Gardeners should be focusing on pruning this month, according to Monty Don, who has shared his expert advice on how to tackle the task with ease.
Angela Patrone Senior Lifestyle Reporter and Dan Taylor
08:15, 09 Oct 2025
Monty Don said gardeners should prune the plant now(Image: Elisabeth Schittenhelm via Getty Images)
October brings a host of essential gardening tasks, with pruning taking centre stage – especially for one particular plant variety.
Renowned horticulturist Monty Don has offered his expertise to Britain’s gardening enthusiasts, encouraging them to venture into their outdoor spaces this month to tackle climbing roses, ensuring a spectacular flowering display come next year whilst preventing winter harm.
The gardening expert highlighted that without consistent pruning, climbing roses risk becoming a tangled nightmare with sparse blooms.
He provided reassurance to gardeners that whilst the job might appear intimidating, it’s actually quite manageable when following his professional guidance.
He recommended: “Prune climbing roses. Climbing roses flower on shoots grown the same spring so they can be pruned hard now.”
Prune climbing roses hard now(Image: Getty)
Prior to embarking on this prickly endeavour, he emphasised the vital need for protective gloves and safety goggles.
Garden enthusiasts should start by removing any compromised or intersecting branches, whilst also eliminating aged timber, which Monty suggests can be “pruned right back” to soil level.
In Monty’s view, the secret lies in positioning the primary stems horizontally and uniformly, fastening them to support wires or framework.
Subsequently, he directs gardeners to cut back this season’s blooming lateral shoots to merely a handful of leaves.
Monty finished with an essential pointer: “The effect should be a tracery of largely horizontal growth with pruned side shoots running along their length. Finally, make sure it is all tied firmly in to avoid winter damage.”
Pruning, the craft of trimming and shaping plants by cutting away selected portions such as branches and buds, isn’t merely about maintaining an immaculate garden appearance.
Make sure climbing roses are all tied firmly in to avoid winter damage(Image: Getty)
It also encourages new growth and delivers more practical advantages.
Beyond sculpting foliage for visual impact, pruning keeps troublesome pests at bay and supports the natural structure and vigorous health of your plants.
Importantly, before making any cuts, gardeners must understand their roses – climbing varieties might require attention now, but rambling types can be left until later.
Monty advised: “Rambling roses on the other hand produce their flowers on shoots grown the previous summer so should only be pruned immediately after flowering.”
Meanwhile, specialists at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) offer a useful trick to prevent mix-ups – they suggest it’s all about when the blooms appear.
The experts explained: “Climbing rose will repeat-flower almost all summer and well into autumn, while a rambling rose usually flowers only once, normally around June.”
Comments are closed.