Gardening Flowers Roses Why Won't My Climbing Rose Bush Bloom? I have a climbing rosebush that grows well but has not bloomed for the past two years. Everything else I plant does well. Does the soil lack something? By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on February 26, 2016 Share Tweet Pin Email Some climbing roses bloom only on second-year stems. A complete lack of bloom on your climbing rose makes me suspect you are losing or removing the stems before they reach blooming age. If you live in a cold climate, you may need to remove the climber from its trellis over the winter. Lay the stems down, cover them with soil, and mulch them to permit them to survive the winter and bloom the following year. Also, avoid early-season pruning of climbing roses that normally develop just one flush of bloom, except for removal of weak or diseased canes and canes that have already bloomed. Pruning out strong, healthy first-year canes means you're removing next year's potential blooms on these varieties. More On Roses Winter Protection For Roses How To Prune Roses Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit