How to Prune Climbing & Rambler Roses

Prune ramblers and climbers to control their sprawl.

Climbing and rambler roses sprawl with a vining habit, needing you to tie them to a trellis for support. Climbers also produce larger blooms on two-year old canes, which are sturdier than a rambler rose's stems. Ramblers flower on the previous year's wood. The best time to prune both of these rose varieties is after they blossom in the summer and before they go dormant in the fall. Make all your pruning cuts at a 45-degree angle and ¼ inch above an outer bud.

Things You'll Need

• Shears
• Trash can

Instructions

1. Examine both climbing and rambler rose plants for broken and diseased stems. Prune them all, making your cut 3 inches into healthy wood. Discard the cane pieces in the trash as you go.

2. Trim two of the older canes at the base of both types of plant every year. On your climbing roses, only cut canes that are older than two years. For your ramblers, retain canes that are 1 year old and younger so next season's blooming isn't affected.

3. Cut your climbing rose's lateral stems back to 3 inches. Remove enough primary canes -- those that grow off the plant's main trunk -- so that eight are left. Retain only three or four primary canes if you feel your climbing rose didn't have a vigorous season.

References

• Oregon State University Extension Service: Early Spring Good Time to Prune and Fertilize Roses
• "Sunset Western Garden Book"; Kathleen Norris Brenzel; 2001
• University of California Cooperative Extension--Inyo and Mono Counties: Pruning Roses