November pruning

Hi, I have a climbing rose which has really got out of control and needs cutting back. Watched loads of videos but not sure whether its wise to prune in Novemember or leave it till February time. Advice appreciated.
Thanks

 

Ok will do, thanks wiseowl. I will just have to resist the temptation.

 

Welcome to the forum Steve H.

 

Pruning roses at a certain time of year. I don't want to tread on anyones toes here, and certainly have no intentions of disagreeing with my Hon. friend Wise Owl. Who is IMO a living encyclopeadia of roses.
Much of our learning and experience of gardening develops from, having a go, taking a chance.

So to prune roses. Our friend Steve H is concerned about his out of control climber. Steve, most climbers are tough so and so's. I doubt that whenever you cut it back, prune it. Will be detrimental to it's future wellbeing.

In short. Having worked within parks and gardens and worked single handed in Govt. depatments. My experience is. Learn to read your plant. You have watched it grow during the year. You should by now be aware of it's highlites and it's weaknesses. Always cut off/prune weak poor growth and crossover growth. Always make a clean cut and close to an outward facing bud.
Fear of frost. Yes. Frost can be very dangerous and it can actually come about at anytime. However it's good to remember. Most plants are stronger than we give credit for. Approaching the fall of the year, the natural plant life cycle tends to wind down. As the sap falls and the plant's life force returns to it's roots, foliage drops, some inmature twiggy bits may fail. IMO this is a good indicator to get in there and cut out/off all weak growth. Pathogenically. At this time of year. The sap, the blood supply of the plant is receding in preparation for the winter. Here plant pathology exposes a new wonder.

Please try and picture a plant stem. rose or whatever. You travel downwards, ah! an outward facing bud. So snip, just above it. So here lies a question. The stem, sap lowering, now a bud and you cut off the stem just above the bud. Question. Why doesn't the bud die also?

The new bud is very much like a human embryo. It forms it's own surrounding enviroment. So all in all. Please, yes keep and cherish what you have learned from books etc, now try and come to terms with what you have discovered from your own experience.

 

I prune dozens of roses each year and my way is to prune by about a third in late autumn and also cut out anything detrimental to the wellbeing of the plant by doing this it helps to stop winter wind rock.
My proper prune comes in early Feb.
This applies generally to all types of Rose ,but as said in previous posts every plant needs assessing in it’s own right.
In Suffolk frost is not generally a concern.

 

Not claiming to be an expert by any means, but I think to a certain extent you could both be right....

A photo or two might help? And some more information...

- is it a climbing or rambling rose? To many the two terms are interchangeable, but when it comes to growth style, flowering, and pruning, they are not! (What variety? Is it an old variety, or modern rose?)
- what is it climbing on? A post? Pergola? Little frame? Up a tree? The side of a house?
- is the support able to take the weight of the rose, when it’s being thrown around in a winter storm?
- can the rose be tied in temporarily, to keep it (and innocent passers-by!) safe during the winter?
- whereabouts in the country (and which country!) are you? Ie, what sort of winter do you normally have? Ah, just seen your other post , Milton Keynes, so you could have some stormy weather, as well as frost...

If the support isn’t up to holding the rose safely during the winter, then you will need to take some excess weight off, or you might loose the lot, support and all! In which case, a photo will help us see what needs to be done.

Otherwise, I’d tie in as best you can, and come back to it in February/March, when the leaves have dropped, new shoots/buds are developing, and you can see what’s what, and what might be!

 

I do the same as roders and Sian. I prune my tall roses by a third, then a hard prune in Spring. I live in the cold North and have never lost any despite our often harsh winters. Windrock is more likely to cause damage, I believe,by loosening the roots etc - which is why I think it important to prune twice.
i wonder what Steve will decide to do. Good luck!

 

thanks @wiseowl . I moved a climber to a better spot this summer. even with the cold snap/frost it is still retaining its green leaves. anyway. at this point it does not seem to have enough "canes" but thinner branches coming out of the few canes. Do you know if the thinner branches eventually form thicker canes. I am not a rose expert by any means. for now, I am leaving it be even till all next year .

 

Continuing. Often due to working single handed. I have done a general prune in November with no noticable ill effects.

 

Wow thanks for the huge response all. Sian raised a good point, my Rose's are very tall, upto roof height, think it might be a good idea to take out the ones thst are not supported very well, and leave the rest till early spring.