Roses will bloom and have 'much fuller display' if gardeners do 1 simple change this month

With warmer weather set to sweep across the country this weekend, it's a great time to get out in the garden and prepare it for summer. If you have climbing plants orroses in the garden, there is one thing that you need to change in order for them to flower more.

A lot of people assume that climbing plants need to be tied upwards to encourage growth - but this isn't the case. Noah Mabey, Senior Gardener at Thornbridge Hall and Horticultural Advisor to Platinum Spas, said that training stems horizontally instead of vertically can encourage significantly more blooms throughout summer. He said: "A lot of gardeners naturally tie climbing plants straight upwards, but this often encourages the plant to focus on producing long leafy stems rather than flowers."

"By gently training stems more horizontally, you encourage the plant to produce flowering shoots all along the stem instead, which creates a much fuller display."

The technique works particularly well for climbing roses, rambling roses, honeysuckle and wisteria, especially during late May and early June, when fresh growth is still soft and flexible.

Noah said: "This is the perfect time to tie in new growth because stems are still soft and easy to shape. Later in the season, stems begin to harden and become far more difficult to train without snapping.

"Training stems now also helps protect plants from wind damage later in summer, particularly with climbing roses and wall-trained plants."

It works because plants naturally direct energy towards the tip of a vertically growing stem. By positioning them sideways, gardeners can encourage more side shoots along the branch, which in turn means more flowers.

He said: "It's a really simple technique, but it can completely change how climbing plants look later in the season.

"It's much easier to guide plants into the shape you want now rather than later in summer when stems become long, woody and harder to manage."