How to prune climbing roses for abundant flowering next summer

If you're thinking ahead to cold-weather pruning already, you might be wondering how to prune climbing roses. Good thing, too; scheduling the task into your winter calendar will ensure healthy, abundant flowering.

Above all else, you'll need to know when to prune a climbing rose. Too early, and you'll damage new growth; too late, and you'll risk removing new flower buds.

Below, you'll find our guide on how to prune climbing roses, from the equipment you'll need to exactly where to make the cuts. If you're hoping to plant a climbing rose for the first time, we've got a guide on that, too.

What you'll need

• A pair of the best secateurs on the market, like these WOLF-Garten Bypass Secateurs from Amazon
• Thick, thorn-proof gardening gloves, like these NickyPicky Gardening Gloves from Amazon
• Support wire, like this AMLOOPH 30M Garden Wire For Climbing Plants from Amazon

1. Have supports in place

Above all else, climbing roses need sturdy plant supports – and before you learn how to prune climbing roses, you'll need to make sure they're in place.

‘Ensure they have support before pruning, as removing the stems without support can cause damage,’ warns Jack Sutcliffe, co-founder of shed manufacturer, Power Sheds.

If you are training your climbing roses, then Steve Chilton, garden expert from LeisureBench, recommends using support wires to which the shoots can be tied.

'The lowest wire should be 50cm off the ground, with wires 30cm apart at least,' he advises. 'Tie newly grown canes to the supports.’

2. Remove 'the three Ds'

Start by removing 'the three Ds' – dead, damaged or diseased branches – to encourage stronger branches to grow through (as as ever, make sure you're cleaning your garden tools properly between pruning sessions).

‘First, you want to start by removing dead, damaged or dying branches, as it is best to get them trimmed back to allow the stronger branches to grow,’ says Natalie White at Rated People.

‘Carefully put these cuttings into your general waste bin, rather than your compost, so you don’t spread any diseases,’ advises Fiona Jenkins, gardening expert at MyJobQuote.co.uk.

Jack continues, ‘Remove any stems that are growing inwards towards the centre of the plant, crossing each other, or rubbing against each other to allow better air circulation.’

3. Prune flowered shoots

Then, you can focus on the rest of the plant. You'll need to prune flowered shoots back by around two-thirds, and trimming back to outward-facing buds is key.

'Make clean, angled cuts just above an outward-facing bud so water can run off easily, which helps prevent rot,' says Mairi Devlin, head of gardening at B&Q.

'Aim for a balanced, open-centred bush with evenly spaced, outward-pointing stems, and your roses will reward you with abundant flowers that last longer and smell great.'

If you prefer light pruning over going all in, then Fiona has a trick up her sleeve.

‘If you don’t want to prune too heavily, you can tie back long shoots,' she says. 'This will help train your rose and stop strong winds snapping them off.’

FAQs

Why do you need to prune climbing roses?

Learning how to prune climbing roses is important for a few reasons, and it's largely down to keeping the plants tidy and conserving their energy for better flowering.

'Pruning helps increase the size of the flowers, as pruning offers the plant more energy for flower production,' says Steve from LeisureBench. 'They also naturally become tangled and overwhelmed, so regular pruning is essential to keep them in check and ensure that they don't become overgrown and messy.'

Can you prune climbing roses in October?

Only if your plant really needs pruning (like, ASAP).

‘If your climbing roses are overgrown, damaged or diseased, you can prune these earlier, from late autumn to the end of winter,' says Steve. 'This is called renovation pruning.'

Do you have any tips for pruning climbing roses?