Follow our top tips for pruning, training and tying-in English Climbing Roses to help you get the most out of your rose.

WHy should i prune?

Pruning is essential if you really want your rose to thrive.

The main purpose of pruning is to create a shapely, attractive plant, with good coverage and structure, you can do this by simply removing parts of the plant during the non-flowering season. Pruning encourages fresh new growth and plentiful blooms for the following season.


WHEN SHOULD I PRUNE

We recommend pruning in late winter/early spring, when the first growth is beginning. This is generally between February and April, depending on your zone. It is OK to prune earlier, but it can be more difficult to identify the less healthy stems that you will want to prune out. 


Structures & support

Climbing roses will need a support upon which to grow. Generally you have two choices:

Fixed structures – grow up a building, wall or fence.

Decorative structures – grow up an obelisk, pergola or arch.


how to prune a climbing rose

The two important elements when pruning climbers are:

  • Selecting and encouraging strong growth from the base of the plant.

  • Training stems so that they fan out and are near to horizontal to promote shoots along the stem.

climbers growing on fixed structures

Before planting, we recommend attaching horizontal wires to your wall which you will use to tie back the stems. Attach the wires at two feet intervals up the wall. Initially, three wires will suffice. As your rose grows taller you will need to add additional wires.

Year One

We define Year One as any rose that has completed its first season of flowering.

At this stage your rose will still be establishing its roots to support growth in the future, thus only very light pruning is required.

  • Step 1 – cut away any growth that is growing away from the structure that cannot be tied back.
  • Step 2 – the ‘four D’s’ – remove any dead, dying, damaged and diseased stems.
  • Step 3 – pull down the longer stems to 45 degrees or more and tie against your wires.
  • Step 4 – remove any remaining leaves to reduce the risk of disease spores being carried over.

Year Two

This is a year for a climber to fully establish.

  • Step 1 – cut away any growth that is growing away from the structure that cannot be tied back.
  • Step 2 – if your climber is very vigorous and getting congested, cut away more of the weakest growth.
  • Step 3 – cut back old flowering stems to about 6 inches from the main stem.
  • Step 4 – the ‘four D’s’ – remove any dead, dying, damaged and diseased stems.
  • Step 5 – pull down the longer stems to 45 degrees or more and tie against your wires
  • Step 6 – remove any remaining leaves to reduce the risk of disease spores being carried over.

Year Three

  • Repeat the steps outlined for Year Two.
  • In addition, cut out any old or weak stems at the base of the plant.

climbers growing on decorative structures

Obelisks – wind the strong stems growing from the base around your structure so that the stems spiral around it. This is much easier when the stems are young, soft and pliable.

Arches – follow the same method as for wall climbers but tie-in to your arch. Be sure not to tip the tops of the leading stems – you want your climber to grow as long as possible.


KEY POINTS

Remember these key points to ensure effective pruning:

  • Don’t worry about where you cut a stem. Accepted wisdom suggests cutting just above a leaf joint with a sloping cut away from the bud. However, there is no evidence to prove this is necessary.
  • Don’t worry about cutting back too much. Roses are extremely strong and will grow back.

  • Carefully dispose of foliage. Foliage should never be composted and should be removed from your garden. This ensures spores that can initiate disease are removed from your garden.
  • Look out for loose roses. Look out for any roses that are loose in the ground due to the wind rocking them to the point where they are no longer standing upright. Firm around the base of each loose rose and cut them back a little more to reduce wind resistance.

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