How to prune roses to grow on trellis?

Question

As you can see I have various climbing roses that are continuing to grow above the height of the trellis.

Can anyone guide me to pruning them to stay at the height of the trellis? When, how much and where on the lead branches I should prune.

I’m sure there are videos I could search for but always find the information here reliable.

Thanks in advance.

John

John57 · Answer

Jacob

Thanks for this intensive instructions on how to manage this trellis rose.

I’ll save this for winter time.

Thank you so

JacobZ · Answer

Hi @John57

Climbing roses will often keep sending their main canes above the height of the trellis, but the way you manage those stems will depend a little on the time of year. Since we are in autumn now, it is usually best to avoid doing any heavy pruning on the main canes just yet. Major pruning is better done in late winter while the plant is dormant, as pruning too hard in autumn can encourage soft new growth that may struggle through the colder months.

For now, if the canes are getting well above the trellis, you can simply tie them down along the top of the structure or guide them sideways along the trellis to keep things tidy. Light trimming of very long or unruly tips is fine if needed, but it is best not to cut the main stems back hard at this stage.

When late winter arrives, you can properly shorten the main canes that have grown above the trellis. Identify the thicker structural stems that run from the base of the plant or from older woody growth, as these are the main canes that support the plant. Follow the cane down until you find a healthy outward facing bud or a strong side shoot around the height you want the rose to remain at, ideally just at or slightly below the top of the trellis.

Make your cut just above that bud or side branch. Cutting back to a strong lateral shoot is often the best option, as the plant will naturally continue growing from that point along the trellis rather than sending new growth straight upward. If there is no suitable side shoot at the right height, you can prune just above a healthy outward facing bud so the new growth emerges in a useful direction.

In the meantime, simply training and tying the longer canes across the trellis will help keep the plant controlled until the proper pruning time arrives.

You might also like to check out How To Prune Roses and How To Maintain Healthy Roses for some further guidance.

Jacob