Each climber needs to be pruned differently. Read on for tips on pruning the most common climbers.
| PLANT | WHEN | HOW |
|---|---|---|
| Campsis | Winter | Cut back the secondary shoots close to their base. |
| Clematis | Winter to early spring | Prune early-spring flowerers after flowering, midseason flowerers in early spring, and late-season clematis in winter and early spring. |
| Gelsemium | Spring | After flowering, thin out old growth. |
| Grapevine | Winter | Cut off the young shoots from the previous year above the second bud. |
| Ivy geraniums | Autumn to winter | After flowering, remove spent flowers and prune back any old growth. |
| Pandorea | Spring to summer | Light pruning to shape after flowering. |
| Parthenocissus | Winter | To rejuvenate the plant, cut back all the growth to ground level. |
| Passionfruit vine | Early spring | To rejuvenate the plant, shorten all the secondary stems to 2 inches (5 cm) from the point at which they sprout from the main stem. |
| Port St. John creeper | Autumn | Prune back outward or wayward shoots close to old wood after flowering. |
| Quisqualis | Early spring | Remove several older stems to allow for new growth. Remove spent flowers in autumn. |
| Rose (non-repeat-flowering) | Spring | Remove all the old stems after flowering. |
| Rose (repeat-flowering) | Mid to late winter | Cut out all the weak and diseased branches. Shorten the strongest branches by two-thirds. |
| Wisteria | Late summer | Once the main framework is established, cut off all the secondary shoots above the third bud in late summer. |
Rich & Galina Leighton (Leighton Photography & Imaging)/iStockphoto
Prune the passionflower vine in early spring.
