming it enough so that you can clearly see the bottom of the stems and which way they're growing. 
[substeps] Pruning the plant lower will help promote new shoots. Cut the stems at approximately a 45 ° angle to prevent you from having to go back and re-cut your branches later in the process.