Climbing roses will have ‘much fuller’ blooms if gardeners make 1 simple change

With warmer weather poised to arrive across the country this weekend, it’s an ideal opportunity to venture into the garden and get it summer-ready. If you’ve got climbing plants or roses in your outdoor space, there’s one crucial adjustment you need to make to boost their flowering potential.

Many gardeners mistakenly believe that climbing plants should be tied upwards to promote growth — but that’s not actually correct. Noah Mabey, Senior Gardener at Thornbridge Hall and Horticultural Advisor to Platinum Spas, revealed that training stems horizontally rather than vertically can stimulate considerably more blooms throughout the summer months.

He said: “A lot of gardeners naturally tie climbing plants straight upwards, but this often encourages the plant to focus on producing long leafy stems rather than flowers.

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“By gently training stems more horizontally, you encourage the plant to produce flowering shoots all along the stem instead, which creates a much fuller display.”

The method proves particularly effective for climbing roses, rambling roses, honeysuckle and wisteria, especially during late May and early June, when fresh growth remains soft and pliable.

Noah said: “This is the perfect time to tie in new growth because stems are still soft and easy to shape.

“Later in the season, stems begin to harden and become far more difficult to train without snapping.”

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“Training stems now also helps protect plants from wind damage later in summer, particularly with climbing roses and wall-trained plants.”

This technique is effective because plants instinctively channel energy towards the tip of a stem that’s growing upwards.

By laying them horizontally, gardeners can stimulate additional side shoots along the branch, resulting in a greater abundance of blooms.

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He said: “It’s a really simple technique, but it can completely change how climbing plants look later in the season.

“It’s much easier to guide plants into the shape you want now rather than later in summer when stems become long, woody and harder to manage.”