How do I know which climbers to prune in spring?
It can be difficult to know which climbers to prune when, but if you grow rambling roses,
honeysuckle (Lonicera Graham Thomas, illustrated) and ivy then now or in the next couple of weeks is the right time to prune them back if they have got a bit out of hand.
Lonicera or Honeysuckle can be pruned back to just above a pair of leaves. It is best to prune every year if you want to keep the flowers lower down to make the most of the perfume. Saying that, as you can see from the image, ours has been neglected and has reached the bedroom window. The perfume drifts right through the house when the window is left open. The choice is yours!
Ivies are tough cookies and can be pruned almost anywhere but again are best pruned above a leaf/bud. Roses need to be pruned above a bud or leaf node. Angle the cut away from the bud so that rain falls away from the bud and does not rot it. Try to find a bud facing in the direction you want the new branch to grow and also take care to ensure that branches are not going to cross over each other and rub when the wind blows.
Clematis, however, are not so easy as depending on the flowering time they need to be pruned at different times. The early flowering species such as alpina, armandii, cirrhosa, macropetala, montanas orientalis and their species or any varieties which flower between January and May need to be pruned now if they have become very untidy or outgrown their alloted space in your garden. These varieties usually have small flowers. You may only need to cut out any dead or broken stems or you may need to prune quite hard.
Remember to cut back to just above a pair of healthy buds. Unfortunately, these varieties flower on last seasons growth and you may lose some of the flowers for the coming season.
Any varieties that flower from July onwards flower on this seasons growth and so need to be pruned back to just about 30-45cm (12"-18") from ground level, again to just above a healthy pair of buds now if you haven't already done this. Varieties such as Gipsy Queen, Hagley Hybrid, Jackmanii Superba or Sweet Sensation for example.
Any other varietiesonly require light pruning as they flower on last seasons growth. Prune after flowering if necessary.