When to plant and prune Rose (Rambling)
Rosa (Rambler, e.g. 'Rambling Rector', 'Albertine', 'Bobbie James')
Ramblers flower once, on wood made the previous summer, so pruning them in late winter alongside the bush roses removes the entire coming display. Prune in late summer after flowering; save any hard renovation for late autumn to late winter and accept the loss of one year's flowers.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Pruning is driven by dormancy rather than frost, so it is not shifted by region — the same cut is right in Inverness and in Penzance. Planting windows do move.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late October to late December | mid June to mid July | early August to late August |
| South Coast and Channel | late October to late December | mid June to mid July | early August to late August |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late October to late December | mid June to mid July | early August to late August |
| South East and Home Counties | late October to late December | mid June to mid July | early August to late August |
| East Anglia | late October to late December | mid June to mid July | early August to late August |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late October to late December | mid June to mid July | early August to late August |
| Wales and West Coast | late October to late December | mid June to mid July | early August to late August |
| Northern England | late October to late December | mid June to mid July | early August to late August |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late October to late December | mid June to mid July | early August to late August |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late October to late December | mid June to mid July | early August to late August |
| Northern Ireland | late October to late December | mid June to mid July | early August to late August |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late October to late December | mid June to mid July | early August to late August |
How to prune it
RHS pruning group 18 (rambler): routine pruning in late summer after the flowers and hips, shortening sideshoots by about two-thirds and removing whole old stems from the base.
Severity: moderate.
Bare-root season
Bare-root stock is available and best planted late October to late March. It is cheaper than container-grown and establishes faster.
Feeding
Feed in March/April as growth resumes and again in mid-summer after the first flush; roses in containers need feeding fortnightly from mid-spring to late summer.
At a glance
- Type
- Rose
- Hardiness
- H6
- Eventual height
- 5.0 m
- Eventual spread
- 3.5 m
- Years to maturity
- 4
- Spacing
- 300 cm
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil
- Rich, moist but well-drained soil
- Evergreen
- No
- Fragrance
- Scented
- Pollinator value
- 3 out of 5
- Grows in a container
- Not recommended
- Difficulty
- Medium
Growing notes
Very vigorous one-flush roses for pergolas, large arches and growing into old trees, far too big for a small fence. After planting cut the stems back to about 40cm to force strong basal growth. Leave the hips on varieties grown for autumn colour.
What usually goes wrong
- black spot
- aphids
- powdery mildew
- rose replant disease
Related guides
Cross-checked against RHS guidance.