Monty Don says now is the time to give your rambling roses a 'tactical' prune – and here's why

The summer weather is finally here with more gardening jobs to keep up with. What are the most important this month? Getting on with pruning your rambling roses is a key one. 

When it comes to garden trends and seasonal advice there's no one we trust more than gardening guru Monty Don. Whether he's sharing his lasagne bulb recipe or composting tips, there seem to be no limits to the wisdom has to offer. 

So what tips and tricks does he have for us this month? Well according to Monty it's time to tackle our rambling roses. 

Monty Don's advice on pruning rambling roses in July

Sharing his advice via the monthly blog post on his site, Monty introduces the piece with a charming look to July. He says, "Roses are still looking good at the beginning of the month and the clematis switch from the big blooms of the early summer types (group II) to the more abundant, albeit smaller flowers of the viticella and other late-flowering (group III) ones. 

"Tender annuals such as cosmos, zinnias, sunflowers and tithonias hit their strife and crocosmia, agapanthus, lilies and dahlias are all summer-flowering bulbs that enrich the borders," he continues. 

Speaking of roses, Monty goes on to discuss pruning roses and why this time of year is the perfect time for a specific type of rose to be pruned. So if you're a proud owner of one of the best shrubs for long-lasting loveliness, it's time to get the secateurs out. 

To keep your roses flowering for longer Monty says: "It is very important to keep dead-heading roses as the petals fade to encourage repeat flowering, but some roses have now finished all that they are going to do this year. Most ramblers fall into this category, especially in the south of the country, such as ‘Wedding Day’, ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’ or ‘Felicite Perpetue’ and should be pruned as soon as they have finished flowering," he explains. 

If you're not sure whether you have rose climbers or ramblers, Monty explains that ramblers tend to be much more vigorous and always have a mass of smaller flowers that never repeat once they've bloomed. 

If you have a lot of wilted rose heads, you might want to try Monty's deadheading roses advice. 

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Monty recommends growing ramblers into a tree so they can be left unpruned with the maintenance only needed if they become straggly or have unruly growth. So if you're looking for cottage garden ideas and need help with tending to your rambling roses here's what the gardening guru says. 

He says, "However, if space is limited or you are training the rose in any way, this year’s new shoots should be tied in or cut back according to the circumstance. Remove any damaged or very old shoots, cutting them right back to the ground."

Monty does say if you're training your rambling roses around a vertical support then it's best to wind the stems in a spiral. "Otherwise, the more horizontal the stems can be trained, the more flowers will be produced next year. Finally, tie in any loose growth and mulch well," Monty finishes. 

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Whilst your rose bushes will need pruning, there are some plants in your garden you should avoid pruning during summer. So always double-check whether a species will benefit from the maintenance or if it might hinder growth.