How to prune a climbing rose + video

Experienced flower growers know that only a well-groomed flower garden will look beautiful and tidy. To do this, every year you need to clean the site. Many people mistakenly believe that climbing roses do not need pruning. But without it, after a few years, you will not be able to approach it at all. Uncut flowers will be difficult to cover for the winter. Therefore, spring pruning is not only desirable, but also necessary.

Also, pruning climbing roses in the spring will help shape the bush in the right way so that it does not spread to neighboring plants and buildings. Such pruning will preserve the decorative look of your plants for many years. But to do it properly, you need to follow some rules. In this article, we will look at how to properly prune climbing roses.

The Importance of Pruning

Roses are one of the most demanding flowers to care for. It is not enough just to plant these bushes on your site. It takes a lot of time for them to bloom well. The main part of the care of climbing roses is spring pruning.

By pruning, we not only rid the plant of dry and damaged shoots, but also form a bush. Cut roses grow faster and have a neat appearance. You can show your imagination and give the bush the desired shape. In any case, thanks to pruning, not chaotic shrubs will grow on your site, but lush and neat plants.

Basic rules for spring pruning

Whatever varieties you grow, it is important to remember the following rules:

1. During the year, you need to carry out spring, summer and autumn pruning. Spring pruning is the most important. As soon as the frosts begin to recede, you should remove the shelter and get to work. It is important that there is no rain during this time. Pruning of bushes begins from the second year, only planted shrubs do not need it.
2. Prepare all the necessary tools. Thin shoots can be cut with a pruner, and dense branches with a hacksaw. The tool must be sharp, the only way to get a perfectly smooth cut. Ragged cuts can threaten the appearance of various diseases.
3. Don’t underestimate the importance of handling tools. Disinfection will prevent the plant from introducing any fungi. For these purposes, ordinary potassium permanganate is perfect. The solution for processing instruments must be concentrated.
4. After pruning, all sections must be treated with garden pitch or Novikov’s liquid. The bushes themselves are sprayed with a solution of 1% copper sulfate. For 10 liters of water you will need 100 grams of vitriol.

The main stages of pruning climbing roses:

• the main stem on the bush is cut to the level of healthy tissues;
• 1 cm recede from the first formed kidney;
• the cut must be made at an angle;
• shoots from the rhizome also need to be cut. To do this, you need to slightly dig out the root in the place where it grows, and cut off at the base.

Types of pruning climbing roses

When growing climbing roses, it is very important to prune every season. These bushes grow very fast. Having missed only one year, the plant may lose its decorative properties forever. It is very important not only to trim, but also to do it correctly. Incorrect pruning can irreparably damage flowers. There are several ways to trim roses. Now we will see which of them are suitable for climbing varieties.

High and low pruning is best for climbing bushes. With these methods, only small parts of the branches are cut. When the rose grows very rapidly, medium pruning is carried out. To do this, the branches are cut to 6 or 7 buds. Thanks to this method, the plant will bloom much earlier.

For roses such as polyanthus, floribunda and hybrid tea, a strong pruning of bushes is carried out. At the same time, no more than four buds are left on the branch. This method is perfect for planting young seedlings, as well as to rejuvenate an old bush.

How to prune climbing roses

We figured out the types of trimming, now we go directly to the process itself. There are several purposes for which roses are pruned. It directly depends on how it should be done. Let’s briefly analyze each of the methods:

1. Preventive pruning. This procedure is carried out in the spring, as soon as the kidneys begin to swell. Dead and infected branches are removed from the bush. After that, all shoots are cut to the first swollen bud. The next step is to trim the unripe branches.

   

2. thinning. To make the climbing bush look aesthetically attractive, gently shape it. To do this, all side shoots that grow inside the bush are cut off. It is also necessary to remove weak and branching stems. Old branches, as well as wild shoots, only interfere with growth and flowering. So we get rid of them too.

   

3. Rejuvenating cleansing. This procedure is suitable for plants older than 3 years. To clean the bush, all branches that look like wood are cut. They need to be cut at a height of about 30 cm from the root system of the bush. This height will allow the development of young shoots that will soon appear.

   

Spring pruning

Spring pruning is the most important procedure in rose care. The best time to work is March or April. If spring is later in your area, then pruning should be delayed. No need to start pruning as soon as the snow has melted. By the time of cleaning, it should already be clear from the bush which branches are healthy and which are not.

Of course, each variety has its own characteristics, and this should be taken into account when pruning. But all of the above principles are suitable for pruning spray roses in general. Let’s look at the features of pruning some types of shrubs.

Hybrid tea varieties form flowers on young shoots that have just appeared this year. Therefore, the plant must be cut at a level of 26 cm from the base of the bush. On the branches themselves, 5 buds are left.

Climbing roses should be pruned immediately after the shelter has been removed. At the same time, all weak and damaged branches are cut off. It happens that shoots that have not had time to form since autumn are damaged under winter shelter. To prevent this from happening, buy varieties with flexible branches. In warm climates, these flowers are more robust and hardy. These flowers also require a thinning method of pruning to form a bush.

Don’t underestimate the importance of pruning climbing roses. This procedure will help to achieve abundant flowering and rapid growth. If you want your roses to please you and your guests with blooming for many years, do not miss this important event. Without such care, the plant may simply die or turn into an ordinary wild rose.

Summer pruning

Thanks to this seasonal event, the flowering process can be regulated. Most of all, varieties that bloom several times a season need such cleaning. After the first flowering, dried inflorescences form on the bush, which spoil the decorative appearance of the rose.

To clean the bush, cut off the upper parts of the shoots. The cut is made above the first developed bud, leaving at least 2 or 3 leaves on the stem. This cleaning will help the bush prepare for the next flowering, as well as save the energy that he would have spent on the formation of fruits.

Additionally, pruning is carried out for too dense shoots that are directed inside the bush. In this way, the plant is formed, and will have a neater and more beautiful appearance.

Conclusion

Whatever climbing varieties you grow, be it hybrid tea, remontant roses or floribunda, they all need pruning. In this article, you were able to see in detail how to prune a climbing rose. Remember that the most important event in the care of these flowers is pruning roses in the spring. At this time, it is necessary to remove all damaged and dried branches from it, which only interfere with the growth and flowering process. Also, as necessary, you need to carry out summer and autumn pruning. Only by following all these rules, you can achieve excellent results, and grow the most gorgeous flowers on your site. In the video below you can clearly see how to do it correctly.