Tips And Tricks To Pruning Climbing Roses For Beautiful Spring Blooms

Climbing roses can be a stunning addition to your home, but only if you can keep them healthy and blooming — which isn't always the easiest task. Learning how to take care of climbing roses includes pruning and can greatly increase your chances of seeing those coveted spring blooms. There are a handful of pruning tips to be aware of like knowing your type of climbing rose (which will let you know the best time to prune), lessening the shock to your plant, and using the correct tools.

First and foremost, determine if you have once-blooming or repeat-blooming climbing roses. Which type you have will dictate the best time to prune. As their name suggests, once-blooming roses only flower once, which means you'll want to prune it right after they are done blooming. If you prune at any other time, you risk lopping off good future blooms. 

Repeat-blooming roses, on the other hand, can flower on old canes. For these, there is some debate as to the opportune time to prune. Generally late winter to early spring are good bets depending on the climate you live in, but keep in mind that it has been shown that pruning can greatly decrease the plant's low temperature tolerance, but you want to aim for the time when the plant is still dormant. So, if you prune in the fall or in the midst of harsh winter your rose plant may be at a disadvantage that results in damage and blackened wounds at the pruning sites. If you know you get cold temperatures in winter, early spring pruning would give your climbing roses the best chance to thrive.

Growing and caring for roses will always going to include effective pruning. One major key to any kind of pruning is to have the right tools, and it's no different when it comes to your climbing roses. For the toughest of cutting (like very old, hardy parts of your plant or extra-large canes) you may need to use a hand pruning saw, but typically you should be okay with loppers and bypass pruners. Bypass pruners can be used for small canes, while loppers are better for larger canes. Make sure your tools are sharp and a size that is easy for you to wield comfortably. Being able to make smooth cuts when pruning will allow your plant to heal faster. 

Plants can go through shock when not pruned correctly, which lessens their ability to thrive. This is why proper, sharp tools are so important when pruning to ensure you don't crush or damage canes with dull blades. One other measure you can implement to help prepare your plant for pruning is to water it the day before. Once you've taken these steps to prep, you are ready to prune!

Make sure you have a pair of rose gloves for pruning. These gloves are longer than typical gardening gloves and will better protect you from thorns. You can start pruning by removing very old growths, as well as any canes that are crossing over the rest of the plant. These can be cut off right down to their base. Next, you will want to trim the side shoots and any dead blooms, trimming them down to just a couple of leaves. Make sure your cuts are done at an outward slant directly above a protruding bud. 

Despite being called climbing roses, these plants don't climb on their own like vines, so they will have been attached to some type of support upon planting (like an easy and inexpensive DIY garden trellis). Once you've pruned, you can check their growth on their support. If you keep them all tied together as horizontally as possible, this will encourage more climbing growth.