HAHAHA! Thanks for these videos, Mr. Zimmerman. Lots of good info and unlike lots of other RUclips gardeners, I can stand to listen to you ;) I am an avid gardener and have several roses with which I am currently experimenting. "Rejuvenating"- good word! Thanks again!
So glad Ive seen this video. Its given me the confidence and knowledge to do what I need to do. I had been worried that if I removed the big old dead wood, that the bush would die off, not realizing it would spark it into action of regrowth. well explained and demonstrated. Thankyou! =)
Thank you for the tips on directing new growth and pruning. I came here because I have a massive climbing rose that was never pruned and is about 15-20 years old. It is still shooting out stellar canes and I expect this year to be the most fruitful of all. Unfortunately, without it's proper training, it's decided to go in the opposite direction taking over the walkway and grabbing anyone going by, lol. I actually pruned those overhanging canes last year and apparently, it stimulated it so much, more than double the canes have come this year. It was desperation that led me here and I'll try to retrain so it goes in the right direction. Thank you
On a rose that old, the bud union being above the ground may make it more difficult to get new canes. I would suggest taking a wire brush and gently brushing the bud union to remove some of the old bark on it. You don't have to scrape down to where it's white and you won't see green, just remove some of the old layer. Then put a cup of epson salts around the bush. Let's see if that produces new canes sometime this summer.
I have an old climbing rose that was never properly trained onto a trellis (my mother didn't realize they needed to be attached - she thought they would naturally grow like a vine). It only has one cane but it's very woody. It is still producing a few laterals but not by much. Should I try to work with what I have or chop the only cane down in hopes of encouraging new growth. Also, my mother claims there won't be new growth because it's was grafted. Should I believe her?
Hi Paul, I now have 51 rose bushes in my garden. All are doing well, except for 2. Both these two bushes that are struggling are older, about 2 - 5 years or so. One is a climbing rose, it's in the front garden,,,,it has grown beautifully and I often have her blooming early summer till late fall. This year is the first time it's struggling with aphids. I've done multiple recommendations ie: sprayed them, killed the aphids and little green worms by hand etc .. but every morning, there are more. the 2nd one is a beautiful hybrid tea rose, peach color with a strong scent. planted in 2015 in the back yard where it gets at least 6 hours of sunlight. i've watered and fertilized , added soil, added bone meal and still nothing. I first noticed it wasn't doing well early in the Spring, most of the branches had dried out completely, i pruned , maybe i shouldn't have but i thought it might make it easier to start new growth. the new growth is coming ever so slowly.. i have maybe an inch of new growth with a few leaves.. nothing else.. and this is over a couple of months. the weather here in southern Ontario has been a bit more rainy this year, so much wetter than the previous years... i'm also noticing black spots on some of the leaves, one in particular is a new rose bush , just planted a month ago (i noticed the black spots on its leaves early this morning) .. any and all suggestions from you are most welcome. thanks,. May
Hi May, What would be great is if you could post the question and some photos on my FB page. That way other folks can jump in and help as well. Thanks!facebook.com/paul.zimmerman.roses/
Hi Paul, i enjoy your videos very much and am learning much. I started my gardening journey by focusing on roses, i now have 32 rose bushes . I've noticed some of the ones that have flowered in the last 3 years quite nicely are looking like they might be dying. i'm going to try to rejuvenate them as you indicated, i'm hoping it'll work like magic. thank you so much.
wonderful video...I will send this to my gardener and hopefully he will have the courage to cut off old woody canes from my 20 year old roses. Thank you Paul!!
I have 2 large very old Cecil Brunners climbing on my fence and arbor. I cut out the old wood every few years and get lots of new growth. The problem is so many suckers! Long high reaching suckers with no blooms ever, casting shade on surrounding plants. What's the best way to minimize these suckers? These roses only bloom for a few weeks and I'd like to rejuvenate them for a longer blooming season.
So I trusted your advice and it worked! I had some 20-year-old Cecile Brunner that had grown 30 feet and more up a bare hillside and arbor. But the base had lost foliage, were thin and needed thickening up so I cut them back a few months ago all the way to the old wood about a foot from the ground. ("Aargh! I hope he is right"). Well you were! I have lots of new shoots and growth. Some of them are 4-5 feet already; others are bushing out from the old stumps almost like paint brushes and are maybe 2 inches to a foot. My question is "should I pinch back any of these new shoots right now to encourage growth at the base and let the height take over next year?" I don't expect blooms this year (although I am getting some). My goal is to eventually have the height of the old roses but also a good, lush filler at the base.
Thanks Paul. However, as of this morning, alot of this is a moot point as I woke up and discovered the deer had discovered them last night; I didn't use the deer repellant soon enough. So now what? They got LOTS of leaves and ends of new shoots. Do I prune them back to where there are leaves or do I just cut them back to the old wood they were growing out of? +Paul Zimmerman Roses I
+John Carter I'd prune them back to where the leaves are. Hopefully they will put out new growth and while it won't be one straight cane you may be able to use it as a main cane.
Hi Paul Great video! I'm researching 'major pruning old roses' and came across some of yours. I have a customer who has a wooden arbour in need of repair that has a several really old (19 years!) climbing roses all over it. They want to repair the arbour and re paint the structure. So the client wants the rose taken off the top, and as much as possible off the columns... My question is, will it come back?? What can also be done to help it live? This will be done at the end of September.
It will come back. I would advise looking at my video working with climbing roses and understanding the difference between laterals and main canes. Ideally you would cut the laterals back to about 6" long and then unwind the main canes from the structure. Put stakes in the ground away from the structure and tie the main canes to them for support. Do the repairs and put the rose back. I once took a rose off a two story house that was 20' high and put it back after repairs doing this. A year later you never knew we had done it.
I have a 27 year old rose that is blooming and the 3 trunks are about 3 to 4 inches thick. I am trying to bend 3 of the green branches over to a side fence to see if they will do as you say and produce along the stem. How should I proceed with all the stems that I have lopped off over the years and are quite full of angles but still blooming at the top of each of those ? Is it possible to sen you pictures of this gorgeous good smelling climber for your comments? Thank you so much for clarifying this process.
