When to Prune Climbing Rose Bushes

Climbers, like this Peace rose, can be trained up trellises or other supports.

Climbing roses are shrubs with a growth habit that allows them to be trained and tied onto short or tall supports. The group includes true climbers, like climbing hybrid tea roses, with relatively stiff canes and shoots; and ramblers, with relatively slender, pliable canes and shoots. Timing and frequency of pruning depend on the type of rose and whether it blooms on old or new wood.

Climbers

Most true climbers, including hybrid teas, noisettes, climbing teas, and hybrid perpetuals, bloom on "new wood," or canes produced in the same growing year. These roses are most often repeat bloomers. Canes should be cut back by one third after each flush of bloom to stimulate the growth of new lateral shoots. Those shoots should be trained to grow laterally upward and outward. Mature plants should be pruned after flowering to keep them to a desired size and promote new growth and flowers.

Ramblers

Some rambling roses can reach enormous size, so pruning may be necessary to keep them within boundaries. Ramblers are most often once-bloomers that produce flowers on "old wood," or growth from the previous season. Ramblers put forth great masses of flowers in mid spring, so pruning before that time will prevent flowering. Young plants require minimal pruning and extensive training to promote the lateral shoots that produce flowers. Prune mature plants in midsummer, and clip only old wood (canes on which flowers have already bloomed).

Restoration Pruning

Sometimes climbers and ramblers get so big and unruly that they require restoration pruning. This happens most frequently with ramblers. When restoration pruning is needed, it should be done in winter, whenever weather is mild enough to make the work feasible. When doing winter pruning, focus on pruning old wood and getting the plant back to a manageable size. Most ramblers are remarkably vigorous, and while some blossoms may be lost in the spring immediately after pruning, the plants will recover quickly.

Dead Wood

Pruning dead wood and crossed canes can be done at any time. Dead wood should be eliminated as close to the base of the plant as possible. If a rose's growth is too congested with crossing canes or shoots, the plant will not have the good air circulation that keeps fungal diseases at bay. Cut back or retrain canes that cross each other to create an open plant with many lateral shoots.

References

• "Classic Roses"; Peter Beales; 1997