Understanding What You Are Growing

Before you reach for the secateurs, it pays to know which sort of climbing rose you have, because the timing of every cut depends on it. Broadly speaking, they fall into two camps. Repeat-flowering climbers produce a main flush in early summer and then carry on flowering intermittently into autumn, often on the same stems. Once-flowering ramblers deliver a single, spectacular cascade in midsummer and then rest until the following year. If you are unsure, think back to last season: a long, generous season points to a climber, whilst one glorious fortnight followed by nothing suggests a rambler. Modern climbing roses such as 'Gertrude Jekyll' or 'Climbing Iceberg' behave as repeat-flowerers, whilst older ramblers like 'Albertine' or 'Kiftsgate' flower only once.

Timing: The Single Most Important Decision

Get the timing right and the rose will forgive almost anything else. Repeat-flowering climbers should be pruned in late winter, ideally from mid-February to early March, just as the buds begin to swell but before new growth properly starts. Pruning then encourages strong shoots that will flower that same summer. Avoid cutting in a hard frost, as the fresh wounds can be damaged; a mild, dry day is ideal.

Once-flowering ramblers are pruned immediately after they finish flowering, usually in August or early September. They flower on wood made the previous year, so if you leave them until winter you will simply cut off next summer's blooms. This is the single most common mistake made with ramblers, and it explains a rose that grows lustily but never flowers.

Young roses in their first two or three years need very little pruning at all. Concentrate on tying in stems and building a good framework rather than cutting.

Tools, Cuts and Ground Rules

You need sharp bypass secateurs, a pair of long-handled loppers for thick old wood, and sturdy gloves — climbing roses have thorns that seem deliberately placed to find the gap in your sleeve. A pruning saw is useful for stems thicker than your thumb.

Always cut about 5mm above an outward-facing bud, sloping the cut away from it at roughly 45 degrees so that rain runs off rather than sitting on the bud. Cutting to an outward-facing bud sends new growth away from the wall or frame, which improves airflow and reduces disease. Remove any dead, damaged or crossing stems entirely, cutting back to healthy wood or to the base.

Pruning a Repeat-Flowering Climber, Step by Step

• Untie the stems carefully and lay them out so you can see the whole plant.
• Cut out any dead, diseased or rubbing wood first, right back to clean growth.
• Remove one or two of the oldest, thickest stems at ground level each year to encourage fresh replacement shoots.
• Shorten the remaining main stems by about a third, cutting to a strong outward-facing bud.
• Tie the framework back in, fanning the stems outwards rather than letting them run straight up.
• Cut side shoots back to two or three buds from the main stem — these are what will carry the flowers.

Ramblers and Other Once-Flowering Roses

Ramblers are vigorous, flexible and best treated more loosely. Straight after flowering, untie the plant, cut out a few of the oldest stems at the base to stop it becoming a tangled thicket, and shorten the long new shoots that will flower next year by roughly a quarter to a third, just to keep them within their allotted space. Tie these young shoots in horizontally or in gentle arcs. Do not shorten every stem, or you will lose flowers. If a rambler has outgrown its welcome, be bold: it will usually regrow vigorously from the base.

Training, Feeding and Aftercare

Roses flower most freely on stems trained close to horizontal. Bending a stem downwards breaks the flow of sap along it, prompting buds along its length to break into flower rather than just at the tip. On walls, run galvanised wires horizontally about 30–40cm apart, fixed with vine eyes, and tie stems in with soft garden twine in a figure-of-eight so the stem does not chafe against the wire. The same principle applies to pergolas and traditional timber frames: wind the stems along the horizontal beams rather than letting them shoot straight up the posts.

Feed in March as growth begins and again after the first flush of flowers, using a rose fertiliser, and mulch generously with well-rotted manure or garden compost, keeping it clear of the stems themselves. Water deeply in dry spells, especially in the first two years whilst the roots establish. Pick off fallen leaves in autumn to reduce blackspot, and deadhead repeat-flowerers regularly — but leave the hips on ramblers if you want autumn colour and birds in the garden. Prune with confidence, and a well-trained climbing rose will reward you for years along the same wall, arch or timber frame.