Hi Elsa, The best way to do photos would be to post them to my Facebook Group Paul Zimmerman Roses Gardening. Ask to join and I'll admit you. Post the photos and tag me in them.
Mr. Zimmerman, I moved an atq. ballarena climbers two , almost three years ago. The bush as been left to its nature to establish and grow. Watered and feed of course, but still no blooms . She bloomed in the past prior to the move. Help . Thank you Delilah
I have a climber that has only one, long, old cane. It's pretty ugly and doesn't flower much despite being in the sun. How can I force it to give more canes? If
That's a tough one when it's that old. The only thing I know to do is to cut it down to about 2' high and see if the shock produces new canes. But keep in mind the plant may also not survive that.
Thank you for such great information. Question: can I cut out the old wooded stems now (I live in CT and it's late Sept)? Or, what is best time to do it?
at about 5 min showing whats new growing- wish it was shown at the same angle as after cut and explained whats grown from where- is there any new canes from the base of taht cut stump??? I can hardly see the relation between cut and few new canes on sides
I just watched another video about climbing roses and I think I heard Never, never, never cut the main branches. I've got one main branch that is and "new" brown for about 4 feet, and I can't really bend it to 45 degrees on the trellis there, so now I'm confused!
I have a 50 year old stunningly scented red climber. Over the past few years i have pruned it for a variety of reasons. It looks horrible! Can it be rejuvenated, cutting rooted? Cut the whole thing back to the root ball? Bush was here when i moved in house in 1975. It has had glorious years basically unattended! Please advise, and thank you!
God I wished I had found you a while ago. I am in OK. This winter we had negative temps. It almost killed my roses. I cut off their dead stems and then later on when it was warmer I transferred one of them to the back of my property and built a big trellis for it. I saw in another of your videos that I should never cut the main stems, (but I did). Now I am afraid that rose will take years to climb. Help please??? I am one of your subscribers and I will be watching all your videos. I love roses!
The rose will be fine. Likely take a couple of years to get back up there but it will. If you see fresh new canes emerging take the opportunity to take out some of those old canes.
Hi Paul - I planted a Blaze rose about 7yrs ago and I usually prune it all down around fall time like my other roses. I'm not getting any roses the next year. Am I pruning too much? Tell me if I should prune at all during fall. I get beautiful canes, but no foilage. Help!
Hi Paul, the canes broke off cleanly or at least don't look chewed. One of them fell off right before my eyes and I don't recall it being a windy day though it had just rained. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening? Thank you!
a friend just rented a house that has 2 rose bushes next to a fence. there seems to be just 1 long cane growing up the fence. there are a few flowers on it. it is June now. is there anything we can do now to help it?
I have an 8 year old New Dawn which is looking very poorly. I don’t know whether to prune it very hard or simply get rid of it. Your advice would be much appreciated.
I moved into a house with a Seven Sisters climbing rose that had not been taken care of for years. It was such I mess, I didn't know where to begin so I cut it all back. It had been growing on a spit rail fence. Other plants had popped up in the ground around the base of the original plant. It seems canes fell over and rooted. Last summer there was lots of vigorous growth. What should I do now?
Yes you can. If you take it back to 3' you may get some eyes from the lower part of that cane to break and produce new ones. I generally find it works best if you can take it to the ground. But if you only have a few canes then 3' is a good start and see what happens over the next year.
I think it's above the ground. In fact, I know it is, because I saw several stubs growing from a stump thing above ground (and yes, I've watched your anatomy of a rose video; I'm just not confident enough to start using the terminology). It's been like that for several years. If I bury them for her, is there still hope? Maybe with fertilizer and lots of watering?
Thank you very much for the videos. They have been so helpful! Understanding the difference between a main cane and a lateral has been a game changer for me. Recently my gardener came and mistakenly cut back almost all of my main canes on my climbing roses to the ground. I’m not sure why, but what do I do now? They plants are two years old. Also should you limit the number of main canes a plant has when growing on arches? Thanks again for taking the time to make videos for us😊
Just allow the roses to grow again. In another year or so they will be fine. I don't limit the number of canes unless the plant is getting overcrowded.
Climbing roses tend to bloom in their 2nd year and not much in their first year. You will need to let it grow to the size it wants to be and then it should start blooming.
It's July 6 here in Arkansas. Zone 7. I have 2 climbers severely neglected for years---Constance Spry and Cecile Brunner. Can I prune now or wait until late winter? Great video!
Hi, i have a climbing rose cane which is much much thicker then the one in the video (Over 12 years old). Wanted to ask once i saw it off to the base of the bud union, should i seal it with Pruning Paint Plant Tree Cut Healer Bayer Garden Arbrex Seal & Heal? Or i leave it on its own? Will new canes come out again from where i will saw it off one day or new canes just come out from a new part of the bud union? and should i use sealing paint even if i remove old canes from hybrid teas and floribunda roses please? Thanks :)
@@jodyhakala-ristow7014 You can probably take out some of the older growth now. Maybe start with one cane and see how it reacts. If it starts to grow new shoots you can take out another.
Hi im really curious if you could help me at all my neighbor told me I inherited a few roses and ive got some in the past season to bloom beautifully with some tlc... now ive got this one rose that puts out a lot of shoot and she tells me its a climbing rose.... but it will not bloom at all what can I do?
Moved into a house with old, unkept rose vines. Could I remove 3 of 7 main canes simultaneously? None of the 3 are producing new growth and they are all barked over
Can you still hard prune after flowering at this time of year? I have a bush with one large cane (woody as on yr vid) with lots of leggy off shoots that still flower. The bush is approx 40 years old now. worried about losing it as it was one my Mother planted.
I would go to Lowes or Home Depot and purchase sheet(s) of 4'x8' lattice. You can put 10' 4x4s in the ground and faster it to that. Looks nice and not expensive. The folks at either of those stores should be able to help. I've done that a lot and I've always liked the look.
