Question
QUESTION: Lynette,

all the basic rose pruning info doesn't tell what to do after you prune them.

I pruned climbers to what I thought was a correct framework. they were growing laterally on a fence, and I took out some diseased canes but pruned back the laterals growing off the main canes to maybe 4 inches.  Now they are growing straight up with buds about a foot or more off the cane.  We have had unseasonably warm weather and I am not sure if that is the issue or if I misunderstood something about how to prune them.  I thought you pruned, they bloomed, and you shortened again.  I could shorten them again but hate to lose the buds.

Please advise!    I think the gardener has been allowing them to grow wild and then tying in the long canes.

I could take a picture in a few days  but don't have one now.  thanks.

ANSWER: You have pruned your roses correctly. You take out the dead or damaged and then you cut back the laterals growing from the main horizontal canes. These lateral will then grow and produce the blooms. If your weather was perfect that would encourage vigorous growth. Now next year you go back and cut the same laterals back to 4 inches. You only need to prune them back once a year or as you have said, you will cut off the new flowers. The laterals may grow really long but that is okay you will trim them back in the spring again.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Should they then be tied off to the side, or continuously shortened as the old bloooms come off?  How high off the main horizontal cane should these (not so lateral) laterals be rising?  They are a bit gawky standing straight up like this.

Thanks, Lynette.

Answer
If only roses would grow the way you want them to grow. It sounds like you have one of those "bad hair day" climbers which makes vigorous lateral growth and so looks messy. The usual routine is after the lateral has flowered, you cut it back to about 4 inches again. If you don't have many climbers, it doesn't become a big ordeal. I am afraid your climber is going to grow exactly how and where it wants to grow. I have a few of these types of climbers and they defy all pruning instructions and make HUGE long laterals which finally end up as main canes.