Question
I believe rambler roses need pruning in autumn after flowering. However the rose in question was still flowering until the beginning of December when the first frost appeared.Do I now leave until spring, or prune now if there is no frost? Any help would be appreciated. I live in the UK in Nottinghamshire.

Answer
Hi Peter-

I don't believe it would do any harm to prune now.  But, to be on the safe side you could check (on the net) the historical weather data for your area to find out when the last frost usually occurs.  After this date is when I recommend pruning.  I would prune out the dead wood, and prune the canes at varying lengths so there is bloom all through the length of it.  I don't know the type of rambler this rose is, but it might be the type that blooms on old wood - so this year at least go easy on the pruning to see what type of rose it is (blooms on new wood or blooms on old wood).  If it is the type of rambler that blooms on old wood - you definitely don't want to prune drastically (to a few feet above the ground), which would limit the bloom next year.

Good Luck-

Carlene