CLIMBING ROSE -pruning

Jake'sGran

I planted a climbing rose last year and have had a few flowers then and now this year. I did bend the stems gently to produce more side shoots but now after dead heading I am left with two very long strong branches.

Can I take a chance and prune them now?. One of them waves around a lot and I want to prevent this. It is a beautiful flower/colour but suffers badly from blackspot.

Daftanian

I do not profess to be an expert on rose pruning but I would prune it in the autumn, which I guess is now, to keep it tidy. Some say it is best to prune in spring. I pruned my climbing rose after it finished flowering and I am going to do it again soon. Good luck.

RebekahR

I always cut mine hard back in Spring. Only reason for Spring ... is I am sooo diorganised!!

Autumn jobs happen in Spring, Spring in Summer ... you get the gist! I would say though late spring or early autumn.

Kay_Peel

In its second year, you need to prune the tips of flowering 'laterals' (small off-shoots from the main branches) as soon as the flowers fade. Cut back to a young shoot or an outward facing 'eye'. If you only take off the flower stalk, you'll get weak thin new growth. Don't prune in late summer - you'll encourage new growth which will be at risk of damage during the winter.

In November, shorten very long growth by 6 - 12 inches to reduce the risk of the rose being blown about and rocked out of the soil.

In future years, cut back one or two weak main branches to within a few inches of the base. I do this is in February/March because it makes new shoots from the base.

Good luck!