The One Pruning Cut That Forces Climbing Roses to Explode With Flowers (Autumn Guide), by Bumper Crop Secrets on YouTube. 24 min 10 s.
- Video length
- 24 min 10 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Put on gloves and a long-sleeved jacket. Climbing roses have thorns that catch on skin and clothing, so cover your arms before you start cutting.
Look over the whole plant and pick out the old, dark, thick canes that no longer flower well. These are the ones to remove first.
Cut out dead, damaged and crossing canes at their base with clean angled cuts. Take them right back to healthy wood so the plant can heal.
Keep three to five strong young canes and remove the rest. Too many canes crowd the plant and cut down the light and airflow.
Shorten the side shoots that grew this year to about 15 to 20 cm. Cut just above an outward-facing bud so new growth points away from the wall.
Make the base cut on the oldest thick cane, low down and angled away from the bud. This forces fresh growth from the bottom of the plant.
Tie the remaining canes to the wires or trellis, fanning them out and keeping them as horizontal as you can. Bending them sideways encourages more flowers along the stem.
Clear fallen leaves and cuttings from around the base and bin them. Do not compost rose prunings, as they can carry disease.
Tips and common mistakes
Clean your secateurs with rubbing alcohol between cuts so you do not spread disease.
Never leave a stub above a bud, as it dies back and invites rot.
Do not prune hard in a frost; wait for a mild dry day in autumn.
Fan canes out flat rather than tying them straight up to get flowers along the whole length.
Questions
Can I prune a climbing rose in autumn?
Yes. Light autumn pruning removes old canes and tidies the plant before winter. Save any harder reshaping for late winter or early spring while the plant is still dormant.
How much can I cut off without killing the rose?
Keep three to five healthy young canes and remove the rest. Climbing roses recover well from pruning as long as you leave strong growth and make clean cuts.
Why should I bend the canes sideways?
Bending a cane toward horizontal slows the sap flow along it and pushes out flowering shoots along its length. Tying canes straight up gives growth mostly at the top.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
