Question
My new dawn climbing roses...3 and 4 years old...are already above my first floor gutters.  They are so high and above the point where I can train them around my windows...what do I need to do to train them to my roof like on Nantucket cottages...they are high to spray and chock full of buds...I want to do the right thing to them so they are the prettiest and not tall and lanky up high.
Thank you
Cheryl Anne Kidney
Rochester, MA

Answer
Cheryl,
New Dawn is a vigorous climbing rose. It's natural tendency is to grow lean and lanky, and like all roses, it makes blooms on the ends of new growth. If you want flowers over a large area you'll have to prune some of the canes down low, and some down about half way every year in April. Every large cane you cut lower should sprout out and make new growth that will have flowers at the end of these stems. So an annual "shotgun" pruning of 2/3 of the canes is necessary in order to promote flowers over a large area.

No matter where you want to train them - over the windows or on the side of a building or over a roof - you'll need to do some of this pruning annually in order to get the new canes with flowers at the end at the right place. New Dawn is one of those that needs a more heavy hand with the pruners. The key is to take a third of the canes down low, cut a third about mid-length, and a third cut down a bit on top. Now it's too late to do that this year although you can cut after the first flush of flowers in June. In the future you'll do this in April.

all the best,
C.L.