To prune or not to prune...

[wetandcold]

Last year I rescued what my wife tells me is a climbing rose from my neigbours garden when they decided to mono-block the whole lot (what fool would want a hint of nature in their garden anyway...! They also managed to create a brilliant frog-suicide drain in the process - the frogs seem bizarrely attracted to it and plop 3 ft into their watery graves worryingly often  ??? The neighbours didn't approve of my wire mesh frog assistance and threw it into my garden as soon as they saw it.)

Anyway, enough mumbling. I am not a rose fanatic and planted it to please my better half. It threw up a single shoot about 5 ft hight in the first year and now has a few buds along it's length but the only sign of any new growth is at the top. If this is indeed a climbing rose can I prune it down a few feet to encourage some more new shoots or is it better left as a single stem?

[wetandcold]

[Barnowl]

I vote for pruning.

[betula]

I probally would prune but it is a lttle late to prune now if you want to see some flowers this season.

You could put something like top rose around the base of the stem to encourage some healthy growth. :)

[GrannieAnnie]

I read if you tie the stem into a horizontal direction you get more flowers but haven't tried this yet. It might be interesting to prune out some of the length after you bend it horizontally and tie it  down that way if you're into experimentation.   I rescued a bush that someone was pitching to see what rehab would do for it. This year is is looking bushier and healthy so will try this horizontal business on it.

[Barnowl]

Bending it sideways after pruning, even if it's just the tip, definitely promotes more upward shoots. Depends what shape you are looking for.

[kt.]

What about pulling the top to a 90 degree angle and tieing it off.  Then it will grow into along as opposed to up;  a Single Cordon that is also known as the Step-over

[star]

i AGREE TOTALLY WITH PULLING THE LEADER DOWN . (Sorry caps lock) You can get American Pillar Roses (it works with all climbers), whiich are trained around a post, pillar as horizontally as possible. They throw alot of shoots out when grown this way which produce flower ;)

[GrannieAnnie]

i AGREE TOTALLY WITH PULLING THE LEADER DOWN . (Sorry caps lock) You can get American Pillar Roses (it works with all climbers), whiich are trained around a post, pillar as horizontally as possible. They throw alot of shoots out when grown this way which produce flower ;)

That gives me an idea, Star. Oh brother! So many ideas from this forum, it's delectably dangerous  here:o ;D
Love you all and your brainy ways!

[wetandcold]

Thanks for all the advice - it is very much appreciated!

I've been out at lunchtime and cut it down to about 2ft above the main stem and wrapped the remainder horizontally around a trellis. It will be interesting to see how it does. If it dies then I will just tell my wife that you all told me to do it...