Pruning climbing roses: Summer pruning prolongs flowering

Created: 07/02/2022, 3:00 p.m

By: Ines Alms

Climbing roses that bloom more often can be cut back in summer, and new flowers will follow.

That's why it's worth grabbing a pair of scissors, even with a heavy heart.

Munich – Whether you should or can cut climbing roses depends on whether they bloom once or several times a year.

You can leave the former, such as rambler roses, alone, a cut once in spring is enough.

Twice-flowering roses, so-called climbers, respond to a second pruning in summer by producing new flowers.

But there are other good reasons too.

Pruning climbing roses: Summer pruning prolongs flowering

Climbing roses that bloom more often are stimulated to form new flowers with summer pruning.

(Iconic image) © Harald Lange/Imago

Climbing roses that bloom more often bloom from around the end of May to the beginning of July and again from August.

If you have such a climber rose and attach less importance to a beautiful rosehip formation as an ornament and as a feeding place for songbirds, the right time for summer pruning is after the first bloom.

This rejuvenates the rose, which is otherwise more woody and less green in the lower part, reduces susceptibility to pests and enables a quick second flowering.

With climbing roses, pruning is particularly useful so that the tendrils do not swing to heights that are difficult to reach.

During flowering it makes sense - and above all it is nicer for the overall picture of the rose - to cut away individual flowers with short stems.

Summer pruning is best done with a cold heart and hot scissors - so don't be afraid to shorten, but use very sharp, clean pruning shears: cut the branch diagonally below the old flower, just above the next five-petalled shoot or leaf .

Pruning climbing roses: Remove side shoots and fertilize the plant

It also removes any shoots that are growing in the wrong direction or side shoots that are growing too densely.

So that they bloom vigorously in summer, they are cut back except for one eye.

This corresponds to about two thirds of the shoot length.

The rule here is that strong shoots are pruned back lightly and weak shoots are pruned heavily.

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This is also a good time to remove weeds from around the rose, loosen the soil and fertilize the plant.

Best with compost or another organic fertilizer such as horn shavings or beer.