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Very old climbing rose- what to do!

AmberValAmberVal Posts: 2
in Problem solving
I've never had a climbing rose before- or any rose really- but when we moved into our house last year, we inherited what looks like a very old climbing rose. Last winter I pruned out the dead wood, and one stem that was very thick indeed. I cut it down to what seems like a graft point (??!) and this summer it sprouted some fresh stems from that point- see picture where I have tried to tie them in. 

Part of me thinks it would be good to work each year on cutting out the very thick branches, and gradually replace them with younger ones, but I don't know if this is the right thing to do? I had a lot of trouble with pests this summer- around the garden generally, but particularly around this rose. I had scaley bugs, ants, aphids and what looked like sawfly. There were only about 5 roses that bloomed over the whole summer. My partner is convinced that this is a result of what he considers my brutal pruning! I'm planning to plant some marigolds around it this year in hopefulness.  

I did, however, manage to take a cutting from this rose almost as soon as we moved in, which is doing well climbing up a small pergola in a pot, waiting for a length of fence to be built to go against. I just worry that I might ruin this young plant too now!!

Any help would be gratefully appreciated!

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Anything coming from below the graft point should be removed, suckers of rootstock will not have the flowers that you want.   Replacing thick old wood would be good, as you say, over a number of years . The rooted cutting is good. It will be on its own roots  and you will not be worried about suckers. Plant it somewhere away from this one.  Roses up against walls like that will need a good feed every spring, a top dressing of manure if you can get it, and plenty of water.  Most of what you say are signs of stress, lack of water up against the house wall will not help.
  • AmberValAmberVal Posts: 2
    Thank you so much for your advice. I think you are probably very right that it isn't getting enough water. And I've never done anything to improve the soil underneath it too. I've now done a bit of a prune, and cut out a bit more of the old wood. Fingers crossed!! Thank you.
  • earlydazeearlydaze Posts: 105
    Am not sure this will work but here is a post from when I pruned my old climbing rose in late autumn https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1060207/first-time-pruning-climbing-rose#latest
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