The cheapest &easiest way is to make a wigwam of strong bamboo lengths fastened to a horizontal ground level square frame anchored to the ground.Then weave your rose stems in & around,rising gradually in tiers &tie them in.In a few years your soses will hide the entire wigwam frame.Try &plant a couple of clematis of your choice to climb thru the rose &extend the colour &interest.Try a couple of almost forgotten roses:ALISTER STELLA GREY &MARECHAL NEIL.A couple of ideal clematis to plant with them:Vivyan Pennel &Daniel Deronda(Vivyans botanical dad I think) For late colour use clematis Viticella Flora Plena which flowers in Sept.Its best to plant your clematis at the same time as the roses.2 tips:Plant the clematis at a 45 degree angle so burying 4-6 inches of stem(at least a couple of leaf joints)to get a robust plant which will send in roots from everyleaf node;Clematis of your choice not yet available-just bury a 2 litre pop bottle(empty of course) up to its shoulders at the angle mentioned & then when your clematis become available,just winkle out the bottle &pop in the clematis plant -no disturbance of rose roots.C lematis ,like lilies,like their heads in the sun &roots in the shade &this is why old gardeners use to cover the roots with slate or shingle.I have a green solution-plant a packet of Godetias around them &these will often self seed &last 2-3 years.Enjoy your gardening.Has CREME DE LA CREME a lovely large flowered scented climber reached american shores yet?Worth growing
Hey, Paul. Great video. I have a Climbing Peace rose that will not bloom. Hasn’t since I potted it. Had it for about three years. It’s growing great … about 4.5 feet and healthy leaves … but just won’t bloom. About 14 feet away, I have an Alchemist climbing rose that has reached 10 + feet and blooms beautifully. Any ideas what might be wrong with the Climbing Peace?
@@Zircon_215 That is odd. Part of me is wondering if you were mistakenly sold the bush version. But it should have bloomed. And if it's the climber it should be taller than 4' by now. To be honest I don't have any advice other than watch it one more year and if it doesn't grow or bloom replace it.
Hi Paul, I love your videos. Last year I removed a very old cane from my Westerland climbing rose. A couple of months later 6 new, very healthy-looking and large canes grew from the base of the plant (at the bud union which is above ground). BUT...then they fell off! I though the first two that came off because of heavy rains. But I don't know why the others did as well. They all broke off at the base. Upon inspection the breaks did not look diseased although this is a pretty old plant and the base is heavily covered in bark. I googled the issue but haven't found any info. I would love to know your thoughts. I'm getting ready to rejuvenate my roses this year and I'm a little nervous about it. Thanks you so much!
Hi, I am in NZ the southern hemisphere. It is coming to the end of summer in a couple of weeks. When should I start this process. The big bushy/climbing rose I have finished flowering about 4 weeks ago and I have noticed a major spurt of new and quite tall canes. Might these flower again before the end of Autumn?? Not sure what or when to cut these types of rose.
I have a thirty-year-old Climbing Cecile Brunner that I brought along when we moved two times over the years. I read your advice to John Carter (funny thing, the deer love this rose at my house too! ) and I am going to get busy trying to rejuvenate mine, as it is a family favorite and barely blooms at all now. My question is this: How many of the woody limbs do I cut down at a time? Mine has wicked thorns, and when I moved it this time, I had to trim it down to just three main (woody) branches to handle it. Were you saying that I should start with just one of them and then do another each year? I really don't want to lose this rose! Thanks very much!
Early spring would be good and I would do one and then wait for new growth. Then next year do another and so on. But see if new growth emerges after doing the one. If it doesn't wait.
Hi there, this video is encouraging news. However, I have a climber and it only has one surviving cane, which has become very spindly, though flowers regularly. There was a 2nd cane but died after part of the rooting system was damaged. Can I still cut down that one cane to expect regrowth? Thank you!!
I have a climbing rose that has 22 new blossoms .some are getting ready to open but they look kind of dry where they are getting ready to open. Do you know what this is? Some look almost like dry indentstions in the side of the blossom opening area..im very 😡 upset ..can you help 😢
Could post this and some photos on my Facebook Page. The photos will help. It's a public business page so you don't need a friend request to post facebook.com/paul.zimmerman.roses/
Hi Paul, sorry to comment on an 11 year old video! This is really useful thank you. Just wondering if an old climbing rose is lacking vigour if I should feed and try to stimulate more growth, and visibly see that happening before taking off an old barky cane? Or just take it off and feed and mulch and hope for the best?
I think feeding and getting it stimulated again is not a bad idea before taking off a cane. But quite often they won't put out new canes until you take off an old one. Check out this later video I did. ruclips.net/video/dmfJgjpoNUE/видео.html
Hello Paul! I have several questions about a rose plant I have in the back of my house. My grandmother was a huge flower lover and our garden used to overflow with colorful flowers every spring to the end of summer. Unfortunately she's been gone for almost 3 years now, and was bed ridden for at least 3 years before that. The garden was left uncared for so long yet some plants still yield a fair number of flowers despite it not being as much as before. However our pink roses, which I'm assuming after some online research but am still unsure, is a climbing rose and has gone out of control. It's at least 8~9 feet, I'd say 10 at most. I believe when cared for it used to be about 5~6ft. All the roses, except a handful, are all located at the very top. There are a LOT of canes, including some that look like just plain old wood and no longer have any life in it whatsoever. I've done quite a bit of research this past year but am still unsure as to how to care for it? Is it safe to cut it down to a shorter height? And if so, at what length is it safe to cut? I'm worried that if I cut the tops off where the blooms are they won't flower again. Many of the canes are incredibly thick and I might need a small hand saw to cut some away. To be honest it's so crowded I'm not sure I can even tell what cane is connected to what branch. Is there any way to tell for sure if it is a climbing rose? And is it alright for me to cut back the canes right now right when summer is right around the corner? Also, I'm genuinely concerned that by cutting away so many canes (because I really would have to cut a LOT of canes and branches to even let the light through anything but the top) I could harm the plant.
