Unrully Climbers

Hi,
The mother in law asked me to try and sort out the top of her fence as her climbers have pulled it out of shape.
The roses are prob 10-15 years old, quite thick and woody. They were my father in laws pride an joy and give a fabulous display each year (so I don't want to knacker them)
The only way to get to the fence it to rather drastically prune the roses, I don't want to do this if it is going to harm them.
However the roses probably need a darn good pruning anyway but not being used to climbers I am not sure how far I can go before I cause irreparable damage.
Please could you have a look at the photos and tell me how much I dare attack them.
The name of the thickest one is "mornings jewel", can't read the thinner one.

Thanks

 

I'm no expert but I cut our climbers and ramblers back to a foot or so of stem when things get out of hand. They sprout and within a year or two are "significant" again, so I'm not sure you need to worry about being too harsh. I'd prefer to see an opinion from WOO or someone else knowledgeable before you get your largest axe out of the shed though!

 

Dare I risk saying this! As a start I'd take the chance and prune them back to a foot below fence panel level, they are pretty tough and should re-shoot. Being as they are older plants they may not re-shoot on the lower growth but I don't see why they wouldn't on what's left of the upper growth.

You could take cuttings from the more tender parts of the prunings and grow these on as a stand-by. There is a thread here in the Roses section that will explain that.

 

I sure hope Kristen's and Sheal's advice is OK as I have just done much the same to my larger roses. They are the type where the habit is to form stout trunks and strong, straight shoots from the top of this trunk, and then flower at the top of those shoots, and were - like yours -at about 6 to 7 feet high. I think that's too high, and the shoots are very tough and thorny so I've cut the trunk at about 2 feet high, removing all of last year's branches. I expect they'll be fine, it might slow them down a touch but it keeps everything more compact in the long run.

 

So do I Madahhlia! Yours sounds more like a description of a Buddleia than a Rose. Honestly though, I don't think it will damage them but may be set them back for a while. Let us know please?

 

Hi exlabman what a lovely display of roses there and great that you have supporting wires.

As a novice i can see why the fence is gone any banches that are growing towards you or towards the fence or are crossing or diseased need to be removed. So its not so much the height of the climber but its shape. if u prune where i have marked in red and try to aim for the shape i have outlined in blue. u should find the roses are much more managable. Personally i would not prune any harder as they are old and precious. u can always take off more later but you cant put it back. lol

I have a 1992 peace rose and where i cut it on the old wood it never grew back only the younger shoots did.

I would do an initial prune and then post some pics. u can also put an x frame behind the rose to protect it and pull it forward by an inch to allow you more room to tend to the fence.

Also always prune above a bud so if these are occuring higher up then air on the side of caution and prune to theese
Hope this helps

 

u can see how much the rose branches are crossing in this pic. For each old main stem i have found it handy to have one or two "backup stems" of much younger wood which shouldn't be crossing if you can help it. All the original branches on my rose have died and i am on secondary stems.
If u want more help take a photo of each bush from ground to top of fence straight on so we can see what is going where - lol.

 

This is a slightly different case i think. Excuse the wonky lines lol. I would remove all stems coming out towards the garden or heading through or over the fence. Extend and secure the wires and gently starting from the lowest most outward branch train it to the fence in a fan shape as it looks like it likes growing as much horizontally as vertically.

 

chimneyrosegarden - May I just say, "thank you!" for the time, consideration and even pictures, in answering this query. Even though it's not my post or query, I am impressed at the depth you have gone to in order to answer it: top job!

 

Thanks for the advice, I'll sharpen the hatchet and head on over to the mother in laws. then I'll have a look at the roses...
Will let you know how we get on

Cheers
D

 

HAtchet not on the roses please! Or the mi!! clean sharp secateurs or a pruning saw. We would love to see photos when youve finished as they are lovely old plant

 

Right, had a big fight with the roses today, will have the scars for a while to prove it.
Have followed your advice where I can Chimneyrosegarden but ran out of time a bit on the really bushy one. There was so much dead to remove, the wires to fix and outliers to trim it looks quite different, that is a broom handle across the front for some reason (Father in law thought that one up).
I've trimmed the others as much as I dare and if things grow back ok I'll be braver next year/autumn. Even managed to realign the fence a little.
Hopefully Father in law will appreciate the effort as I try not to obliterate his former passion.
In laws and outlaws very impressed with the trouble you went to with your replay and asked my to pass on their thanks.

Cheers
D

 

wow what a difference well done u! how about a little Uncle Toms Rose Tonic just to give them a little pick me up.