Mme. Alfred Carriere at Mottisfont Abbey in England.<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nYou’ve pruned a few shrub roses and now you are ready to try your hand at pruning a climbing rose.\u00a0 With pruners in gloved hands you bravely approach your climbing rose that has been growing willy-nilly all season long.\u00a0\u00a0 Standing there, peering up at this mess you think to yourself – where do I even begin?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Understand the difference between main canes and laterals and you’ll be on your way.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFeat not.\u00a0 It’s simpler than you think.\u00a0 All you have to know is which canes are main canes and which ones are laterals.\u00a0 The difference is simple.\u00a0 The main canes come from the base of the plant and form the structure.\u00a0 You do not cut these back by more than one third.\u00a0 The laterals sprout off the main canes and you can cut them back to within twelve inches of the main cane.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Here are a few simple rules of thumb for you and after you read them we suggest you watch the videos below.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n- As with shrub roses start by pruning out the dead wood.\u00a0 Makes it easier to see what’s left.<\/li>\r\n
- Next, prune out weak and twiggy growth.<\/li>\r\n
- Start with one of the main canes and just work your way up from the base cutting all the laterals back to within twelve inches of the main cane.\u00a0 You’ll be amazed how much growth this takes away – making it easier to see the structure.<\/li>\r\n
- Keep cutting back those laterals until you are done.<\/li>\r\n
- Once finished you can spend a little time retying the rose to get if ready for next spring.\u00a0 For tips on that go to the section of the website on training climbing roses.<\/li>\r\n
- Here’s another little tip.\u00a0 To keep that climber tidy all season keep trimming the laterals back to within twelve inches of the main cane after each bloom flush.\u00a0 That will keep it from snagging your clothes when you walk by!<\/li>\r\n
- Lastly as with shrub roses, every now and then you will want to cut out an old bloomed main cane at the base to rejuvenate new growth.\u00a0 It’s scary at first but come spring you’ll see why it makes sense.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Enjoy the videos<\/p>\r\n
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