Thanks for reaching out. What would be great is if you could post the question and some photos on my FB page. That way other folks can jump in and help as well. Plus seeing it will really help. Thanks!facebook.com/paul.zimmerman.roses/
I just discovered this video after googling how to train and prune climbing roses. I was afraid I was too late to prune my rose until I saw this response.
Great videos Paul Thank you! New subscriber here. I have the same kind of composter you have. I have heard lots of different info on using horse manure. How long do you compost your manure before using it in your garden? Can it be used in newly planted roses?
Hi There, Photos would be helpful in answering that question. Try posting the question on our discussion forum paulzimmermanroses com/forum and you can post photos there as well. Thanks!
Sounds like you are doing everything right. In all honesty I don't really have an answer for you. Three years is long enough for it to get re-established and gloom. You might try simply replacing it with another one.
There isn't much you can do now. To try to revive it you are going to have to be pretty drastic. In early spring of next year cut the one cane down to about 12 inches high Hopefully that will spur some new canes to start growing. But also realize the rose may not recover and may even die.
Hi Paul Thanks very much for your helpful videos :) I have an old climbing Lamarche rose I planted maybe 15 years ago. It is growing on a pergola. I have made some attempts to prune it over the years but not with your great advice unfortunately. It has really got away from me and in watching your video I have lots of old wooded over canes! If I remove all of them (I may need a chainsaw at the base :S) I am worried there will be nothing left. Also, it has grown half way across the top but lots of canes are heading skyward. Can you tell me how to tie them down without damaging them please? Better still if you have any plans to visit Hobart, Tasmania maybe you could do it for me!
Carole Benham So glad they help. Don't remove all the wooded canes. Take out the oldest this year and if the rose sprouts new growth this year or next you can take out another one and so on. Tying down the canes heading skyward may prove to be difficult if they are stiff. You can try tying them down part way, letting them adjust and then in a few weeks try bringing them further down. In other words do it in stages.
In all honesty this is not something I'm totally familiar with. Sounds like they are weak at the base. When they come up again let's try staking them to give them some support until they harden off.
had to laugh at your description of an "old" rose being a 5 to 6 years "old" climbing rose. I purchased a home that had a gorgeous climbing rose that covered the front pergola and was wonderful for the first 5 years. By chance I met the very elderly son of the previous owner. He said he was a boy when he watched his mother plant the climbing rose in 1940. He even knew the name of the rose which was very helpful. But 2 years ago the said rose planted in 1940 stopped sending us new canes and flowering decreased. So I had the huge old rose removed and had the men remove the soil all around the said "old" rose. That resulted in a 6 feet wide and 2 feet deep circular hole in the ground. Into that circle the guys emptied several wheel barrows of rich compost and I left it there until planting time and the arrival of the new climbing rose (same actual named rose as the rose the lady planted in 1940) THE new one is thriving. I think by next season the canes will be arching over the top of the pergola again.
I just love learning experts, especially the ones with a great sense of humor.Thank you for the chuckles and your knowledge..........
omg wish i had watched this a long time ago...u r literally the only person that only covers climbing so well on youtube! thank u
Thank you!
HAHAHA! Thanks for these videos, Mr. Zimmerman. Lots of good info and unlike lots of other RUclips gardeners, I can stand to listen to you ;) I am an avid gardener and have several roses with which I am currently experimenting. "Rejuvenating"- good word! Thanks again!
Glad you enjoy them!
So pleased to have found you Paul - great advice and fun to watch. Love your enthusiasm !
Thanks and welcome
So glad Ive seen this video. Its given me the confidence and knowledge to do what I need to do. I had been worried that if I removed the big old dead wood, that the bush would die off, not realizing it would spark it into action of regrowth. well explained and demonstrated. Thankyou! =)
Wonder instruction, really helpful
Thank you for the tips on directing new growth and pruning. I came here because I have a massive climbing rose that was never pruned and is about 15-20 years old. It is still shooting out stellar canes and I expect this year to be the most fruitful of all. Unfortunately, without it's proper training, it's decided to go in the opposite direction taking over the walkway and grabbing anyone going by, lol. I actually pruned those overhanging canes last year and apparently, it stimulated it so much, more than double the canes have come this year. It was desperation that led me here and I'll try to retrain so it goes in the right direction. Thank you
Take your time with it. I've got a video on training climbing roses. Take a look at that. It will also help you.
Your so fun and animated, knowledgeable! Oh and courageous to cut those big stems out!
Thanks!
Thank you so much . Your information abut pruning climbing roses that mine is 17 years old was very successful.
Wonderful and glad it worked out for you.
On a rose that old, the bud union being above the ground may make it more difficult to get new canes. I would suggest taking a wire brush and gently brushing the bud union to remove some of the old bark on it. You don't have to scrape down to where it's white and you won't see green, just remove some of the old layer. Then put a cup of epson salts around the bush.
Let's see if that produces new canes sometime this summer.
I have an old climbing rose that was never properly trained onto a trellis (my mother didn't realize they needed to be attached - she thought they would naturally grow like a vine). It only has one cane but it's very woody. It is still producing a few laterals but not by much. Should I try to work with what I have or chop the only cane down in hopes of encouraging new growth. Also, my mother claims there won't be new growth because it's was grafted. Should I believe her?
Hi Paul, I now have 51 rose bushes in my garden. All are doing well, except for 2. Both these two bushes that are struggling are older, about 2 - 5 years or so. One is a climbing rose, it's in the front garden,,,,it has grown beautifully and I often have her blooming early summer till late fall. This year is the first time it's struggling with aphids. I've done multiple recommendations ie: sprayed them, killed the aphids and little green worms by hand etc .. but every morning, there are more.
the 2nd one is a beautiful hybrid tea rose, peach color with a strong scent. planted in 2015 in the back yard where it gets at least 6 hours of sunlight. i've watered and fertilized , added soil, added bone meal and still nothing. I first noticed it wasn't doing well early in the Spring, most of the branches had dried out completely, i pruned , maybe i shouldn't have but i thought it might make it easier to start new growth. the new growth is coming ever so slowly.. i have maybe an inch of new growth with a few leaves.. nothing else.. and this is over a couple of months. the weather here in southern Ontario has been a bit more rainy this year, so much wetter than the previous years... i'm also noticing black spots on some of the leaves, one in particular is a new rose bush , just planted a month ago (i noticed the black spots on its leaves early this morning) .. any and all suggestions from you are most welcome. thanks,. May
Hi May,
What would be great is if you could post the question and some photos on my FB page. That way other folks can jump in and help as well. Thanks!facebook.com/paul.zimmerman.roses/
I live in Ontario too. The weather is not suited for Hybrid tea roses. Even if they live through our harsh winter they won’t thrive at all !
