How and when should I prune my climbing rose?

Question

I've been told its a climbing Queen Elizabeth. I planted it 2 years ago from a cutting (just a 2' tall stick), now it is about 12 feet high and shooting way over top of the trellis. The lower stalks are about 1-1/4" thick and even some about 6 feet up are as big as my thumb. Last year it had a bunch of blooms in mid summer, and then re-bloomed several weeks later. All the blooms were near the top of the branches. Also have a problem with aphids and black spotted leaves that tend to fall off and leave the lower portions of the vines bare. We are just north of Seattle WA and the winters are cool (just below freezing) and very wet. I'm very attached to my "salvaged" rose and would like to nurse it back to a healthy beautiful plant.

Answer 1

First of all prune out any dead, damaged, diseased, crossing or rubbing branches. (Where you live, this could be done safely when you see new growth coming on the plants.) Then, prune out any tiny branches that wouldn't be able to hold a rose. I would NOT prune my climbing roses to 18"!! It takes a long time to get some nice height on them and besides, you will want to keep those very long canes and I'll explain why in a moment. Now...the problem with most trellises are that they are not built correctly for a climbing rose; they are not the right shape and they are way to short for holding a climbing rose. Now those long canes should be trained to go sideways...like a big fan. Canes on the right, tied sideways to the right, canes on the left of the plant tied sideways to the left of the plant. The middle canes could be left upright to finish the fan shape. The problem with having all the canes going upright is that you will only get a few flowers at the top of the cane. If you bend that same cane sideways, you will get roses coming from each node on that cane. Hence, a much greater abundance of flowers!!! (Don't tell anybody I told you my secret!) Now as for the aphids...insecticidal soap or a couple drops of dish liquid in a litre of water should do the trick. Don't forget the UNDERside of the leaves and don't spray only once...keep on top of them. As for the fungus, or black spot, avoid watering in the evening, pick up all dead leaves as they fall. In my experience, I have never found anything that stops black spot. Now, when I buy roses for customers, I always make sure they are disease resistant.

Answer 2

Pruning Queen Elizabeth Roses is the focus here, and for most gardeners March--just before spring growth resumes--is the most important time to prune. Timing would be earlier in the South, low deserts, and coastal West, and later in the North.
Pruning has four main goals: remove dead twigs and branches; remove weak, damaged, and useless branches; open the plant to improve air circulation; and create an attractive shape.
If you have older plants with many thick stems at the base, you'll also need a small pruning saw or loppers, or both.
Never give a sucker an even break. Suckers are vigorous canes growing from the rootstock below the graft union on grafted roses. Cut these off to the main stem, even if you have to dig away some soil to get to them.
Cut back to live tissue. After you cut, examine the pithy tissue in the center. Is it white and healthy clear through? If not, cut back farther.
Remove dead branches completely. Brown and shriveled canes stand out like sore thumbs. Cut them to the base, using a saw if necessary.

Happy Gardening!

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How and when should I prune my climbing rose?
I've been told its a climbing Queen Elizabeth. I planted it 2 years ago from a cutting (just a 2' tall stick), now it is about 12 feet high and shooting way over top of the trellis. The lower stalks are about 1-1/4" thick and even some about 6 feet up are as big as my thumb. Last year...

Answer 4

Actually you can cut climbers back. But is it a rambler It won't do too much harm as long as you leave enough new buds to shoot, Cut each branch/stem back to 3 healthy buds, about 1 1/2 inch above the top bud with the angle pointing away from the bud, this would have to be done very early spring just as the buds are starting to swell. You might still get away with it. To prune climbers just now, remove the soft tip growth on leading shoots and shorten the laterals to two buds, tie in replacement shoots. For ramblers you should cut the flowered shoots out at ground level after the flowers are over. Don't be too hard on it, youll lose the flowers this year and that would be a shame. Professional Gardner for 30 odd yrs and still going.

Answer 5

Well you have good answers on the pruning on the Rose. Now the anser for the aphids, and Rsoe Black Spots.
The Aphids first there is two or three things for them depends on the growing season.
1) Spring to Summer months.
a) Either use a soap and water pistol grip spayer spray off aphids,
or wash off with a nozzle sprayer attached to your water hose.
b0 You can also buy a product put out by Bayer Chemical company 3-In 1 Fertilzer,Systemic for aphids and other minor Funguscide.
2) Then the other is a liquid put out by Montery,Ortho,and other company it will say on the bottle use for Fungus,Rose Black Spot,
White Mildew, White Flys. You can again use a pistol Grip sprayer or a Pressor1.5 or 2-gallon sprayer and the other garden hose sprayer attachment to apply the sprayer as directed on the label.
Most of these as I have used them in the past must follow the label. Then must be applied twice in 10-day period. Then most cases this shall take care of most Fungus and aphids problems.
So ,good luck hope this helps you. Then you also need to check with your local Garden Nursery Staff at most stores in your location of your State. Like Home Depots,Lowe's or other Garden
Nursery Shop.

Answer 6

I prune everything before frost. And instead of buying mulch to put around the bottoms of roses and such we use leaves-it will become mulch and my neighbor is happy to get the leaves out of their yard. We also use really long pine needles-our neighbor also delivers them. As for aphids and black spotted leaves I can't recall but check online for that. My grandma was the brain on that subject. (Call a greenhouse) I would prune it down 6 ft. I have both a butterfly bush that gets very tall and a wisteria that grows like wild fire-we cut them down in half. Plus we have a large bush with yellow fragrant flowers (we have company including a grandchild and neither of us can think) and we cut it down just under the eaves( honeysuckle.) We also have two beautiful mimosa trees and we cut them as well. Good Luck PS I also have an unusual bright orange long stem rose bush I salvaged as the house was being torn down. No one thought it would grow let alone bloom just as it did before I got it.

Answer 7

Prune it back to 18" after flowering has stopped in the fall. Even the thick stalks; it will grow back farly quickly, Keep all suckers off the bottom throughout the year and your blooms should be gorgeous!

Answer 8

I always cut all my roses back on Feb. 14th. and they all ways come back.