When to prune a climbing rose – here's what Monty Don and other garden experts say

If you're lucky enough to have a climbing rose in your garden, you'll know what a beautiful feature they make – but if you're unsure of when to prune a climbing rose, you've come to the right place.

In fact, knowing when to prune a climbing rose is just as important as knowing how to prune roses, especially if you want to avoid inflicting undue damage on future blooms.

And now that the weather is turning chillier by the day, it's the perfect time to be thinking about this task.

When to prune a climbing rose for winter

Pruning is the easiest way to make sure that your climbing rose grows well and flowers beautifully every single year.

And, honestly, you can't really go wrong with these relatively easy climbing plants, so long as you're prepared to give them the TLC they need on a regular basis: think deadheading roses, watering, and, of course, that all-important yearly pruning.

So, when's best to get started?

Well, we're fast approaching the pruning window for these plants, because they're just entering their dormancy period.

'Climbing roses should be pruned in late winter or early spring while they are dormant,' says Angela Slater, gardening expert at Hayes Garden World.

Jack Sutcliffe, co-founder of Yorkshire-based shed manufacturer Power Sheds, agrees, 'The best time to prune climbing roses would be in late winter, preferably right before the dormant season ends. This will ensure their health, promote new growth, and maintain their shape and structure.'

So, that's the when – you should be aiming to prune sometime between December and February – but what about the why?

'During this period they usually lose their leaves, so you can see more clearly which branches need removing,' explains Angela.

Plus, if you leave it too late, you could do the plant more harm than good. 'Don't prune too early in spring as this can damage the new growth,' adds Jack.

'Similarly, don't prune too late in the season when they are about to bloom or have already started blooming. Late pruning can remove the flower buds and diminish the bloom time.'

And if you skip pruning altogether, your plant could even stop flowering. 'If you don’t prune climbing roses they will gradually reduce the amount of blooms they produce and end up just a tangled mass of stems,' warns Angela.

While plenty of experts agree with Jack and Angela's advice around when to prune a climbing rose, Monty Don – as in, yes, the same gardening guru we look to for advice on how to take cuttings and many, many, many other matters – takes a slightly different approach to things.

Insisting that late autumn is the best time to prune climbing roses, Monty explains on his popular gardening blog, 'Climbing roses flower on shoots grown the same spring so they can be pruned hard now'.

Christopher O'Donoghue, one of the co-directors of Gardens Revived, also considers October to be the best time for anyone trying to suss out when to prune a climbing rose.

Christopher O'Donoghue

A gardener with over a decade of experience under his belt, Christopher set up Gardens Revived with his brother, Andrew, in 2018 to create a thriving family business. Together, they have worked on residential gardens, listed buildings and gardens, flower shows and large estates with some exceeding 70 acres – many with historical significance.

'Late autumn marks the end of the growing season for roses in the UK as the weather starts to cool down,' explains Christopher.

'Pruning at this time allows the plant to focus its energy on root development rather than new growth, which is important for winter hardiness and overall plant health – and it also helps remove any remaining diseased or dead wood from the plant, reducing the risk of diseases while overwintering.'

If you're still mulling over when to prune a climbing rose, it's good to know that doing so in late autumn helps to reduce the risk of frost damage, improving the overall look of the plant come the following spring and summer. But, leaving the task until late winter is perfectly fine, too – just make sure you get it done before new growth appears in the spring.

Pruning essentials

'While late autumn is generally a suitable time for pruning climbing roses in the UK, it's important to keep in mind that specific pruning practices can vary depending on the type of climbing rose and local climate conditions,' adds Christopher.

'Always refer to the specific guidelines provided for the particular rose variety you have, and adjust your pruning schedule accordingly if necessary.'

FAQs

When should you not prune climbing roses?

We've covered when to prune a climbing rose, but what about the seasons you should avoid?

'Avoid pruning climbing roses in late spring and summer, as this will remove developing flower buds and reduce the number of blooms,' says gardening expert Angela.

'Don't prune in early autumn either as, if the weather remains mild, new growth may emerge, depleting the plant's energy reserves and making it more susceptible to frost damage.'

How hard can you cut back a climbing rose?

With climbing roses, you can usually be a bit more aggressive than you'd think when it comes to cutting back.

'When it comes to pruning a climbing rose, it's best to start with the three Ds,' says Christopher. 'Dead, diseased, and damaged – always start with these areas first.'

Monty Don agrees, noting that you can 'start by removing any damaged or crossing growth or any very old wood, which can be cut back right back to the ground.'

He adds that the 'main stems should be fanned out at an equidistance as horizontally as possible, tying them to wires or a trellis'. Then, once this is done, you can turn your attention to all the side shoots growing from these main stems, and cut them back to a short stub of a couple of leaves.

'The effect should be a tracery of largely horizontal growth with pruned side shoots running along their length,' explains Monty, who says you should always finish things off by tying everything firmly in to avoid winter damage.

What is the difference between a climbing rose and a rambling rose?

'Rambling roses tend to flower just the once, but you get a big display out of them,' says Christopher.

'Climbing roses, on the other hand, tend to flower throughout the summer and autumn months – which means that you'll need to deadhead them regularly if you want lots of beautiful blooms.'

As always, there are exceptions to this rule, so be sure to check any instructions around your variety.

With that in mind, then, we hope you know exactly when to prune a climbing rose going forward.

Good luck!