Climbing roses, unlike shrub or bedding roses, do not require much care. It is only important that you cut climbing roses after flowering. With proper pruning, the plants are stimulated to sprout new flowers. Densely growing roses will then be worth the effort.
Cutting climbing roses: Differences from bedding and shrub roses.
Their bedding and shrub roses need to cut rose lovers in the beginning of spring. Only then can new shoots develop that will bear flowers. If you don’t prune your shrub roses, the plants will remain thin and tend to grow long, unsightly shoots.
Climbing roses, on the other hand, react quite differently. They bloom on the previous year’s shoots. Therefore, if you prune your climbing roses as early as spring, remove the flower-bearing shoots. Therefore, you should only use the time in July to cut your climbing roses and bring them into shape.
Until the main flowering season, the newly growing shoots of climbing roses are brought into shape and tied to the framework. By July, most of the rose flowers will have bloomed out. Therefore, now is the time to reach for the scissors and prune the climbing roses. Always use sharp pruning shears, or better yet, special rose shears. In this way, you reduce the risk of tearing the stems, providing a target for pests and fungi. Be sure to wear gloves and protective clothing when doing so, as the thorns can severely injure the skin.
Correctly prune climbing roses after flowering.
When pruning roses, do not just remove the faded parts themselves, but always cut off the entire shoot at once, so that only three to four eyes remain on it. You should leave only a few horizontal shoots, because they branch better than vertical ones. Always cut the shoots at a slight angle. This allows dew or watering water to drain better and keeps the rose protected from fungal diseases.
When you start pruning your climbing roses, make sure that you do not cut the shoots directly at the ground. By doing so, you will damage the grafting site. The climbing rose will then only develop wild shoots on which no flowers will grow. By the way, this tip also applies when you prune the rose bush roses.
