How to Prune Climbing Roses in Winter
For most women, the illustration of how to prune climbing roses in winter and the introduction of green plants and flowers about the pruning time and method of climbing roses, we will learn together next.
Recently, some rose lovers asked, "Do we need to prune climbing roses in winter? How to prune them?" Climbing roses also need to be pruned in winter, and it's better to prune them in winter instead of waiting until spring. Reasonable pruning in winter not only makes climbing roses look more "pleasing to the eye" but also greatly benefits the blooming next year. Why should we prune climbing roses in winter? How to prune climbing roses in winter? Let's talk about my views.
Why should climbing roses be pruned in winter?
The number of flowers that climbing roses will bloom next year is directly proportional to the number of strong leaf buds (buds at the leaf axils). Although climbing roses will go dormant when the temperature is low in winter, they do not completely stop growing. When the growth of new branches and leaves stops, the root system remains somewhat active, and the leaf buds will slowly expand. When the temperature rises in spring, the leaf buds that have accumulated strength over the winter will grow rapidly, becoming strong leaf buds capable of blooming. Therefore, pruning climbing roses when they enter the dormant period in winter is more conducive to the growth of strong leaf buds, allowing them to bloom spectacularly in spring. If you wait until spring to prune, the leaf buds may not have a solid foundation, and even if the branches are strong, the flowers may not bloom spectacularly.
When is the best time to prune climbing roses?
The best time to prune climbing roses is when they stop growing and enter the dormant period, which varies between the north and south. In the north, when the leaves turn yellow and fall off, you can prune them. Some northern rose lovers have already pruned their climbing roses in late autumn and early winter. If you are in the north and have not pruned your climbing roses yet, the leaves should have fallen by now, and you can start pruning when the weather is clear and good. In many places in the south, climbing roses do not turn yellow and shed leaves in winter, so it is recommended to prune them in the coldest months of December to January. Even if the leaves of climbing roses are still green at this time, they basically stop growing, and the side of the branches facing the sun turns purple or reddish-brown. Pruning at this time will not cause new branches to sprout immediately, and the wounds will be smaller, which is only beneficial and has no drawbacks for blooming next year.
Three principles of pruning climbing roses
1. Do not prune heavily
Ordinary roses can be pruned heavily in winter, leaving only the thick and beneficial main branches, and the rest can be cut off. However, climbing roses should not be pruned heavily. Not only should the main branches not be pruned, but strong secondary and tertiary branches should also be left. The more strong branches there are, the better the blooming ability next year. Therefore, the winter pruning of climbing roses should be "light" and not "heavy."
2. Do not cut strong suckers
No matter when you prune climbing roses, do not cut the strong suckers (thick new branches growing from the root). Strong suckers are like the rising sun and the cradle of future flowers. Cutting them off is a big mistake. I've seen someone teach rose lovers to cut strong suckers, and I can only smile.
3. Do not cut strong branches
If we consider the strong suckers of climbing roses as our children, then the strong branches are us. If we prune "us" ourselves, who will shine and who will take care of the children? Do not directly cut off the strong branches of climbing roses, nor should you reduce them or top them, ensuring their integrity.
Five elements of pruning climbing roses
1. Cut diseased and insect-infested branches
When pruning climbing roses in winter, with the leaves fallen (in northern regions and some southern areas), it is easy to see which branches are healthy and which are not. When pruning, the first to cut are the diseased and insect-infested branches. Keeping these branches not only does not benefit flowering but may also cause other healthy branches to become sick or infested, so they should be cut off immediately.
2. Cut aging branches
For newly planted climbing roses, the branches are relatively young, and there is no such thing as aging branches. However, for climbing roses that have been planted for many years, the branches age and their flowering ability decreases significantly. These aging branches should be cut during the winter pruning to save nutrients and make room for new, strong branches to grow.
How to determine if a branch is aging? One is to look at the growth time; branches that have been growing for 4-5 years have already shown aging symptoms. The second is to look at the growth and flowering ability; if new branches sprout less and have poor flowering ability, they are aging. The third is to look at the color of the branch; the lower part of the bark of new branches is green or gray-green, while the lower part of the bark of aging branches is gray-white or gray-brown, with almost no green part.
3. Cut weak branches
In ensuring that climbing roses have mature branches, weak branches growing from the root can be pruned during the winter. Pruning these weak branches has two benefits: one is to save nutrient consumption and allow strong branches to grow better. The other is to increase the ventilation, aeration, sunlight, and tidiness of the plant, making it look better and less likely to get sick or infested. Otherwise, the weak branches will not only fail to bloom well but also become a breeding ground for diseases and pests, severely affecting the growth and maintenance of climbing roses next year.
4. Cut crossing and dense branches
Although it is not recommended to prune climbing roses heavily, strong branches can be left, but if there are crossing and dense branches that affect growth and plant shape, they can be pruned appropriately during the winter. When pruning crossing and dense branches, try to leave the relatively strong and pleasant ones and cut off those that are really unmanageable and curly.
5. Cut lateral branches
The larger the climbing rose plant, the more lateral branches (branches at the leaf axils). When pruning lateral branches, mainly focus on three parts:
A. For strong and overly long lateral branches, reduce them, leaving 2-3 full buds (since the flowering branches of climbing roses are relatively long, when lateral branches are too long, the top part of the branch is weak, and the resulting flowering branches are also weak and cannot bloom many or large flowers. Cutting off the weak part of the lateral branch, leaving 2-3 strong buds, results in strong flowering branches that bloom many and large flowers).
B. Remove overly weak lateral branches, leaving only the strong ones. When climbing rose lateral branches are too weak, they struggle to grow strong secondary or tertiary flowering branches. Some may also grow the next level of lateral branches, but these branches become blind branches that do not grow or bloom, wasting nutrients.
C. thin out dense and overlapping lateral branches. When a certain area of a climbing rose has too many dense lateral branches or a lot of overlapping branches, they should be thinned out appropriately. Otherwise, when new branches and leaves grow, they will be overlapped, affecting ventilation and sunlight, and even strong growth may not result in good flowering.
Notice
The lateral branches of climbing roses mentioned here refer to the new lateral branches grown this year, not the already mature secondary or tertiary lateral branches, which are the lateral branches that will grow flowering branches next year. If secondary or tertiary lateral branches also affect growth and flowering, they can be pruned appropriately, but the degree should be controlled and not pruned as extensively as new lateral branches, as this may lead to a decrease in flowering next year and make it difficult to bloom spectacularly.
Summary
Climbing roses are best pruned in winter because during the dormant period, the root system remains somewhat active, and the leaf buds will slowly develop. In the north, you can prune climbing roses after the leaves turn yellow and fall off, while in the south, it is most suitable to prune when the climbing roses stop growing and the side of the stem facing the sun turns red. When pruning climbing roses, do not prune heavily, do not cut strong suckers, do not cut strong branches, and mainly cut diseased and insect-infested branches, aging branches, weak branches, crossing and dense branches, and overly long, weak, and dense lateral branches.
The introduction of how to prune climbing roses in winter and the detailed introduction of pruning time and methods of climbing roses provided above, have you understood?