Hi Paul, i enjoy your videos very much and am learning much. I started my gardening journey by focusing on roses, i now have 32 rose bushes . I've noticed some of the ones that have flowered in the last 3 years quite nicely are looking like they might be dying. i'm going to try to rejuvenate them as you indicated, i'm hoping it'll work like magic. thank you so much.
If it helps feel free to post photos to my Facebook Page Paul Zimmerman Roses
Will try. Thank you
wonderful video...I will send this to my gardener and hopefully he will have the courage to cut off old woody canes from my 20 year old roses. Thank you Paul!!
You are more than welcome.
He’s a great teacher! Well explain with hands on teaching 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I appreciate that!
Interesting. its clear that you are very knowledgable and passionate about horticulture
I have 2 large very old Cecil Brunners climbing on my fence and arbor. I cut out the old wood every few years and get lots of new growth. The problem is so many suckers! Long high reaching suckers with no blooms ever, casting shade on surrounding plants. What's the best way to minimize these suckers? These roses only bloom for a few weeks and I'd like to rejuvenate them for a longer blooming season.
So I trusted your advice and it worked! I had some 20-year-old Cecile Brunner that had grown 30 feet and more up a bare hillside and arbor. But the base had lost foliage, were thin and needed thickening up so I cut them back a few months ago all the way to the old wood about a foot from the ground. ("Aargh! I hope he is right"). Well you were! I have lots of new shoots and growth. Some of them are 4-5 feet already; others are bushing out from the old stumps almost like paint brushes and are maybe 2 inches to a foot. My question is "should I pinch back any of these new shoots right now to encourage growth at the base and let the height take over next year?" I don't expect blooms this year (although I am getting some). My goal is to eventually have the height of the old roses but also a good, lush filler at the base.
+John Carter I wouldn't pinch anything. Sounds like you have lots of new growth and it will fill in this year and next year.
Thanks Paul. However, as of this morning, alot of this is a moot point as I woke up and discovered the deer had discovered them last night; I didn't use the deer repellant soon enough. So now what? They got LOTS of leaves and ends of new shoots. Do I prune them back to where there are leaves or do I just cut them back to the old wood they were growing out of?
+Paul Zimmerman Roses I
+John Carter I'd prune them back to where the leaves are. Hopefully they will put out new growth and while it won't be one straight cane you may be able to use it as a main cane.
+Paul Zimmerman Roses OK and Thanks.
Hi Paul
Great video! I'm researching 'major pruning old roses' and came across some of yours.
I have a customer who has a wooden arbour in need of repair that has a several really old (19 years!) climbing roses all over it. They want to repair the arbour and re paint the structure. So the client wants the rose taken off the top, and as much as possible off the columns...
My question is, will it come back?? What can also be done to help it live?
This will be done at the end of September.
It will come back. I would advise looking at my video working with climbing roses and understanding the difference between laterals and main canes. Ideally you would cut the laterals back to about 6" long and then unwind the main canes from the structure. Put stakes in the ground away from the structure and tie the main canes to them for support. Do the repairs and put the rose back. I once took a rose off a two story house that was 20' high and put it back after repairs doing this. A year later you never knew we had done it.
Great tips Paul - cheers and keep up the posts.
Thank you sir. Now I understand what a sucker rose is. Thanks.
You're welcome
I have a 27 year old rose that is blooming and the 3 trunks are about 3 to 4 inches thick. I am trying to bend 3 of the green branches over to a side fence to see if they will do as you say and produce along the stem. How should I proceed with all the stems that I have lopped off over the years and are quite full of angles but still blooming at the top of each of those ? Is it possible to sen you pictures of this gorgeous good smelling climber for your comments? Thank you so much for clarifying this process.
Hi Elsa, The best way to do photos would be to post them to my Facebook Group Paul Zimmerman Roses Gardening. Ask to join and I'll admit you. Post the photos and tag me in them.
Mr. Zimmerman,
I moved an atq. ballarena climbers two , almost three years ago. The bush as been left to its nature to establish and grow. Watered and feed of course, but still no blooms . She bloomed in the past prior to the move. Help . Thank you Delilah
That's odd. I would expect it to not bloom much the first year after moving but not this long. Is it I full sun?
I have a climber that has only one, long, old cane. It's pretty ugly and doesn't flower much despite being in the sun. How can I force it to give more canes? If
That's a tough one when it's that old. The only thing I know to do is to cut it down to about 2' high and see if the shock produces new canes. But keep in mind the plant may also not survive that.
@@Paulzimmermanroses Thank you so much! I really appreciate your answer! I'll give it a try and hope it survives.
Q? In the Midwest and other northern states rose bushes go dormant. What about in southern states? Where there is almost no snow.
In those climates you can do this pretty much anytime.
Thank you for such great information. Question: can I cut out the old wooded stems now (I live in CT and it's late Sept)? Or, what is best time to do it?
Yes you can!
at about 5 min showing whats new growing- wish it was shown at the same angle as after cut and explained whats grown from where- is there any new canes from the base of taht cut stump??? I can hardly see the relation between cut and few new canes on sides
Next time I'll try to make that clearer.
I just watched another video about climbing roses and I think I heard Never, never, never cut the main branches. I've got one main branch that is and "new" brown for about 4 feet, and I can't really bend it to 45 degrees on the trellis there, so now I'm confused!
Not sure what you mean by "new" and brown for 4'. Is it only 4' tall.
