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Pruning Your Climbing Rose - Part 1Read the article this discussion is about
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» CalWine - Excellent advice, Mark. I'm looking forward to reading the next Excellent advice, Mark. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment. I've found so many different "pesonalities" in climbing roses. I like to get to know what a specific rose wants to do in its new home before doing much pruning; and I've had many, many interesting surprises. One point you've made should really be emphasized, in my opinion: Control the number of main canes! After a vigorous climber is well established, it may well start going nuts by putting out fresh new growth from the roots. (I think this pertains mainly to vigorous climbing roses growing on their own roots; not climbing sports.) Whatever the season, the new growth should be carefully managed so the energy of the plant is directed mainly to a few main canes, 4-6, as you said.This season I performed major surgery to a large Hybrid Musk which had been allowed to put out around 16 main canes; they wound around a pillar and up to a balcony. Growth had been remarkable, but blooms scarce — as would be expected. After cutting away all but six canes last winter, the rose has found a new lease on life and is more vibrant than ever, plus being almost solid white with huge tufts of gorgeous flower heads. Every week I find myself discovering new shoots from the roots, which are pruned off as soon as I find them. Alan Boehmer California -- posted by CalWine » Mark_Whitelaw - Alan, are you talking about 'Wind Chimes' or 'Belinda'? If the f Alan, are you talking about 'Wind Chimes' or 'Belinda'? If the former, you could prune that beauty with a brush hog and it wouldn't kill it. {g}MarkW>Ft. Worth, TX/Zn 7b, Rose Garden -- posted by Mark_Whitelaw » WarmSpirit - Mark, should I prune back a two year old climbing rose (America) Mark, should I prune back a two year old climbing rose (America) which has dropped all of it's leaves? I suspect the leaf loss was due to an outbreak of black spot which I noticed earlier this spring, but neglected to spray. It was growing all spring, and sent out quite a few laterals, then bloomed, and before I knew it all the leaves have vanished! The same thing happened a couple weeks sooner to three little miniatures. They wer beginning to bloom profusely, then all their leaves fell off within a few days it seemed, and the blooms were all that was left. I cut them back to just about four or five canes, leaving about four or five inches of stem above ground. They immediately began growing like mad and now are nice tiny bushes, getting ready to bloom again. I sprayed them a couple days ago, hoping to kill off the black spot. I have also sprayed the climber, but I'm wondering whether or not to cut it all back or wait and see what happens if I just keep spraying it with fungicide. Any suggestions? By the way, I'm in Georgia, about 20 miles northeast of Atlanta.-- posted by WarmSpirit » Mark_Whitelaw - Hi Michael! Welcome to Suite101.com's Rose Garden! No, in thi Hi Michael! Welcome to Suite101.com's Rose Garden!No, in this case, I wouldn't suggest you prune your climber in order to promote foliar growth. And you certainly wouldn't want to prune the main canes as far back as you did your miniatures. Since your rose is a repeat-blooming Large Flowered Climber, you will want to hold off doing any serious pruning until very early next spring. This Friday (6/29), you'll be able to read the second half of this article which talks about how and when to prune climbers. Instead of pruning, I'd suggest you work on eliminating the fungal spores as much as you possibly can. To do this, you need to first remove all the mulch from around your rose and send it to another, far away area of the garden. Then, clean up all the fallen leaves from under your rose, and hand remove all the leaves from those that have remained on the plant (except any very new growth that has just emerged). Then, spray the ground and shrub with an antitranspirant (like Cloud Cover). This will not only protect your exposed canes from the sun's desiccating rays, it will also encapsulate any fungal spores that have remained on the shrub and on top of the soil. Next, remulch the soil around your rose with clean, fresh shredded hardwood mulch. Finally, you must begin a spray regimen and keep up with that regimen per the label directions of the fungicide you are applying. This is imperative in humid locations like your own. A one-shot spray is not going to kill the fungal spores, and a spraying regimen will only help reduce infestation. Fungicides, at their best, are a blackspot preventative. And at that, they will have little effect if the rose is highly prone to disease or is planted in a location conducive to disease. To read more about the various fungicides available to you, you might check out the article on the subject here in More Articles. Good luck! Do you grow any other roses besides 'America' and your minis? MarkW>Ft. Worth, TX/Zn 7b, Rose Garden -- posted by Mark_Whitelaw » dbsquirrel - pruning a climbing rose thicket I planted two climbing roses (Zepherine Drouhine and Mme. Alfred Carrie) two years ago. I pruned them back some in March. Now they are a huge unslightly (though healthy) thicket of 8-12 foot long canes. HELP! They're eating my garden. It's 100 degrees out. How soon can I prune and how much do I prune out. I just have a standard home center trellis for the Z.D. The MAC needs to get espalliered onto a large brick wall.Thanks -- posted by dbsquirrel
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