Climbing roses are very elegant plants that decorate walls and gardens. Today we tell you how and when to prune them
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himLa pruning of roses ensures that the plants grow vigorously and bloom well every year. If left to themselves, climbing roses risk becoming a tangle of branches with very few flowers.
Le climbing roses they are distinguished from the classic roses for their fast and luxuriant development, which must always be checked. Considering this factor is essential not only to give the plant a graceful shape, but also to preserve its good state of health.
This particular type of rose should be pruned on a regular basis to allow subsequent blooms and to avoid the proliferation of parasites that could damage the plant.
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How to prune them?
The methods of pruning change according to the type of roses that are taken care of: however this operation presents a common condition that is characterized in the removal of dry and less luxuriant branches that affect the good maintenance of the younger ones, and that go to create crowding in the plant itself.
It is also good to remember that climbing roses are not self-adhesive and need trellis supports or horizontal wires to which the shoots can be tied.
Then it is necessary to reduce the length of the branches, removing all the leaves that are too dry using special pruning scissors. It is necessary to cut them above the new (and healthy) buds, making an oblique cut and in the opposite direction to the gem itself.
After this step, we will proceed by tying the branches to the plant giving it a fan shape that will facilitate the circulation of air and sunlight. So to summarize the common steps of ordinary climbing rose pruning:
- First remove any dead, diseased, or dying branches
- Then tie any new shoots needed to fill the supports
- Prune the side flowering shoots to two-thirds of their length
- If the plant is heavy and congested, cut out all very old branches from the base to encourage the growth of younger ones
When to prune climbing roses?
Climbing roses are regularly pruned in the winter season, after the flowers have wilted, between December and February. The long shoots can be shortened or tied up during the fall, to prevent strong winds from damaging them or worse uprooting them. This particular type of rose can also be pruned at the end of winter or at the beginning of the spring season, when the plant is preparing for flowering and there are not too many leaves yet. In these conditions, in fact, it is easier to see the state of the branches. Also for most of the varieties there was a better response than the rose which tends to regrow more vigorously the following spring.
That said, there are many conflicting opinions on the right time of year to prune these roses, in reality the pruning period changes according to the type of creeper you are taking care of. Modern climbing roses tend to be pruned in autumn or, in the case of particularly grown bushes that need to be renewed, even at the end of winter and early spring (approximately the beginning of March).
How to renew overgrown climbing roses
- Remove all dead, diseased, dying, and weak shoots
- Cut some of the old woody branches at the base, retaining a maximum of six young, vigorous stems that can be secured to the supports
- Saw away any dead stumps at the base of the plant, where rain can collect and promote rot
- Shorten side shoots on remaining branches and prune the tips one third to half, to encourage branching
- Give freshly pruned plants a boost the following spring by sprinkling granular rose fertilizer over the soil and mulch with a 5 cm (2 inch) layer of garden compost. (Read also: Growing roses: tips and tricks to feed them with ... a banana peel!)
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