I have a 50 year old stunningly scented red climber. Over the past few years i have pruned it for a variety of reasons. It looks horrible! Can it be rejuvenated, cutting rooted? Cut the whole thing back to the root ball? Bush was here when i moved in house in 1975. It has had glorious years basically unattended! Please advise, and thank you!
I would suggest you post the question and some photos on my Facebook Group. Having photos will help. facebook.com/groups/58500441971/
God I wished I had found you a while ago. I am in OK. This winter we had negative temps. It almost killed my roses. I cut off their dead stems and then later on when it was warmer I transferred one of them to the back of my property and built a big trellis for it. I saw in another of your videos that I should never cut the main stems, (but I did). Now I am afraid that rose will take years to climb. Help please??? I am one of your subscribers and I will be watching all your videos. I love roses!
The rose will be fine. Likely take a couple of years to get back up there but it will. If you see fresh new canes emerging take the opportunity to take out some of those old canes.
@@Paulzimmermanroses thank you. I feel much better now.👍
There can be new growth from grafted roses. Is the bud union (the knot where the graft occurred) below or above the ground?
I like the phrase rejuvenating too. Could do with a bit of it myself. Maybe I should get a hair cut.
Especially right now with too much shut down for so long!
Very well done, easy to follow.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Paul - I planted a Blaze rose about 7yrs ago and I usually prune it all down around fall time like my other roses. I'm not getting any roses the next year. Am I pruning too much? Tell me if I should prune at all during fall. I get beautiful canes, but no foilage. Help!
Hi Paul, the canes broke off cleanly or at least don't look chewed. One of them fell off right before my eyes and I don't recall it being a windy day though it had just rained. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening? Thank you!
a friend just rented a house that has 2 rose bushes next to a fence. there seems to be just 1 long cane growing up the fence. there are a few flowers on it. it is June now. is there anything we can do now to help it?
I have an 8 year old New Dawn which is looking very poorly. I don’t know whether to prune it very hard or simply get rid of it. Your advice would be much appreciated.
I'd start by taking out an old cane or two and see if it responds. If it doesn't then you can try cutting it back hard. 8 years old is not that old.
Good info video thanks. You cut out the main old cane in March I think. Is this the only time one should do this?
That's a good time and also summer after the spring flower flush.
I moved into a house with a Seven Sisters climbing rose that had not been taken care of for years. It was such I mess, I didn't know where to begin so I cut it all back. It had been growing on a spit rail fence. Other plants had popped up in the ground around the base of the original plant. It seems canes fell over and rooted. Last summer there was lots of vigorous growth. What should I do now?
great!
Do you have a video to show how to build the trellis you told me about thank u
I'm afraid I don't. Sorry about that!
Hi can you do this with a rambling rose also? What would happen if you took the old stem back to about 3ft?
Yes you can. If you take it back to 3' you may get some eyes from the lower part of that cane to break and produce new ones. I generally find it works best if you can take it to the ground. But if you only have a few canes then 3' is a good start and see what happens over the next year.
@@Paulzimmermanroses that’s great, thanks so much!
@@carolinebenge4310 Happy to help!
I think it's above the ground. In fact, I know it is, because I saw several stubs growing from a stump thing above ground (and yes, I've watched your anatomy of a rose video; I'm just not confident enough to start using the terminology). It's been like that for several years. If I bury them for her, is there still hope? Maybe with fertilizer and lots of watering?
Thank you very much for the videos. They have been so helpful! Understanding the difference between a main cane and a lateral has been a game changer for me. Recently my gardener came and mistakenly cut back almost all of my main canes on my climbing roses to the ground. I’m not sure why, but what do I do now? They plants are two years old. Also should you limit the number of main canes a plant has when growing on arches? Thanks again for taking the time to make videos for us😊
Just allow the roses to grow again. In another year or so they will be fine. I don't limit the number of canes unless the plant is getting overcrowded.
Thank you! Very helpful!
You’re welcome!
Climbing roses tend to bloom in their 2nd year and not much in their first year. You will need to let it grow to the size it wants to be and then it should start blooming.
It's July 6 here in Arkansas. Zone 7. I have 2 climbers severely neglected for years---Constance Spry and Cecile Brunner. Can I prune now or wait until late winter? Great video!
You can prune now. I just pruned some of my climbers. Mid-Summer is a great time
Hi, i have a climbing rose cane which is much much thicker then the one in the video (Over 12 years old). Wanted to ask once i saw it off to the base of the bud union, should i seal it with Pruning Paint Plant Tree Cut Healer Bayer Garden Arbrex Seal & Heal?
Or i leave it on its own? Will new canes come out again from where i will saw it off one day or new canes just come out from a new part of the bud union? and should i use sealing paint even if i remove old canes from hybrid teas and floribunda roses please? Thanks :)
Angie my dear ,no sealing please.Allow natural healing
My rise bush, tree 🌳 is about 7 feet tall and green pretty yet no roses.
Q is is there a bad time to cut? To rejuvenate?
How old is the rose?
Paul Zimmerman Roses 🌹 not sure they weren’t mine. 7-8 years I’d guess.
@@jodyhakala-ristow7014 You can probably take out some of the older growth now. Maybe start with one cane and see how it reacts. If it starts to grow new shoots you can take out another.
Hi im really curious if you could help me at all my neighbor told me I inherited a few roses and ive got some in the past season to bloom beautifully with some tlc... now ive got this one rose that puts out a lot of shoot and she tells me its a climbing rose.... but it will not bloom at all what can I do?
Moved into a house with old, unkept rose vines. Could I remove 3 of 7 main canes simultaneously? None of the 3 are producing new growth and they are all barked over
I think I would take one out and see what happens. If new growth starts then you can start removing the others.
Patience... gradual... got it.
I live in a nice mobile home park and i want the trellis to presentable
Can you still hard prune after flowering at this time of year? I have a bush with one large cane (woody as on yr vid) with lots of leggy off shoots that still flower. The bush is approx 40 years old now. worried about losing it as it was one my Mother planted.
Yes, you can prune this time of year.
