How to prune climbing roses in autumn?
Let's talk about the small knowledge of flower cultivation on how to prune climbing roses in autumn. The specific related content is as follows:
Yesterday, I introduced the timing for pruning shrub roses in autumn and the handling of suckers. Then many flower friends asked how to prune climbing roses? Can we cut them heavily? Should we cut the suckers? Today, let's talk about the pruning of climbing roses in autumn.
Climbing roses are a general term for rose varieties with climber characteristics. Although they all have climber features, different varieties still have some differences. For example, some climbing roses can be both climber and shrub, meaning their climber properties are not very prominent and can also be cultivated as shrubs, such as the fairy-like Queen of Sweden.
Many flower friends recognize the Queen of Sweden because of its fairy-like charm. The Queen of Sweden is also mostly admired in potted plants, so most people's understanding of the Queen of Sweden is that it is a shrub rose that does not bloom except in spring and has difficulty reblooming.
In fact, the reason why the Queen of Sweden has difficulty reblooming is that it has climber characteristics, and the characteristic of climbers is that they bloom on weak branches. Therefore, after the Queen of Sweden flowers, it often grows many robust suckers, and unlike other shrub roses, it rarely reblooms quickly.
So, in autumn, how should we treat such climber/shrub varieties like the Queen of Sweden? How should we prune them?
How to prune climbing roses in autumn?
There are two situations to consider. If cultivated as a shrub rose, after the onset of autumn, we need to prune the Queen of Sweden, including the suckers, but it is not recommended to prune too heavily. The principle should be light pruning, which can involve cutting off 1/4-1/3 of the entire plant's height. Some flower friends may think that this makes the plant too tall.
But if pruned too short, it will grow robust new branches and become very tall before flowering, or even end up with blind branches. Since climbing roses bloom on weak branches, light pruning is recommended, making the weak new branches weaker, which will make it easier for them to bloom.
If cultivated as a climber, no dwarfing pruning is needed throughout the growing period of the Queen of Sweden; only the spent flowers should be cut. In autumn, only the top of the weak branches should be cut, and the suckers should not be pruned.
If it is a clear climbing rose, such as a single-season blooming variety, it can be left alone in autumn and allowed to grow as it won't bloom anyway. It can be tidied up after the leaves fall in winter, which is more relaxing.
If it is a multi-season blooming climbing rose, in autumn, light pruning can be done on the old and weak branches that have already bloomed, while the robust suckers should not be pruned.