Question:How and when should climbing roses be pruned?
Answer: The method of pruning roses varies with the rambler types and the climber types. Prune the ramblers immediately after flowering, or in the fall if unable to do it earlier, cutting to the ground level all canes that have flowered and leaving only the new canes. With climbers, however, remove faded blooms after flowering and cut to the base the oldest canes which are lacking in vigor. In the milder parts of the country, climbers may be pruned more severely after flowering because, with a longer growing season, new growth will develop before cold weather. The greater part of the pruning of both types should be left to the early spring, since there is always a certain amount of killing and injury as a result of winter.
