Rules of thumb
There are all kinds of climbing plants, but when it comes to pruning, give most climbers the same treatment. There are a few fixed rules to remember. For example, always use clean pruning tools. After all, you don’t want to contaminate beautiful climbers with one thing or another.
Furthermore, you can always keep in mind the following rule. Climbing plants that flower before the summer – so before June 21 – can be pruned after flowering. Anything that flowers after June 21 should be pruned in early spring.
For the health
Some climbing plants need to be pruned. Especially beautiful bloomers like the Passiflora or some types of Clematis. These can freeze in the winter and that doesn’t mean much good for their health. The entire plant can be affected and eventually die. Super important to prune back these dead parts immediately after the winter.
Even with climbing plants that do not really need to be pruned, it is good to do an inspection round every now and then. Always remove pieces that look unhealthy and dead to make the climber shine again the following season.
Deciduous climbers
You can only prune a deciduous climber when it is dormant. That’s usually in winter, roughly from November to April.