Pruning Rambling & Climbing Roses

Hi Guys,

I am a novice when it comes to roses. I planted one minature rambling rose called Star Performer (chew pearl) which is just flowering and one climber (pink but lost the name tag!) which has just finished flowering. Any clues on whether they will flower again and how and when to prune them?

The climber is sending out great new shoots that I am tying i and I am hoping it will climb up a trellis I have quyite quickly - I assume I should cut the new shoots?

Would very much appreciate your help.

Thanks EGW

Many thanks

 

I don't know your rose 'Star Performer' but you should treat it as an ordinary climber. As the shoots grow turn them horizontally and tie them onto the terrace in a fan shape. This should encourage them to put out vertical shoots and you can fill the trellis.This site shows the process quite well:
http://www.greenfingers.com/articledisplay.asp?id=392
'Star Performer' is a repeat flowerer, which means it will flower in bursts through the summer, rather than a continous one which has some flowers all the time.

 

Thanks Liz, should I just dead head it then when the flowers have finished to encourage the next ones?

 

Hi Ellie, a lot of ramblers only flower for a few weeks in early summer, Star performer is supposed to bloom in flushes throughout the season, it is possible that it may not flower again in its first year, or not as strongly as it will when established.

click here for details

The new shoots on the climber, carry on tying in, you should get flowers on them next year, as for pruning, either late autumn or early spring.
If you cut back the new shoots by about half to two thirds when you prune you should get more shoots next year but not so many flowers, pruning by say one third probably more flowers but less new shoots, roses usually throw flowering shoots from old wood (last years or older), if there is not much old wood then the new shoots tend to be more vigorous as the roots don't have to supply so many flowers, at least that's how it was explained to me.
Once you have your trellis well covered cut some of the oldest branches well back each year, say about a quarter to one third of them, you should get new shoots from near the cut, tie in the strongest so you replace what you cut out.

[ 29. June 2007, 12:18 PM: Message edited by: Dorsetmike ]

 

Always deadhead your roses so that they put their energy into new growth or flowers- unless of course you have a variety with attractive hips, in which case leave the last blooms of the year to develop.

Mike that's a lovely red dahlia! Can't see any rose details though :D

 

Ooops, pasted wrong URL, now edited to correct one.

 

Ellie, Mike's site haven't any pictures of this rose yet- perhaps you could contribute one!

 

Thanks guys - i think the flowers are fading a bit now so will take photo when they bloom again. The pink climber on your site Mike looks the same as mine - v. big flowers? I can't help with the name though!! OK so for know I will just dead head both and tie in the new shoots to the wall/trellis and prune by about one third - slightly confused should I prune the new or old wood or both?

 

Hi, not actually my site, just one I use for reference.

Prune the new wood, the old wood will not grow any more, only cut it out when you have enough newer wood to take its place, probably when it has been there about 3 or 4 years at least.
Example if you have say a total of 6 main stems, you could remove the 2 oldest, you will get new shoots from near where you cut, so next year you could cut the 2 next oldest, and so on, keeping your plant about the same size or slightly larger each year with most of the flowering wood no more than 3 or 4 years old.

 

Cheers Mike!