Allotments 4 All

OK - I'm probably the only person on the forum with no knowledge of pruning roses and also no book that covers it.  ::)
But could someone give my a brief low-down on the subject please?
Do you prune just to keep the bush small, or does it prompt the bush into more flowers?

We have a rose on a northfacing wall that has grown about 15 foot tall and I would like to train in along the top of the wall (therefore letting it get some sun) and it will look lovely with more blooms there.

Sarah.

Sarah

Have a look at this web site that explains how to do it with pictures:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/htbg/module5/how_to_prune_bush_roses1.shtml

You can also take the no fus approach and cut them back hard once a year with shears or hedge trimmers and they still flower very well.


If your rose is a climber/rambler then there is a slightly different approach:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/pruning_ramblingrose.shtml

Jerry

Hi Sarah, I suppose it is a climber.

Here is a combination answer by myself and fozzie on another board.. Pretty down to earth approach to pruning a climbing rose :)

If it is a modern climber you lead up a couple of main stems and leave those alone (renewing them only when the need arises and the life aan vigour has gone out of the old ones, or if you have to climb a ladder to see the flowers) You can prune back the sidebranches from these main stems next march to one or two buds from these main stems. At least if it is a rose that flowers on the new growth, ... but if you've paid attention this year you'll remember .... ;-


Fozzies supplement:
   
It does depend on type of climber.If it is a modern climber that is Hyubrid Tea then cut back flowered laterals to approx 6 inches and remove all weak, dead and diseased wood. This can be done from now till March. During this period you tain the stems on the framework you are using, I would suggest you train as close to horizontal as possible this will force flowering along the stems and not only at tops, thereby reducing need for ladder. Summer pruning would normally consist of removing flowers as the they fade or if you like to see the hips do nothing. Then back to winter pruning come Oct - March and so on. If it is not a modern climber then you need the name to get further advise