I would tie to the trellis any shoots that are long enough, especially where the trellis is still bare, and cut the rest back to 12 to 18 inches for a tidier look. You'll probably still get some bloom even on these shorter branches, but the whole effect will be tidier and more controlled.

Ingrid

Ingrid,
I appreciate your reply. Thank you.
I will try to get the bare part filled in with some canes and will gut back the shorter branches.

Climbers in their first and second year will make bushy growth which does not turn into climbing growth. The long climbing canes will come from the base. As Ingrid says, it is good to preserve the bushy growth but cut it back part way as needed.

Climbing shoots of 7-9' need to be fanned out on the fence at various levels. Cane sections within 45 degrees of horizontal will produce much more bloom than vertical canes. Even though 'Polka' doesn't make extremely long climbing shoots, it will need some of the real estate now occupied by the vines. Alternately, this variety can be pruned to stand up as a large shrub by cutting the strong shoots back by around half.

Your rose is very pretty.

Hi Michael, thank you for your help. Your explaining to me that climbers in their first and second year will make busy growth that doesn't turn into climbing growth is very helpful information to me. I didn't know this and was wondering why they weren't getting as long as some as the others. I've been doing my best to keep the canes fanned out. I'll try harder. Man, those thorns are huge and they really hurt. lol

Okay, I'm not sure what you mean by this...Even though 'Polka' doesn't make extremely long climbing shoots, it will need some of the real estate now occupied by the vines.

Hmmm..I didn't know it could be pruned to become a large shrub. That is good to know too.

I think tomorrow I will try to fan them out a little neater. The branches in the front that I was thinking of pruning back have rosebuds on them. Should I let them bloom before cutting the stem off?

Thank you for saying my rose is pretty. I think it is too.

Thank you michaelg and Ingrid.

I tied them up as best I could. There are buds on the bushy growth in the front. Should I wait until after they bloom and fade to cut some of these canes back? Thanks again.

This post helped me, too. I have a "Garden Sun" climbing rose --- it's still in a pot, I haven't planted it yet. It looks more like a traditional rose bush rather than having climbing rose characteristics - (which I don't even really know what that is; but reading here about about "lateral canes" and "horizontal canes', had me thinking that climbers look different than "regular" roses).

So, I was going to post a question about it, but first I read through and found this message thread, and I got some good information for my situation.

Maybe you'll get more info - (and me, too!) with a bump up the line from me.

Miss Mary

Mary--I'd define a climbing shoot as a basal shoot that runs continuously for 7-15 feet before stopping to bloom.

Cadence--wait for bloom if you want the flowers. It's up to you. The "vines" were a senior moment on may part, thinking there was a different plant off to the left.