Climbing Roses

I have two small climbing roses, which for have finished the 1st flowering of the year, but a friend has told me that now i must cut off the "suckers" if i want a second flowering, What are they and how should i cut them? he said they are a softer and more flexible than the normal stems.
But arn't these just new shoots?

 

hi Steve
I think your friend is getting a bit confused - suckers are shoots that grow adjacent to the plant & usually have paler leaves & and a different habit to the rose cultivar, they are products of the graft (root) stock & will go on to have different flowers & eventually become stronger than the rose cultivar. Not all roses are prone to this happening & if your root stock is well buried, you should be ok. Your climbers just need deadheading at the moment (keep doing it as flowers fade) - feel back from the dying roseflower to a natural swelling on the stem, just above a leaf - twist & it should come away easily. Depending on the cultivar this should produce more flowers. (ramblers as opposed to climbers, tend to have an early glorious flush then go on to produce lots of leaf to make food for next years flush)Remember to feed your roses regularly & keep them well watered. Prune your climber (if neccessary) in late winter/early spring back to strong buds.

 

thanks a lot for the info Bayleaf,