How to Prune the Side Stems on Roses

Climbing roses send up long, whip-like canes. While these canes don't climb a trellis on their own, you can easily tie them to the support and train them along the trellis to provide a living wall of flowers. The long canes develop sides stems along each main cane. These stems produce the majority of the flowers in spring and early summer. Pruning off these shoots after blooming improves the appearance of your rose and may encourage the plant to put its energy into developing a second set of flower blossoms.

Things You'll Need

Bypass shears

Instructions

- 1
  Locate the side shoots on each main cane that have already finished flowering. Only trim the shoots with spent buds, not those with unopened buds or buds still in flower.
- 2
  Trim back each side shoot with a pair of bypass shears. Make the cuts at a 45-degree angle directly in front of the bottommost bud on the stem. The remaining stem should be within 3 to 6 inches long.
- 3
  Cut off dead, diseased or broken side stems completely. Make the cut flush with the main stem.
- 4
  Inspect the rose throughout summer and cut out any side shoots that suffer damage. Prune back those that flower later in the summer once they finish blooming.

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