Roses :: Pruning Tall Rose Bushes 

Pruning Tall Rose Bushes

 Pruning tall rose bushes such as climbing roses is necessary for beautiful roses. Climbing roses can be a very beautiful addition to a garden when properly cared for; however, when left to their own devices they can become quite a problem. An un-pruned climbing rose can not only turn into a large mess in your garden, but also endanger the health of the bush. In order to keep your climbing roses healthy and looking great, you should learn the right way of pruning climbing roses.

Both Old and Modern Roses have climbing forms, whereby the canes of the shrubs grow much longer and more flexible than the bush types. In the Old Garden Roses this is most often the natural growth of many varieties. Modern climbing roses are the results of spontaneous mutations. For example, the ‘Climbing Peace’ is designated as a “Climbing Hybrid Tea” as it is genetically identical to the normal “shrub” form of the ‘Peace’ hybrid tea rose, except that its canes are long and flexible. Most Climbing Roses grow anywhere from eight to twenty feet in height and exhibit repeat-blooms. Rambling Roses, although a separate class are often lumped with climbing roses. They have long; flexible canes but are different in two ways. They are larger generally twenty to thirty feet tall and a once blooming. Both climbing roses and rambling roses are not true vines such as ivy, clematis or wisteria. They lack the ability to cling to supports such as arbors on their own and must be manually trained and tied over the structures.

For the first two to three years, you want to do as little pruning tall rose bushes like climbing roses as possible. This gives the bush time to make long canes that will branch and grow. You can take this time to help guide the canes in the direction you want them to grow. This is done by tying them to trellises or other support structures. The only pruning that should be done during this time is to remove dead or diseased growth. This will prevent the disease spreading, and will give the healthy portions a better chance at survival.

When your bush is old enough to begin regular pruning, there are a few things you need to remember. First, major pruning should be done before in the winter or early spring when the plant is still dormant. If possible, you want to have 4 to 6 main canes on your bush. These should be chosen by which appear the healthiest and which are growing in appropriate areas. Prune extra canes down to the ground to prevent re-growth.

For regular maintenance, you only want to be pruning climbing roses on the minor branches of your bush. If you remove a main cane, you’re removing a lot of the support structure for other areas of the bush. Also, keep in mind that first year growth does not bloom. If you trim all your old growth, don’t expect to have flowers in the spring.

When a cane of a climbing rose gets old, it becomes woody and less visually appealing. When a cane gets to this stage, you should prune it off at the very bottom of the cane. This allows new growth to form in the same spot, giving you a lively, healthy plant.

If you remember these tips and keep your climbing roses properly pruned, you’re sure to have beautiful blooms for a long time to come.

Pruning tall rose bushes will keep them healthy and beautiful.

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