Training and pruning climbers against a wall

How to train and prune Climbing roses against a wall

Many rose lovers get scared when it comes to training and pruning climbers against their walls. In reality its rather easy if you stay with a few principles

1) Always train the main canes (from the foot of the rose or the graft) as horizontal as possible

2) Making loops are possible

3) Attach the long canes onto your trellis or wires and make sure there's space between the wall and the trellis or wires. This to ensure airflow and air circulation behind the climbing rose

Pruning:

1) In February or March: DON'T prune the main canes themselves but all their lateral branches. Prune these laterals to 6 inches or 12 cm. Now all these lateral canes you pruned back will give you many flowers

2) Don't prune your climbing roses the first four years. In the first years you give your rose the time to send long canes upwards after which you bend them horizontally against the wires or trellis

3) After four years we prune the OLDEST main cane back all the way to the foot of the rose. So remove it completely. The next year you again take the oldest main cane away and the next year the next one. By pruning those main canes you force the rose to make big long healthy new main branches. But only prune one each year. Pruning more main canes will harm your rose and give her a shock.

That's it!