Without training or pruning, climbing plants can soon become a tangled mass of woody stems with a poor display of flowers. Not only do they look unattractive, but the weight of the many dead or dying stems may cause the support to be pulled away from the wall or fence.

However, even severely overgrown climbers can be regenerated with appropriate pruning in the majority of cases. Many plants will respond well when pruned back almost to the base, although specimens in poor condition may not survive this drastic measure. If in doubt, it is usually wiser to tackle a schedule of gradual renovative pruning over a two or three year period, in combination with appropriate feeding.

Gradual Renovation

Plants in poor health should be renovated gradually over two or three years. However, this method requires more time and effort than hard pruning as the new shoots will grow and become entangled with the old stems, making pruning extremely tricky.

The first year, remove as much tangled and congested growth as possible during the spring and then cut back one third of the main stems to the ground using long-handled loppers. Make sure that you retain the healthiest looking stems. Cut away any dead, diseased, damaged or spindly shoots, pruning them back to a healthy bud. Train in new shoots as they develop to fill in any gaps, avoiding getting them tangled with the old shoots.

Repeat this process each spring for another year or two, making sure that you feed and water the plant well after treatment. It may take up to two years for the climber to flower, even after the renovative pruning process is complete.

Drastic Renovation

Plants in otherwise good health may be pruned severely in early spring by cutting back all the stems with a pair of long-handled loppers to within 30-60 cm (1-2 ft) of ground level. A quick-acting, balanced fertilizer should be applied to encourage rapid new growth, the root area soaked with water and then mulched. The new shoots may then be trained to create an attractive shape as described in Formative Pruning for Climbers.