How Much Can I Cut Back Prune a Climbing Rose?

[HyperFerret]

I have a climbing rose (or rambler, not sure of the difference) that I've let climb way out of control. As in, the rose climber goes up my [small] trellis, bows over, and brushes the ground. I never got around to trying to keep it in check. Then at one point during summer, I kinda thought it looked cool with how the blooms looked like a waterfall. When then I decided not to make time for it. It's constantly blooming and seems to stay green w/foliage through out the year.

The problem is starting tonight we're supposed to have an ice storm. I'm nervous that the ice storm will weigh down the roses and tear up my trellis. I was going to simply lop off all the canes down to the trellis. --Not short to the ground but matching up with the trellis. Will a darastic cut like that kill it or would it survive, with the threat of ice?

[Marlingardener]

Such radical pruning most likely would not kill the rose, but it sure would look funny. Ramblers/climbers should be pruned lightly--just remove canes that cross each other and rub, remove old non-producing wood, and thin out enough canes to allow air circulation in the center of the rose.
About that ice storm coming--do you have three or four poles long enough to make a teepee? Let the top of the trellis be the top of the teepee, bracing the poles against the trellis. That will add support and help the whole thing stay upright.

[webmaster]

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[imafan26]

I have ramblers that get out of control. They can be pruned back, it won't kill them. I have problems with die back so any canes that I cut that are larger than 1/2 inch, I also paint. Make sure your pruners and clippers are clean so you don't introduce disease. They do re-sprout like a hydra so be prepared to do some thinning.

[Mhasan]

We've had our first snowfall and the temperature is -9C today. And very windy. I still have buds on my roses that could have bloomed. The rest of the blooms are now frozen - I cut some and brought some in, but I think it's too warm in the house and the blooms did not open.

I think I'm late in getting my roses ready for the winter. The canes are about 5 -6 feet tall and are blowing in the wind. They are not weighted down by the snow just yet. I do not have any trellis's, but they are growing next to a fence. Should I prune them now and how much? Do I need to add mulch at the bottom of the plant? Also in regards to my shorter tea roses, should I prune them now and how much? A quick reply would be greatly appreciated - I don't want my roses to die !

[Marlingardener]

Mulch heavily around the roots of the roses. I'd suggest at least 6" of mulch, more if you can manage it, up to 8". Don't prune now--the fresh cuts will die back with the cold, making your pruning more drastic than you intended. Just secure the long canes, either by tieing them to a support or pegging them down to the ground (wire coat hangers cut and bent into a U shape, then wrapped with tape work well--just don't make the pegging tight to the ground and leave a little wiggle room).
Prune your roses when you see the first reddish growth bumps along the stems in the springtime. In Toronto, that may be March or April. When we lived in upstate NY, I usually pruned in April, as I remember.

[Mhasan]

Thank you so much for the quick reply - I think I have a some mulch still.