How can i build a rose trellis with out spending alot of money and make it look nice and neat
I would go to Lowes or Home Depot and purchase sheet(s) of 4'x8' lattice. You can put 10' 4x4s in the ground and faster it to that. Looks nice and not expensive. The folks at either of those stores should be able to help. I've done that a lot and I've always liked the look.
The cheapest &easiest way is to make a wigwam of strong bamboo lengths fastened to a horizontal ground level square frame anchored to the ground.Then weave your rose stems in & around,rising gradually in tiers &tie them in.In a few years your soses will hide the entire wigwam frame.Try &plant a couple of clematis of your choice to climb thru the rose &extend the colour &interest.Try a couple of almost forgotten roses:ALISTER STELLA GREY &MARECHAL NEIL.A couple of ideal clematis to plant with them:Vivyan Pennel &Daniel Deronda(Vivyans botanical dad I think) For late colour use clematis Viticella Flora Plena which flowers in Sept.Its best to plant your clematis at the same time as the roses.2 tips:Plant the clematis at a 45 degree angle so burying 4-6 inches of stem(at least a couple of leaf joints)to get a robust plant which will send in roots from everyleaf node;Clematis of your choice not yet available-just bury a 2 litre pop bottle(empty of course) up to its shoulders at the angle mentioned & then when your clematis become available,just winkle out the bottle &pop in the clematis plant -no disturbance of rose roots.C lematis ,like lilies,like their heads in the sun &roots in the shade &this is why old gardeners use to cover the roots with slate or shingle.I have a green solution-plant a packet of Godetias around them &these will often self seed &last 2-3 years.Enjoy your gardening.Has CREME DE LA CREME a lovely large flowered scented climber reached american shores yet?Worth growing
Hey, Paul. Great video. I have a Climbing Peace rose that will not bloom. Hasn’t since I potted it. Had it for about three years. It’s growing great … about 4.5 feet and healthy leaves … but just won’t bloom. About 14 feet away, I have an Alchemist climbing rose that has reached 10 + feet and blooms beautifully. Any ideas what might be wrong with the Climbing Peace?
Is the Peace still in a pot? How bit is the pot?
@@Paulzimmermanroses No, it’s been in the ground for 2-3 years.
@@Zircon_215 That is odd. Part of me is wondering if you were mistakenly sold the bush version. But it should have bloomed. And if it's the climber it should be taller than 4' by now. To be honest I don't have any advice other than watch it one more year and if it doesn't grow or bloom replace it.
Hi Paul, I love your videos. Last year I removed a very old cane from my Westerland climbing rose. A couple of months later 6 new, very healthy-looking and large canes grew from the base of the plant (at the bud union which is above ground). BUT...then they fell off! I though the first two that came off because of heavy rains. But I don't know why the others did as well. They all broke off at the base. Upon inspection the breaks did not look diseased although this is a pretty old plant and the base is heavily covered in bark. I googled the issue but haven't found any info. I would love to know your thoughts. I'm getting ready to rejuvenate my roses this year and I'm a little nervous about it. Thanks you so much!
Did it look like a clean break or where they chewed in any way? I've seen wind do that as well.
whens the best time to hard prune a rose like that, during the dormant season (autumn - spring) or at anytime?
im in londn england btw, if that makes a difference
During dormant season would be best. Late winter but before new growth starts pushing in spring.
Hi, I am in NZ the southern hemisphere. It is coming to the end of summer in a couple of weeks. When should I start this process. The big bushy/climbing rose I have finished flowering about 4 weeks ago and I have noticed a major spurt of new and quite tall canes. Might these flower again before the end of Autumn?? Not sure what or when to cut these types of rose.
I don't think I'd cut them this close to winter. Wait till late winter into early spring to do so.
They may rebloom if they aremodern climbers but not if they are ramblers
Excellent video! Thank you! ❤️🌹❤️🌹
You are so welcome!
What due you apply to the wound after cutting out the old cane, thank you.
Any kind of pruning sealer will do.
I have a thirty-year-old Climbing Cecile Brunner that I brought along when we moved two times over the years. I read your advice to John Carter (funny thing, the deer love this rose at my house too! ) and I am going to get busy trying to rejuvenate mine, as it is a family favorite and barely blooms at all now. My question is this: How many of the woody limbs do I cut down at a time? Mine has wicked thorns, and when I moved it this time, I had to trim it down to just three main (woody) branches to handle it. Were you saying that I should start with just one of them and then do another each year? I really don't want to lose this rose! Thanks very much!
Also, should I do this in early Spring? I live in North Georgia.
Early spring would be good and I would do one and then wait for new growth. Then next year do another and so on. But see if new growth emerges after doing the one. If it doesn't wait.
Thanks very much! I surely appreciate your advice!
How did your climber fare with the purge? i hope it survived and is thriving!
Do you still prefer own root roses?
Absolutely
Hi there, this video is encouraging news. However, I have a climber and it only has one surviving cane, which has become very spindly, though flowers regularly. There was a 2nd cane but died after part of the rooting system was damaged. Can I still cut down that one cane to expect regrowth? Thank you!!
You've got probably a 50/50 chance that will work. I would not cut it out completely. Maybe take it down to 2' and see what happens then.
@@Paulzimmermanroses Thank you!!!
What do you mean you cover it and my rose tree branches are all dried up any advice
Are they dead?
@@Paulzimmermanroses nope thanks checked them they got life in them still
I have a climbing rose that has 22 new blossoms .some are getting ready to open but they look kind of dry where they are getting ready to open. Do you know what this is? Some look almost like dry indentstions in the side of the blossom opening area..im very 😡 upset ..can you help 😢
Could post this and some photos on my Facebook Page. The photos will help. It's a public business page so you don't need a friend request to post facebook.com/paul.zimmerman.roses/
Too dry
Water &mulch with garden compost &well rotted farmyard manure
What about an old.tree rose that won't bud. Leafs out and no buds.
Tree roses are different. I would not remove old canes. If it's not blooming that might be fertilizer issues like too much nitrogen.
