If your climbing rose has sent out long, unruly branches that seem determined to snag everything in their path, don't be tempted to cut them off. These are fresh shoots are important: they'll produce a whole new display of flowers next year.
Rather than trimming them back – something best avoided at this point in the year, as pruning can triggers fresh soft growth that won't be able to mature before autumn – use this opportunity to tie the shoots into place. Known as 'training', this simple job can help your climbing rose produce more flowers.
"The long, flexible main shoots of climbing roses should be bent gently into a horizontal shape or a fan shape along a trellis or wire," explains Richard Barker at LBS Horticulture. "This encourages the plant to send out flowering shoots along the entire length of the stem instead of only at the top."
Mili Ward-Beazley, who goes by @good.garden.club on Instagram, shares exactly how she goes about this process, describing it as "the August gardening job your climbing roses need."
She explains: "These new shoots are actually next year's flowers, so instead of pruning them, tie them in as horizontally as you can. This encourages more flowering shoots to form along the stem."
Alongside training new shoots, there are a few other simple jobs worth doing now to keep your climbing rose healthy and looking its best for the rest of the season.
What to do with climbing roses in August
1. Deadheading
If you you're growing a repeat-flowering variety, light deadheading can extend your rose's blooming period without jeopardising it.
Richard advises cutting back old flower clusters to the first outward-facing leaf that has a few leaflets (don't cut into the structural canes from the base), which can trigger another flush of flowers.
Related: I deadheaded my roses using the '5-leaf rule' and I've never had such bountiful blooms
2. Clear away fallen leaves
Keep things neat and tidy by getting into the habit of clearing away fallen leaves. This job becomes more crucial during autumn and winter, as decomposing foliage provides the ideal environment for fungal diseases like blackspot and rust, the expert cautions.
3. Stop feeding
There comes a time when less is more. By August, you should stop feeding your rose until spring so that it can begin preparing for winter. Come springtime, you can give your rose a balanced, granular fertiliser to help spur fresh growth.
4. Watering
Don't neglect watering, particularly during hot or dry spells. Established roses benefit from a thorough, deep drink rather than frequent splashes of water.
"Pour water slowly around the entire root zone, not just in a single area, and check roses planted along walls often as the wall can potentially block rain from reaching the plant," Richard advises.
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Wanda Sachs is the Multiplatform Writer for Country Living and House Beautiful, exploring the latest in gardening, wildlife and sustainable living alongside interiors and property. She is particularly interested in human-interest stories, the intersection of design and pop culture, and the evolving relationship between urban and rural life. Previously, she served as Associate Editor at The Berliner in Berlin, where she reported on culture and fashion. Wanda studied English and German at the Goethe University Frankfurt and Exeter University.
