How To Clear Climbing Plants Without Damaging Next Year’s Growth – What and When to Snip
Plus the key tools you need for beautiful blooms next year
At the end of the summer, most climbing plants have seen a huge growth spurt and can look a little wild. Obviously, when, where and how to snip them depends on the species, but most need some cutting back.
Even different varieties and groups within a species can require different treatment – and it can be easy to inadvertently snip next year's growth. It's no surprise the thought of pruning fast-growing climbing plants can strike fear into the hearts of even experienced gardeners. However, it's not always necessary to call in the professionals to tackle this task (unless you want to).
With a little know-how and the right tools, like these classic Felco F6 pruners from Lowe's, it's possible to cut back climbers and encourage better blooms. From clematis and climbing roses to wisteria and jasmine, discover the cuts experts suggest.
1. Clematis
With clematis it's essential to know which type you are pruning, but most can be trimmed at this time. Clematis are categorized into three groups based on when they bloom: group 1 for spring blooms, group 2 for repeat bloomers, and group 3 for late summer blooms.
'When and how to prune clematis depends heavily on which group it falls into,' says Kevin Lenhart, Design Director & Landscape Architect, Yardzen.
'However, for any clematis group, right now it’s safe to deadhead spent flowers, cut back dead or sick stems, and prune or redirect errant growth.'
Kevin recommends using clean, sharp bypass pruners rather than anvil-style pruners. 'The latter tend to crush stems,' he says. 'Disinfect your tools when you switch plants, as dirty tools can easily spread clematis wilt.'
This 70% isopropyl alcohol antiseptic from Target can be used to clean blades.
'Beyond this selective care, you need to consider which particular Clematis you’re working with before you start any hard pruning.'
Kevin explains that for groups 1 and 2, late summer maintenance should stick to light, selective shaping, deadheading, and protecting healthy new growth.
The later blooming group 3 clematis produce blooms on new growth, rather than on old wood like groups 1 and 2. That means there is less concern about accidentally losing your blooms due to overzealous pruning.
'Despite this lower risk to late summer pruning, the best window for hard pruning for group 3 clematis is in late winter, around February,' says Kevin.
Kevin Lenhart is the Design Director at Yardzen and a licensed landscape architect. He is a LEED-Accredited Professional in Neighborhood Development, and holds a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design. As a designer, Kevin’s practice is rooted in a commitment to making high-quality design available to everyone, and to using design to improve physical, cultural, and ecological well-being.
2. Jasmine
The rule of thumb with jasmine is to prune just after it is done flowering. Pruning this way allows you to reshape the plant while still preserving plenty of time for new flowering wood to grow in.
'For Star Jasmine, that’s in the summer,' says Kevin. 'For Pink Jasmine, that’s a bit earlier, in the late spring. For the late blooming Common Jasmine (Jasminum officinale), whose main flowering season winds down in late summer to early fall, we are entering prime pruning season.
'The longer you wait after flowering to prune, the more new growth you will remove, resulting in diminished blooms the following year. Although, with any jasmine vine, you can always trim out dead, sick, or damaged plant material, regardless of the season.'
When pruning jasmine, Kevin recommends seeking to thin out congested masses, rather than cut back too heavily.
'This encourages more light penetration, which leads to more profuse blooms,' he says. 'Preserve the main structure, and trim back long, errant shoots to properly direct new growth.
'Equally important is training the vine, untangling old shoots and tying in new growth. Like thinning out knotty masses, retraining jasmine results in better exposure to light and airflow, contributing to more uniform growth and more abundant blooms.'
Larger plants may need support from a trellis, like this one from Ace Hardware. This green garden twine from Ace Hardware blends into the background when tying vines.
3. Climbing Roses
It's a similar story with climbing roses, which usually require a tidy and a trim at the end of the summer, rather than hard pruning, which is best done in the winter.
'With climbing roses, think about selective and strategic pruning at the end of the summer, rather than giving the whole plant a haircut,' says landscape designer, Kat Aul Cervoni, founder Staghorn Living.
'First, I like to remove anything dead, damaged, diseased, or very weak. Then work on maintaining the main framework and tying wayward canes back onto the support.
'Training long canes more horizontally can also encourage more flowering shoots. Remember, pruning often stimulates new growth, so don’t worry if it looks a little sparse just after - it’ll catch back up in fullness again soon.'
Kat likes to use clean, sharp pruners for most smaller stems. 'These are great for dexterity and precise pruning,' she says.
For thicker woody growth, she moves up to loppers or a pruning saw – again clean and sharp. 'They're better than struggling through with undersized tools and leaving a ragged cut which looks bad and and can lead to disease.'
These Fiskars loppers from Lowe's can cut cleanly through branches.
Landscape designer, Katherine "Kat" Aul Cervoni is the founder and principal of Staghorn Living. Kat creates outdoor spaces that become natural extensions of a home’s interior. A member of the Ecological Landscape Alliance and the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, she also mentors young plant enthusiasts and upcoming designers.
4. Wisteria
Wisteria benefits from a much more deliberate pruning routine with two strategic cutbacks a year, one in late summer and another harder pruning in the winter.
'In summer, go after those long, whippy shoots after it’s finished flowering and do what you can to guide it into the supports you have for it,' says Kat. 'After you remove the obvious problem material first, then it’s easy to step back and reassess. Often a climber needs much less pruning than you initially think.'
Don't confuse pruning with training wisteria or other twining vines, cautions Kat. 'If a climber looks messy, sometimes the solution isn't removing more growth,' says Kat.
'Instead, try untangling stems, tying them back to a trellis or wire system, and directing new growth where you want it. It can make the entire plant look tidier while preserving flowers.'
Kat finds this is particularly true for the fast-growing twining vines like clematis and wisteria vs clinging vines like virginiana creeper or climbing hydrangea.
The other big pruning is done while the plant is dormant in late winter.
'This pruning protocol helps control what can otherwise become a very vigorous, aggressive (and even invasive) plant while encouraging flowering closer to the main framework,' she says.
What to Shop
These pruners have high carbon steel blades and are designed to use with the left hand.
These padded gloves will protect your hands, whist working outside in the garden.
These long-handled loppers have sharp blades for clean cuts on thicker branches
Other types of fast-growing climbers can benefit from similar treatment. A general rule of thumb for pruning all plants is that dead, damaged, and diseased growth is generally the safest place to begin.
Even if this is all you prune away, it will be beneficial to the plant – and you won't risk killing next year's growth.
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