Hi Paul, sorry to comment on an 11 year old video! This is really useful thank you. Just wondering if an old climbing rose is lacking vigour if I should feed and try to stimulate more growth, and visibly see that happening before taking off an old barky cane? Or just take it off and feed and mulch and hope for the best?
I think feeding and getting it stimulated again is not a bad idea before taking off a cane. But quite often they won't put out new canes until you take off an old one. Check out this later video I did. ruclips.net/video/dmfJgjpoNUE/видео.html
thank you so much Paul, I appreciate you taking the time to reply!
@@jessicaalexander1959 My pleasure. I realize some of the videos are old I'm still active on the channel
I have been waiting for this one! Thanks Paul
Is that one rose??? Or 3 or 6?
The Rev d'Or is one rose but there are 4 on the arbor.
Hello Paul! I have several questions about a rose plant I have in the back of my house. My grandmother was a huge flower lover and our garden used to overflow with colorful flowers every spring to the end of summer. Unfortunately she's been gone for almost 3 years now, and was bed ridden for at least 3 years before that. The garden was left uncared for so long yet some plants still yield a fair number of flowers despite it not being as much as before. However our pink roses, which I'm assuming after some online research but am still unsure, is a climbing rose and has gone out of control. It's at least 8~9 feet, I'd say 10 at most. I believe when cared for it used to be about 5~6ft. All the roses, except a handful, are all located at the very top. There are a LOT of canes, including some that look like just plain old wood and no longer have any life in it whatsoever. I've done quite a bit of research this past year but am still unsure as to how to care for it? Is it safe to cut it down to a shorter height? And if so, at what length is it safe to cut? I'm worried that if I cut the tops off where the blooms are they won't flower again. Many of the canes are incredibly thick and I might need a small hand saw to cut some away. To be honest it's so crowded I'm not sure I can even tell what cane is connected to what branch. Is there any way to tell for sure if it is a climbing rose? And is it alright for me to cut back the canes right now right when summer is right around the corner? Also, I'm genuinely concerned that by cutting away so many canes (because I really would have to cut a LOT of canes and branches to even let the light through anything but the top) I could harm the plant.
Thanks for reaching out. What would be great is if you could post the question and some photos on my FB page. That way other folks can jump in and help as well. Plus seeing it will really help. Thanks!facebook.com/paul.zimmerman.roses/
Will it be possible to grow climber rose 🌹 in Indian climate
Absolutely. India is a great climate for growing roses.
Great video! Is it okay to do this in now, 20th of May?
+Pernille Lous Absolutely
+Paul Zimmerman Roses Thank you so much!
I just discovered this video after googling how to train and prune climbing roses. I was afraid I was too late to prune my rose until I saw this response.
Great videos Paul Thank you! New subscriber here. I have the same kind of composter you have. I have heard lots of different info on using horse manure. How long do you compost your manure before using it in your garden? Can it be used in newly planted roses?
I compost it about 3-4 months and it's great for newly planted roses. Thanks for subscribing!
Thank you for the info, that's what I've been doing but I was kind of nervous
I want the trellis to look presentable
Minds stop flowering flowers once
Some roses will only flower in spring.
Hi There,
Photos would be helpful in answering that question. Try posting the question on our discussion forum paulzimmermanroses com/forum and you can post photos there as well. Thanks!
Yes sir. Both are. The cecil has bloomed a little in three, but the ballerina not at all.
Sounds like you are doing everything right. In all honesty I don't really have an answer for you. Three years is long enough for it to get re-established and gloom. You might try simply replacing it with another one.
There isn't much you can do now. To try to revive it you are going to have to be pretty drastic. In early spring of next year cut the one cane down to about 12 inches high Hopefully that will spur some new canes to start growing. But also realize the rose may not recover and may even die.
very good and good teaching all the technique.
Hi Paul Thanks very much for your helpful videos :) I have an old climbing Lamarche rose I planted maybe 15 years ago. It is growing on a pergola. I have made some attempts to prune it over the years but not with your great advice unfortunately. It has really got away from me and in watching your video I have lots of old wooded over canes! If I remove all of them (I may need a chainsaw at the base :S) I am worried there will be nothing left. Also, it has grown half way across the top but lots of canes are heading skyward. Can you tell me how to tie them down without damaging them please? Better still if you have any plans to visit Hobart, Tasmania maybe you could do it for me!
Carole Benham So glad they help. Don't remove all the wooded canes. Take out the oldest this year and if the rose sprouts new growth this year or next you can take out another one and so on. Tying down the canes heading skyward may prove to be difficult if they are stiff. You can try tying them down part way, letting them adjust and then in a few weeks try bringing them further down. In other words do it in stages.
Thanks very much Paul I might take some before and after photos to share with you. I will probably leave it for few weeks yet though.
Thank you
Thank you as always!
Elmer's Glue works real well.
Thank u from th 🇬🇧
You're welcome.
In all honesty this is not something I'm totally familiar with. Sounds like they are weak at the base. When they come up again let's try staking them to give them some support until they harden off.
great vid!
are the new growth not suckers?
Not automatically. They are only suckers if they come from below the bud union.
Wait a minute.. Are you Dr. Emmett from Back to the Future? Lol
I've had that before!
Whow
De
Mine works too. I used woodprix plans and build it without any problems.
had to laugh at your description of an "old" rose being a 5 to 6 years "old" climbing rose.
I purchased a home that had a gorgeous climbing rose that covered the front pergola and was wonderful for the first 5 years. By chance I met the very elderly son of the previous owner. He said he was a boy when he watched his mother plant the climbing rose in 1940. He even knew the name of the rose which was very helpful. But 2 years ago the said rose planted in 1940 stopped sending us new canes and flowering decreased. So I had the huge old rose removed and had the men remove the soil all around the said "old" rose. That resulted in a 6 feet wide and 2 feet deep circular hole in the ground.
Into that circle the guys emptied several wheel barrows of rich compost and I left it there until planting time and the arrival of the new climbing rose (same actual named rose as the rose the lady planted in 1940) THE new one is thriving. I think by next season the canes will be arching over the top of the pergola again.
Great story and thanks for sharing!