Leggy Ipsahan

Any advice on pruning Rosa Ipsahan? It must be about 8 foot tall and I use it as a small climber supported against an obelisk. I’ve recently moved the obelisk and although Ipsahan will still be using it as a support, now he’s flopping in a different direction he needs tidying up and taming.

I’ve read that damask roses should be pruned after flowering but conflicting advice on how ruthless I can be. Also whether it’s best to just take out some old stems at the ground or cut down to say 1/2 or 2/3rds as I would do with a shrub rose.

 

@Butterfly6, I also grow this rose which gets to about 8ft or more. Mine is trained on a rose arch and over the top but I also let it ramble through the adjoining magnolia, tying it in if necessary.
It does seem to want to throw up very thin, straggly shoots that want to reach for the sky which I just chop off now and then as we're in a windy position. I do occasionally try to prune out old stems at the base but it's too close to the metal rose arch base to be very successful. It doesn't seem to mind what you do to it, I think it's over ten years old now. Good luck with yours.

 

Thanks @lizzie27, I might just try rearranging it and re-tying in after it’s flowered this year. It flowers so prolifically and the scent is fabulous. I’ve been a bit tentative at the moment as I didn’t want to risk breaking any stems and losing the flowers

Am reassured that yours seems to have a very similar habit to mine