How to prune vines

Climbing roses are divided into climbers and ramblers , depending on whether they have straight and rather erect branches capable of self-supporting or whether they have long creeping shoots that need support .

In both cases it can be said that a good climber should have the greater number of branches that start as much as possible from the base and in the case of espaliers or walls in the pruning you will have to distribute the branches in a fan shape so as to exploit their entire length to produce flowers.

The best flowering in the climber , whether ancient or modern, occurs in the shoots of the previous year . For this reason, depending on the structure or form of cultivation adopted, it is good that the shoots have a horizontal position to allow a greater number of buds, located along the branch, to flower.

It takes at least 2 years for a climber to start showing its beauty . Usually these roses have a very vigorous and exuberant growth in the first 3-4 years , then the metabolism of the plant is greatly influenced by pruning . For many ancient and rambler varieties the vigor and growth does not decrease.

The following is a typical example of an ideal climber in an espalier :

• Eliminate dry, weak, too old and unproductive branches
• Shorten all side branches that have bloomed the previous year to 2-3 buds
• Eliminate old branches (twisted, too branched and weakened) in the vicinity of new vigorous jets capable of replacing them by arrangement and size
• Arrange the long shoots of the previous year in a fan shape, making sure that all the branches in the structure are well arranged and equidistant
• Avoid leaving the new growth upright and do not shorten it where it passes the support structure
• To cover larger structures, use varieties with soft branches or large shrubs that are perfect and functional by development with the desired result.
• At the end of the pruning the tops of the long shoots are topped
• The percentages of vegetation to be removed may vary according to the age of the plant and the desired effect. For maintenance pruning, 35-40% of the vegetation is eliminated. Green pruning at the end of flowering or every 3-4 years is recommended for pruning on non-repeat flowering roses of great development (Bancksiae, rambler and other botanical roses).