Could you please share some pictures? I would tie them in any way posible at an angle or cut them back. It really would depend on what the entire thing looks like so pictures would help.

The closer they come out nearest the ground and are husky, the more valuable they are. Those coming from the crown, basal canes, at ground level or from just below ground at the crown, are the most valuable of all.

When they point the wrong way, forwards or backwards, and not to the left or right, just 'manhandle,' them to the right or left when no more than 3-4' when they are the easiest to train.

Any ones that start out smaller in diameter than a Sharpie marker, wait until they are about 4' long and if still thinner than a Sharpie, prune them out where they emerged unless their placement on the climber is critical for filling a gap.

You will find that young climbers as yours are, make more growth than they can support and still produce abundant, large flowers. It's surprising how much they need pruned away in spring when young. As they mature they settle down considerably.

Moses

Here is Florentina. I have found it very difficult to get a good picture but I hope this can show the new growth at least. This is growing up a fence section that we have to keep the deer from eating the roses. But you can see the canes with buds along the fence section and then the newer shoots with red foliage at the tips.

@moses Thank you for that description; it is very useful and informative for how to evaluate and handle the shoots.

Your Florentine is growing wonderfully. It's easier to evaluate what to keep and what to remove in spring, before leaf out. Then, pruning is a snap when you can clearly see what gets saved and what gets pruned away.

Right now just retain the huskiest, lowest down emerging growth, then tie it to the fence where it looks like it 'fits.' In spring you can do your fine tuning. Remember, the more horizontal the cane is trained, the more and bigger flowers it will produce.

Moses

BTW, Climbers hit their stride far more slowly than any other class of rose. Flower quality and abundance seem slow in their early years. Repeat blooming is often dismal in their early years. Wait until they get to the point where they hit their stride. It's an avalanche of blooms and repetition is remarkable then too.

I will try to wrangle the canes down. Is a fun adventure for sure. Florentina is definitely getting larger and stronger each year so far. I was happy to have so little die back too. I probably will have to move other roses which are planted quite close together.

Here is John Cabot today. It has smaller canes coming up from the base as well as long laterals poking out from the sides. I gave it what I thought was a considerable pruning this spring. It is on the east side of the house so maybe does not get as much sun as it would like.

The clematis usually blooms after the rose, so this is a different experience too. Also deer nibbled on it some before I put up the fence. For a while I had a folding table protecting it so the base was quite shaded. Maybe there is too much going on around the rose with the clematis and geranium. It does still have buds to open yet though and overall to me it is a beautiful rose. But I am not sure if I should be doing something with the longer laterals.

Thanks for all your input!